Mitsubishi Ki-46
| Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Reconnaissance plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
November 14, 1939 |
| Commissioning: |
1941 |
| Number of pieces: |
1742 |
The Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah was one of the fastest Japanese aircraft of World War II .
development
In 1937 Mitsubishi was commissioned to develop an aircraft that could fly at 400 km / h for six hours at an altitude of 4,000–6,000 meters. The first flight of the prototype took place on November 14, 1939. The first series machines came from 1941 as the Mitsubishi Ki-46 was used as the Type 100 reconnaissance aircraft Model 1 . The Ki-46 was mainly used as a fast long-range reconnaissance aircraft. With a top speed of over 600 km / h, it was very difficult to intercept even for the fastest Allied fighters .
The design was quite conventional for the time: low-wing aircraft with a generously glazed cabin for the two-man crew and two radial engines in the wings. However, attention was paid to clean lines and good aerodynamics . 1742 copies had been made by the end of the war.
variants
- Rikugun Ki-46-III-KAI
- The Ki-46-III-KAI, developed in the Rikugun Kokugijutsu Kenkyujo (Army Aviation Research Institute), was created in 1944 to ward off the increasing American bombing attacks by B-29s on the Japanese islands. From mid-May 1944, work was done to modify the successful reconnaissance aircraft into a high altitude fighter with two cannons in the bow and a heavy cannon as angled armament. Because of the inadequate rate of climb, the results of the Ki-46-III-KAI that were created in this way were disappointing.
- Ki-46-IIIb
- Fighter-bomber built in a few copies. The performances were disappointing.
- Ki-46-IIIc
- This variant with two cannons firing diagonally downwards remained only a project.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data (Ki-46-III) | (Ki-46-III-KAI) |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 2 | |
| length | 11.00 m | 11.48 m |
| span | 14.70 m | |
| height | 3.88 m | 3.80 m |
| Wing area | 32 m² | 32.40 m² |
| Empty mass | 3,831 kg | 3,820 kg |
| Takeoff mass | normal 5,722 kg max. 6,500 kg |
6,230 kg |
| Engine | two double radial engines Mitsubishi Ha-112-II | |
| power | 1,500 HP (approx. 1,100 kW) each | 1,525 PS (1,122 kW) each |
| Top speed | 630 km / h at an altitude of 6,000 m | 610 km / h at a height of 7,000 m 630 km / h at a height of 6,000 m |
| Rise time | 19 minutes at an altitude of 8,000 m | |
| Range | 4,000 km | 2,000 km |
| Service ceiling | 10,500 m | |
| Armament | - | one 37 mm cannon (Ho-203) two 20 mm cannons (Ho-5) |
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Kristoffer Daus: Mitsubishi Ki-46 III: Elegant and Fast . In: Aviation Classics . No. 3 , 2017 ( flightrevue.de ).