Kawasaki Ki-61

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Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien / Ki-100
Ki-61 at Fukuoka in 1945.jpeg
Type: Fighter plane
Design country:

Japanese EmpireJapanese Empire Japan

Manufacturer:

Kawasaki

First flight:

December 1941

Commissioning:

1942

Number of pieces:

~ 3000 Ki 61 + 275 Ki 100

Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien

The Kawasaki Ki-61 "Hien" ( German  Schwalbe ) was a fighter and one of the few Japanese aircraft with a V-12 engine in the service of the Army Air Force .

development

The construction of the machine was strongly influenced by the Heinkel He 100 and the He 112 . It is interesting that the Japanese bought both types of aircraft from the Germans and then tested them extensively in Japan. The machines acquired in Germany also included the Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-seater hunting machine . The chief designer was Takeo Doi , who had been trained by the German Richard Vogt , his predecessor in the office of chief designer at Kawasaki.

The prototype of the Ki-61 flew for the first time in December 1941. The first machines (Ki-61-I) came to the task forces in the summer of 1942. Many other variants followed, with improvements in armament, armor and the engines as well as in the fuselage and the full view canopy.

There were also German influences with regard to the on-board weapons of the Kawasaki. There were 20-mm MG-151/20 Mauser guns imported by which the "Tony" (the code name for the Allied "Hien") had a strong armament. Although there were initially only four 12.7 mm machine guns, up to four 20 mm cannons were installed very early on. Some versions, such as the Ki-61-I-KAId, were even armed with 30 mm automatic cannons.

Even as a fighter-bomber which was Ki-61 use. She could carry a bomb load of 500 kg under the wings (2 × 250 kg bombs).

However, this agile hunter also had weaknesses: the engine, like the He 100 , had constant problems with the cooling systems. Towards the end of the Pacific War there was also a loss of quality in production, as Japanese industry suffered from the heavy air raids by the Allies and many skilled workers were recalled for military service.

Technical specifications

Three-sided tear
Parameter Data (Kawasaki Ki-61-Ib)
crew 1
span 12.00 m
length 8.75 m
height 3.70 m
Empty mass 2,630 kg
Takeoff mass 3,470 kg
Engine a V-12 engine Kawasaki Ha-40 (Heerestyp 2) (876 kW / 1,191 PS)
Top speed approx. 600 km / h
Climb rate at 5,000 m 5:31 min
Service ceiling approx. 11,500 m
Operational range approx. 1,100 km
Armament 2–3 × 20 mm cannons,
2 × 12.7 mm machine guns,
some also 4 × 12.7 mm machine guns
External load 500 kg bombs under the wings
2 × 200 liter additional tanks

Kawasaki Ki-100

The Kawasaki Ki-100 was actually an interim solution and arose out of necessity. There were not enough V-12 engines available for 275 Ki-61 airframes that had already been produced . Experts decided to equip these cells with the Mitsubishi Ha-112 radial engine with up to 1,103 kW (1,500 hp ) (this engine was also used in the Ki-46 "Dinah"). Although the aerodynamics of the front of the Ki-61 were lost, the performance losses were not too significant.

The first aircraft with this radial engine took off from the ground for the first time in February 1945. This interceptor joined the Japanese Army Aviation Home Defense Associations in March 1945. There he was able to hold his own against the Allied bomber streams. Of a further 121 Ki-100, 118 machines had a shortened rear fuselage with a full-view canopy (Ki-100-Ib). Some Ki-100s were equipped with turbochargers to bring more power at higher altitudes.

Like the Ki-61 , the Ki-100 was also suitable as a fighter-bomber. Despite the character of a stopgap, the Ki-100 turned out to be one of the best Japanese fighter planes.

Technical specifications

Parameter Data (Kawasaki Ki-100)
crew 1
span 12.00 m
length 8.82 m
height 3.75 m
Empty mass approx. 2,600 kg
Takeoff mass approx. 3,500 kg
Engine a Mitsubishi Ha-112 radial engine (Heerestyp 4) (1,118 kW / 1,520 PS)
Top speed approx. 580 km / h
Climb rate at 5,000 m approx. 6 min
Service ceiling approx. 11,000 m
Operational range approx. 1,400 km
Armament 2 × 20 mm cannons with 120 rounds
2 × 12.7 mm machine guns with 200 rounds
External load 500 kg bombs under the wings
2 × 200 liter additional tanks

About 3,300 aircraft of the Ki-61 and Ki-100 were manufactured. There were also some test and prototypes such as the Ki-64. Today only a few Kawasaki "Hien" exist.

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Kawasaki Ki-61  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files