In 1938, when the military philosophy had shifted from light combat to high-speed one-hit detachment warfare, the Army issued instructions to Nakajima for the prototype of the Ki-44, a high-speed heavy fighter that emphasised speed, climbing power and dive performance, at about the same time as the Ki-43 light fighter prototype was issued.
To meet the Army's requirements, Nakajima selected a high-power engine and decided on the Ha-41, which had the largest power output at the time despite its large diameter. The main wing trailing edges were fitted with Nakajima's unique butterfly-shaped flaps to improve performance during air combat and take-off and landing.
Tests showed that the aircraft had poor visibility during take-off and landing and poor stability at low speeds, which puzzled pilots accustomed to Type 97 fighters, and it did not enjoy a good reputation. However, a performance comparison with the Bf-109E and Kawasaki Ki-60 showed that the Ki-44 was superior, so it was formally adopted as a Type II single-seat fighter in 1942 and later given the common name "Shoki".
The Type II single-seat fighter equipped with the Ha-41 was called the Type II Single-seat Fighter Type I, while the Type II single-seat fighter equipped with the more powerful Ha-109 engine was called the Type II Single-seat Fighter Type II Type II Type II. There were also A, B and C versions of the Type D, depending on differences in armament and equipment. 1,227 of each type were produced between 1940 and 1944, and were active in intercepting enemy bombers on air defence missions.

Data Type 2 single-seat fighter B-2
- Crew: 1
- Overall width: 9.448 m
- Overall length: 8.843 m
- Overall height: 3.248 m (horizontal)
- Overall weight: 2,764 kg
- Maximum speed: 605 km/h at 5,200 m
- Cruising speed: 400 km/h at 4,000 m
- Engine: Ha-109
- Take-off power: 1,520 hp
- Armament: 2 x 12.7 mm machine guns (fuselage), 2 x 40 mm machine guns (wings), 2 x bombs 30 kg - 100 kg