Engineering:Tachikawa Ki-55

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Short description: Japanese military trainer aircraft
Ki-55
Tachikawa Ki-55.jpg
Role Military advanced training aircraft
Manufacturer Tachikawa Aircraft Company
First flight September 1939
Retired 1945 (Japan)
1953 (China)
Primary users Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
Royal Thai Air Force
Produced 1940 - 1943
Number built 1,389
Developed from Tachikawa Ki-36

The Tachikawa Ki-55 was a Japanese advanced trainer.

Design and development

The excellent characteristics of the Tachikawa Ki-36 made it potentially ideal as a trainer. This led to the development of the Ki-55 with a single machine gun. After successful testing of a prototype in September 1939, the type was put into production as the Tachikawa Army Type 99 Advanced Trainer.

In all 1,389 Ki-55 were constructed before production ended in December 1943 with Tachikawa having built 1078 and Kawasaki 311.[1]

Both the Ki-55 and the Ki-36 were given the Allied nickname 'Ida.'

Variants

Ki-36
Army co-operation aircraft.
Ki-72
An evolved version with a 447 kW (599 hp) Hitachi Ha38 engine and retractable undercarriage. Not built.

Operators

Tachikawa Ki-36 trainer at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum
 Japan
  • Kumagaya Army Flying School
  • Mito Army Flying School
  • Tachiarai Army Flying School
  • Utsonomiya Army Flying School
 Manchukuo
Reorganized National Government of China
  • National Government of China Air Force received several from the Japanese.
 Republic of China
 People's Republic of China
 Thailand

Francillon also mentions delivery to the Japanese satellite air force of Cochinchina, the southernmost third part of present Vietnam[2]

Specifications (Ki-55)

3-view drawing of the Tachikawa Ki-55

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War[3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 8 m (26 ft 3 in)
  • Wingspan: 11.8 m (38 ft 9 in)
  • Height: 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
  • Wing area: 20 m2 (220 sq ft)
  • Airfoil: root: NACA 23014; tip: NACA 23006[4]
  • Empty weight: 1,292 kg (2,848 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,721 kg (3,794 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Hitachi Ha13a (Army Type 98 450hp Air Cooled Radial) 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 380 kW (510 hp) for take-off
350 kW (470 hp) at 1,700 m (5,600 ft)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed wooden propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 349 km/h (217 mph, 188 kn) at 2,200 m (7,200 ft)
  • Cruise speed: 235 km/h (146 mph, 127 kn)
  • Range: 1,060 km (660 mi, 570 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 8,200 m (26,900 ft)
  • Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 6 minutes 55 seconds
  • Wing loading: 86.1 kg/m2 (17.6 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass: 0.222 kW/kg (0.135 hp/lb)

Armament

See also

Related development

Related lists

References

Notes

Bibliography