Warplanes of Japan: Kawasaki

Kawasaki Warplanes

Kawasaki Ki-10 Army Type 95 Fighter), codenamed Perry.  The Ki-10 was the last biplane fighter used by the IJAAF, serving from 1935 to 1940.  (IJAAF Photos)

(IJAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu Army Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter (code name Nick) in IJAAF service with the 53rd Hiko Sentai.

The Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu (屠龍, "Dragonslayer") is a two-seat, twin-engine heavy fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. The army gave it the designation "Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter" (二式複座戦闘機, Ni-shiki fukuza sentōki); the Allied reporting name was "Nick". Originally serving as a long-range escort-fighter, the design, as with most heavy fighters of the period, fell prey to smaller, lighter, more agile single-engine fighters. As such, the Ki-45 instead served as a day and nighttime interceptor and strike fighter. (Wikipedia)

(IJAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu formation.

(IWM Photo, CF 701)

Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu fighter/ground attack aircraft, codenamed "Nick" by the Allies, of the 71st Dokuritsu Hiko Chutai being examined by an RAF Officer.  This was one of a number of aircraft abandoned at Kallang Airport, Singapore, Sep 1945.

(USAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45s stand abandoned on an airfield near Singapore, 1945.

(IJAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu.

(IJAAF Photo)

Members of the 53rd Sentai's ramming unit are the subjects of this photograph, taken in late 1944. Left from second is; Sergeant Shigeo Iioka (KIA), Ensign Tetsuro Aoki, Sergeant Masami Sawamoto (KIA), Corporal Kenji Yamada (KIA) and Corporal Hisashi Tagami (KIA).

(IJAAF Photos)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu Army Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter (code name Nick) in IJAAF service.

(USAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu Army Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter (code name Nick) captured at Cape Glouster, New Britain in 1944.

(USAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu Army Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter (code name Nick) captured by US forces being prepared for flight testing at Clark Field in the Philippines.  This aircraft is possibly (Serial No. 3303), TAIC-SWPA S14, designated USAAF FE-325 and later T2-325, which was scrapped at Freeman Field in 1946.

(USAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu at Clark Field in the Philillines, 1945.

(USAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu at Clark Field in the Philillines, 1945.

(USAAF Photo)

Ki-45 Kai Tei in Downtown Manila, 1945.

(RAAF Museum Photo)

Kawasaki Ki.45 Toryu Nick S-14 in American markings over Brisbane, QLD in about 1945.

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu Army Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter (Serial No. 3303), codenamed "Nick",TAIC-SWPA S14.  This aircraft was captured at Fujigaya and later shipped to the USA.  It was designated USAAF FE-325 and later T2-325.  This aircraft was test flown at Freeman Field, Ohio until it was scrapped in 1946.  (USAAF Photo)

(USAAF Photos)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu Army Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter (Serial No. 3303), codenamed "Nick", USAAF FE-325 and later T2-325.  This aircraft was test flown at Freeman Field, Ohio until it was scrapped in 1946.

(USAAF Photo)

Ki-45 Kai Tei 2, 701.

(USAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu (Serial No. 4268), codenamed Nick, shipped to the USA and shown here at Middletown Air Depot in 1946.  Designated USAAF FE-701, the fuselage of this aircraft is now on display in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre, Chantilly, Virginia.  (USAAF Photo)

(Steven Duhig Photo)

(HawkeyeUK Photos)

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Toryu (Serial No. 4268), USAAF FE-701, fuselage on display in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre, Chantilly, Virginia.  This is the only surviving Ki-45 KAIc.  It was one of about 145 Japanese aircraft brought to the United States aboard the carrier USS Barnes for evaluation after the end of the Second World War.  It underwent overhaul at Middletown Air Depot, Pennsylvania, and was test-flown at Wright Field, Ohio, and Naval Air Station Anacostia in Washington, D.C.  The United States Army Air Forces donated the Toryu to the Smithsonian Institution in June 1946.  Only the fuselage is currently on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, alongside the Nakajima J1N and Aichi M6A.

 (IJAAF Photos)  

Kawasaki Ki-48 Army Type 99 Twin-engined Light Bomber, codenamed "Lily", IJAAF.

(USAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-48 Army Type 99 Twin-engined Light Bomber, codename "Lily" captured by US forces.  This is possibly one of two Ki-48 shipped to the USA.  USAAF FE-1202 scrapped at Middletown or FE-1205, which was scrapped at Park Ridge, ca. 1950.

(ROCAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-48, captured and placed in service with the Republic of China Air Force, Taiwan.

(Calflieer001 Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-48 in Chinese Liberation Army Air Force colours on display in the China Aviation Museum in Datangshan, China.  Some of the parts of the airplane are reproduced.

Kawasaki Ki-48, reported to be on display in the Indonesian Air Force Museum.

(Mike1979 Russia)

Kawasaki Ki-48-II replica on display in the Great Patriotic War Museum, Moscow, Russia.

(IJAAF Photos)

Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien Army Type 3 Fighters.

(USAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien Army Type 3 Fighter captured with flight test markings.

(USMC Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-61-1-Tei Hien Army Type 3 Fighter, captured and flown by USMC VMF 322 at Okinawa in May 1945.  This aircraft is painted in a very colourful finish of dark blue and white with the USMC emblem in red on the vertical fin.  The rudder and fin are painted in red.  

Kawasaki Ki-61-1a Ko Hien Army Type 3 Fighter  (Serial No. 263), codenamed Tony.  This aircraft was originally seizou bangou 263 captured at Cape Gloucester and test flown as 'XJ 003'at Eagle Farm, Brisbane, Australia and designated TAIC 9, before being shipped to the USA.  Although seizou bangou (?) is often referred to as a 'serial number' the term means, literally, 'manufacturer production series number' and as stencilled on the airframe was coded by one of three known methods to provide a level of deception about how many aircraft had been produced. This aircraft was shipped to the TAIU at Anacostia in the USA.  Of the three Ki-61s brought to the USA in 1945, USAAF FE-313 and FE-316 were scrapped at park Ridge ca. 1950, and TAIC 9 crashed at  Yanceyville, North Carolina on 2 July 1945.  (USAAF Photos)

Kawasaki Ki-61-1a Hien Army Type 3 Fighter  (Serial No. 263) assigned USAAF code number XJ003 and TAIC 9, test flown in the USA post war.  (USAAF Photos)

(USAAF Photos)

Kawasaki Ki-61-1a Hien Army Type 3 Fighter  (Serial No. 2210), This aircraft was the last remaining Tony in Japan and was put on display at Yakota Air Base, which is still a functioning USAF base today.  It was initially set up on the base in Japanese markings after being captured at Yakota at the end of the war.  Sometime in 1947, it was deemed offensive to American personnel and repainted in bogus USAF markings (with the new red bar used in USAF flashes after 1 January 1947).  Apparently it was easier to mark them as American at that time than to dispose of them.  In 1953, the Tony was returned to the Japanese people through civilian representatives of the Japan Aeronautic Association (Nippon Kohkuh Kyohkai).  They moved it to Hibiya Park in Tokyo near the Imperial Palace for display.

(Hunini Photos)

(TRJN Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Tony), Kobi Port terminal, Japan.

 (Goshimini Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-61-II-Kai (Serial No. 5017 ) is on static display at the Tokko Heiwa Kaikan Museum in Chiran Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan.

Kawasaki Ki-61-II-Kai (Serial No. unknown). owned by Kermit Week’s Fantasy of Flight museum at Polk, Florida.   It is currently stored and in need of restoration.

Kawasaki Ki-61-I-Otsu (Serial No. 640), being restored to flying condition and will become part of the Military Aviation Museum collection in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Kawaskai Ki-96 Experimental Twin-engine single-seat fighter.  (IJAAF Photo)

(USAAF Photos)

Kawasaki Ki-102b "Randy".  This aircraft has the number 106, which may refer to the loading number for the aircraft carrier that brought it, as one of three Ki-102b which were shipped to the USA.  Ki-102b USAAF FE-308 was scrapped at park Ridge ca. 1950; Ki-102B FE-309 was scrapped at Middletown in 1946, and Ki-102b FE-310 was scrapped at Newark in 1946.

Kawasaki Ki-78 (KEN III)

KEN III (for Kensan III or Research III) incorporated numerous advanced features new to Japanese aircraft. Approval was given for the aircraft’s development and a full-scale wooden mockup was finished in May 1941. Because of the outbreak of World War II, the project was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Army and designated Ki-78. A production contract for two prototypes was awarded to Kawasaki, under the direction of Isamu Imashi. Construction of the first prototype began in September 1941 at Kawasaki’s plant at Gifu Air Field.

The Ki-78 was an all-metal, low wing monoplane of conventional layout. The small streamlined fuselage was made as narrow as possible and was 26 ft 7 in (8.1 m) long. The wings possessed a laminar flow airfoil with a span of 26 ft 3 in (8 m) and an area of 118.4 sq ft (11 sq m). To reduce landing speed and improve low-speed handling, the wings incorporated drooping ailerons along with a combination of Fowler and split flaps, which was a first for a Japanese aircraft. When the Fowler flaps were deployed, the split flaps opened simultaneously to a similar extent. When the flaps were fully deployed, the ailerons automatically drooped down 10 degrees.

Power for the Ki-78 was provided by an imported Daimler-Benz DB 601A inverted V-12 engine driving a three-blade metal propeller. The engine was not a Kawasaki Ha-40, a licensed copy of the DB 601. The DB 601 had a 5.91 in (150 mm) bore and 6.30 in stroke (160 mm), giving a total displacement of 2,070 cu in (33.9 L). It produced 1,175 hp (876 kW) at 2,500 rpm. The engine was modified by Kawasaki with the addition of a water-methanol injection system (another Japanese first) to boot the power output to 1,550 hp (1,156 kW) for short periods. The Ki-78 carried 66 gal (250 L) of fuel and 16 gal (60 L) of water-methanol.

Engine cooling was provided by two radiators: one mounted on each side of the rear fuselage. The radiators had a wide air inlet protruding slightly out from the fuselage. Airflow through each radiator was controlled by an actuated exit door. In addition, within the fuselage a small 60 hp (45 kW) turbine drove a fan to further assist cooling. The aircraft stood 10 ft 7/8 in (3.07 m) tall and weighed 4,255 lb (1,930 kg) empty.

The Ki-78 first flew on 26 December 1942 and was found to be extremely difficult to fly at low speeds and had poor stall characteristics. The aircraft was heavier than the design estimates, which increased the wing loading. Even with the special flaps and drooping ailerons, takeoff and landing speeds were both high at 127 mph (205 km/h) and 106 mph (170 km/h) respectively. In addition, elevator flutter was experienced at the relatively low speed of 395 mph (635 km/h) but was subsequently cured by fitting a horn-balance to the elevator.

High-speed flight tests were started in April 1943, and during the Ki-78’s 31st flight on 27 December, the aircraft achieved its maximum speed of 434.7 mph (699.6 km/h) at 11,572 ft (3,527 m). This was considerably less than the program’s speed goal of 528 mph (850 km/h). A study showed that extensive airframe modifications were needed to improve the Ki-78 flight performance. Consequently, the project was officially terminated after the aircraft’s 32nd flight on 11 January 1944. Only one prototype was built.

The unique Ki-78 survived the war but was crushed by American forces at Gifu Air Field in 1945.

The sole Ki-78 being crushed by American forces at Gifu Air Field, after the war, in 1945.

Kawasaki Ki-100-1b Type 5 fighter.  Four were shipped to the USA, Ki-100-1b designated USAAF FE-312 was scrapped at Park Ridge, ca. 1950, Ki-100-1b (Serial No. 13012), FE-314 was broken up at Patterson AFB in 1959, FE-315 was scrapped, and FE-317 was scrapped at Park Ridge ca. 1950.  One was shipped to the UK.  (IJAAF Photos)

(Aldo Bidini Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-100-1b Type 5 fighter, RAF Museum Cosford, England.

 (IJAAF Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-108 Experimental High Altitude fighter, codenamed Randy.

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