Mitsubishi Ki-67
| Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu | |
|---|---|
 Mitsubishi Ki-67 |
|
| Type: | Bomb plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
December 27, 1942 |
| Number of pieces: |
719 |
The Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu ( Flying Dragon ) proved to be the best heavy bomber in the Japanese Army Air Force during the Pacific War . The Allied code name for the Ki-67 was Peggy .
development
Its development began in 1941 using structural elements from the G4M1 naval bomber to succeed the Nakajima Ki-49 , again as a twin-engine machine with radial engines . In addition to the ability to fall, the Japanese Army's tender explicitly required strong defensive armament and a high degree of survivability in the event of severe fire damage. Hence the aircraft was also classified as a heavy bomber (by the Army, although twin-engine aircraft are commonly classified as medium bombers). The first of three prototypes was completed in December 1942 and made its maiden flight on December 27, 1942. Series production was initiated using all available manufacturing capacity with the highest level of urgency, but the number remained due to the increasing American bombing raids on suppliers and final manufacturing companies of the Japanese aviation industry relatively low (698 Ki-67-I were built).
It was used from October 1944 on both land and sea, since torpedo suspensions were attached to all machines as standard after the flight tests were completed. A three-seat variant that had been converted for Kamikaze missions was called the Ki-67-I KAI , a heavy fighter version with a 75 mm cannon ( Ki-109a or Ki-109b ) that appeared in August 1944 was only 22 times built.
The Ki-67 proved to be fast and maneuverable, but the effectiveness of its use increasingly suffered from the lack of experienced flight personnel, most of the crews came directly from the flying schools to the front. Towards the end of the war, a test version called To-Go with a modified bow and the radio observation aircraft Ki-167 were created , both of which, however, were no longer used.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data (Mitsubishi Ki-67-I) |
|---|---|
| Conception | heavy bomber / torpedo bomber in all-metal construction |
| crew | 7th |
| length | 18.70 m |
| height | 7.70 m |
| span | 22.40 m |
| Wing area | 64.90 m² |
| Empty mass | 8,650 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 14.097 kg |
| Engine | two Mitsubishi Ha-42-11 with 1,900 HP (approx. 1,400 kW) takeoff power each |
| Top speed | 550 km / h |
| Rate of climb | 510 m / min |
| Range | 3,200 km |
| practical summit height | 9,150 m |
| Armament | one posable 20mm MK Ho-5 four posable 12.7mm MG Ho-103 |
| Bomb load | 1,600 kg |
