Tachikawa Ki-54
| Tachikawa Ki-54 | |
|---|---|
|
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| Type: | Trainer aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1940 |
| Commissioning: |
1941 |
The Tachikawa Ki-54 (allied code name "Hickory") was a twin-engine Japanese trainer aircraft used during World War II and was manufactured by Tachikawa Hikōki .
history
The Ki-54 was developed based on a tender by the Imperial Japanese Army for a twin-engine aircraft for advanced training. It was intended in particular for training entire aircraft crews.
The first prototype took off on its maiden flight in 1940. After the end of the test flights, the aircraft went into series production in 1941 as the "Army Type 1 Advanced Training Aircraft Model A".
The Ki-54b and Ki-54c were in service until the end of the war.
Some Ki-54c transport planes can be seen in the film Letters from Iwo Jima (2006). There they represent the machines that bring General Tadamichi Kuribayashi ( Ken Watanabe ) and part of his staff to the island of Iwo Jima .
operator
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Japan
- Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
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Manchukuo
- Three aircraft made available by Japan for special people
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China
- Machines captured by the national Chinese
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People's Republic of China
- Looted machines from the communist Chinese: four Ki-54s were used until 1952, in 1951 China's first female pilots were trained on Ki-54s.
variants
- Ki-54a - unarmed pilot training aircraft
- Ki-54b - armed trainer aircraft for training entire crews
- Ki-54c - light passenger aircraft for up to eight people, liaison aircraft, civil designation Y-59 .
- Ki-54d - Navy reconnaissance / submarine fighter with eight 60 kg depth charges
- Ki-110 - a Ki-54C prototype made entirely of wood
- Ki-111 - planned tanker aircraft (not built)
- Ki-114 - planned tanker aircraft in all-wood construction (not built)
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 8th |
| length | 11.94 m |
| span | 17.90 m |
| height | 3.58 m |
| Wing area | 40 m² |
| Empty mass | 2954 kg |
| maximum take-off mass | 3897 kg |
| Engine | two 9-cylinder Hitachi Ha-13a radial engines, each with an output of 380 kW (517 hp) |
| Top speed | 375 km / h |
| Cruising speed | 240 km / h |
| Range | 960 km |
| Summit height | 7180 m |
| Armament | four 7.7 mm machine guns , practice bombs |
