Warplanes of Japan: Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu

Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu

(IJAAF Photo)

Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu.

The Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryū (飛龍, "Flying Dragon"; Allied reporting name"Peggy") was a twin-engine bomber produced by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company and used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and ImperialJapanese Navy Air Service in the Second World War. While its original official designation was "Army Type 4 Heavy Bomber" (四式重爆撃機, Yon-shiki jū bakugeki-ki), in all of its key parameters, the Ki-67was similar to the contemporaneous medium bombers of other countries. Japanese Navy variants included the P2M and Q2M.

The Ki-67 was the result of a 1941 Japanese army specification for a successorto the Nakajima Ki-49 "storm dragon". This new aircraft was specifiedto be a high-speed twin-engined heavy bomber suitable for possible conflictswith the Soviet Union over the Manchuria-Siberia border, and unlike manyJapanese warplanes, was required to have good defensive armament and theability to survive heavy battle damage. It was also required to be highlymaneuverable allowing it to carry out dive-bombing attacks and escape at lowlevel.

The Ki-67 was designed by a team led by Kyūnojō Ozawa, chief engineer atMitsubishi, and was a mid-winged monoplane of all-metal construction, with aretractable tailwheel undercarriage. It was fitted with self-sealing fuel tanksand armor, features common in US fighters and bombers but frequently lacking inJapanese aircraft. With these features and its two 1,417 kW (1,900 hp)18-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, the Ki-67 was perhaps one of the moststurdy and damage-resistant Japanese aircraft of the Second World War.

The Ki-67's bomb load of 1,070 kg (2,360 lb) carried in its internal bomb baywould classify it as a medium bomber for the US. The North American B-25Mitchell could carry up to 2,722 kg (6,000 lb), the Martin B-26 Marauder up to1,814 kg (4,000 lb), and the Douglas A-20 Havoc up to 907 kg (2,000 lb), forexample, but they rarely carried a maximum load; when they did, their range wasreduced significantly. Japanese aircraft almost invariably had greater rangewith their rated maximum load; this gave them a strategic capability unlike thatof Allied twin-engine bombers, which were considered tactical bombers.[citationneeded] The Ki-67's performance was remarkable compared to US medium bombers;the Ki-67 had a level-flight top speed of 537 km/h (334 mph) - against 443 km/h(275 mph) for the B-25, 462 km/h (287 mph) for the B-26, and 538 km/h (338 mph)for the A-20 -, good manoeuvrability in high-speed dives (up to 644 km/h/400mph), excellent sustained rate of climb, and outstanding agility (excellentturn rate, small turn radius, and ability to turn at low speeds[citationneeded]). The manoeuvrability of the Ki-67 was so good that the Japanese usedthe design as the basis for the Mitsubishi Ki-109 twin-engine fighter,originally designed as a night fighter, and later for use as a daylight heavyfighter. In the last stages of World War II, the Japanese Navy also used thedesign as the basis for the Mitsubishi Q2M1 "Taiyo" radar-equippedanti-submarine aircraft.

Armament of the Ki-67 included a dorsal turret with a 20 mm (.79 in) Ho-5cannon, in addition to 12.7 mm (.50 in) Ho-103 machine guns in the tail, nose,and beam positions. Some aircraft were fitted with a 20 mm gun in the tailposition, and early models used 7.7 mm (.303in) Type 89 machine guns in the beam positions.

The Ki-67 was used for level bombing and torpedo bombing (it could carry onetorpedo attached under the fuselage). The Ki-67 was initially used by theJapanese Army and Navy Air Services against the US Third Fleet during itsstrikes against Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands. It was later used at Okinawa,in Mainland China, French Indochina, Karafuto and against B-29 airfields inSaipan and Tinian. One special ground-strike version used in the Giretsumissions was a Ki-67 I with three remote-control 20 mm cannons angled at 30°for firing toward the ground, a 20 mm cannon in the tail, 13.2 mm (.51 in) Type3 machine guns in the lateral and upper positions, and more fuel capacity. Evenwith more fuel, the Giretsu missions were one-way only because of the longrange. In the last stages of World War II, special attack versions of the Ki-67(the I KAI and Sakura-dan models) were used in kamikaze missions. (Referencesinclude information from Lt. Sgt. Seiji Moriyama, a crew member in FugakuSpecial Attack Unit, who witnessed Ki-67's being converted into To-Gō suicideplanes with two 800 kg/1,760 lb bombs during Okinawa operations.)

By the end of the Second World War, 767 Ki-67s had been produced. Other sources relate that 698 Ki-67's were manufactured, excluded the KAI and Sakura-dan conversions.

Variants
Ki-109
Ki-67-I: Prototypes. Diverse models with various types of weapons. 19 produced.
Ki-67-Ia "Hiryu" Army Type 4 Heavy Bomber Model 1: Main productionmodel. The majority (420+) were modified in the factory as land-based torpedobombers (after work-number 160). Produced by Mitsubishi: 587; by Kawasaki: 91;by 1° Army Arsenal of Tachikawa: 1.
Ki-67-Ib: Late production model. Reinforced the tail gun turret (2 × 20 mm).
Ki-67-I KAI: Experimental model equipped with Mitsubishi Ha-104 Ru engines. 3produced.
Ki-67-I AEW variant: Equipment the early warning radar "Taki 1 ModelII". 1 produced.
Ki-67 "To-Gō": Army special attack aircraft type 4: Improved versionof the Ki-67 I for kamikaze, unarmed, without turrets, and with two 800 kg(1,760 lb) bombs in belly compartment.
Ki-67 "guided missile mother ship": Experimental type for carryingguided missiles.(Kawasaki Ki-147 I-Go Type 1-Ko, Mitsubishi Ki-148 I-Go Type1-Otsu, I-Go Type 1-Hei, "Ke-Go" IR,"Ko-Go","Sa-Go") 1 produced.
Ki-67 long-range bomber variant: Equipped with widened wings and withoutturrets. Only a project.
Ki-67 ground attack variant: Version armed with three remote-controlground-firing 5 × 30° 20 mm cannons, 20 mm defensive cannon in the tailposition, three 13.2 mm (.51 in) machine guns in lateral and upper positions,and more fuel capacity for long range. Specifically designed for land strikesagainst B-29 bases in the Marianas. Only a project.
Ki-67-II: Prototypes. Modified version of the Ki-67-I, with two MitsubishiHa-214 engines of 1,581 kW (2,150 hp) each. 2 produced.
Ki-67 glider tug: A standard Ki67-I was used to tow the "Manazuru"(Crane) transport glider in tests.
"Yasukuni": Naval torpedo bomber version of the Ki-67-I. Created fromKi-67-Is transferred from the IJAAF.
Ki-69: Heavily armed escort fighter model. Only a project.
Ki-97: Transport model. Only a project.
Ki-109: Night fighter prototypes. Ki-67-I modified for night fighting foroperating in pairs, the Ki-109a with a radar/reflector (similar to the BritishDouglas Havoc II "Turbinlite" concept, only using radio beams ratherthan a powerful searchlight) for radar transmission and detection and theKi-109b, armed with twin 37 mm Ho-203 cannon in an upward-firing SchrageMusik-style fixed dorsal mount (as the single Ho-203 autocannon in theMitsubishi Ki-46-III KAI was) to destroy the objective. Only a project.
Ki-109: Day Fighter prototypes. Ki-67-I modified for daylight fighting. Onefixed 75 mm Type 88 Heavy Cannon in the nose and one mobile 12.7 mm (0.5 in)Ho-103 Type 1 machine gun in the tail. Equipped with Mitsubishi Ha-104 enginesof 1,417 kW (1,900 hp) each or turbocharged Ha-104 Ru with 1,417 kW (1,900 hp)each. 2 produced.
Ki-109 Army Heavy Fighter Interceptor: First non-prototype model of series.Lacking gun positions in upper and side positions and without bomb-baycompartments[citation needed]. Fixed 75 mm Type 88 Heavy Cannon in the noseretained from Day Fighter prototype. Had a revised version of tail gun. 22constructed by Mitsubishi.
Ki-112: Bomber escort fighter made with a wooden construction. Armed with 8 x12.7mm and 1 x 20mm. Only a project.
Ki-167 "Sakura-dan": "Special Attack" (kamikaze) versionequipped with one shaped charge thermite bomb of 2,900 kg (6,400 lb) in thefuselage behind the crew cabin. The shape of the bomb conducted the blastforward, projecting a jet capable of reaching nearly a mile with a maximumblast radius of 300 m (980 ft). The bomb was designed to breach emplacements aswell as to destroy massed formations of armor. 9 produced.
Q2M1 Taiyo: Navy variant of Ki-67-I, for anti-submarine warfare. Equipped withradar (Type3 Model 1 MAD (KMX), Type 3 Ku-6 Model 4 Radar, and ESM Antennaequipment). Had two Mitsubishi Kasei 25 Otsu engines of 1,380 kW (1,850 hp)each with six-blade propellers. Carried torpedoes or depth charges. Projectonly. (Wikipedia)

(IJAAF Photos)

Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu (Flying Dragon) Army Type 4 Heavy Bomber, code-named Peggy.

(USAAF Photos)

Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu (Flying Dragon) Army Type 4 Heavy Bomber, code-named Peggy, (Serial No. 74-148) of the 74th Hiko Sentai, Matsumoto airfield, Japan, 1945.  This twin engine bomber with the hand-painted USAAF markings is possibly one of five shipped to the USA, designated USAAF FE-2200 scrapped at Middletown, FE-2201 scrapped at Newark, FE-2202 scrapped at Middletown, FE-2203 scrapped at Newark, and FE-2204 also scrapped scrapped at Newark.

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