Tachikawa Ki-55
The Tachikawa Ki-55 was a Japanese advanced trainer.
| Ki-55 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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 |
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
- Kumagaya Army Flying School
- Mito Army Flying School
- Tachiarai Army Flying School
- Utsonomiya Army Flying School
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- National Government of China Air Force received several from the Japanese.
- Republic of China Air Force operated captured aircraft.
- People's Liberation Army Air Force operated more than 30 captured aircraft at the end of 1945. These Ki-55s were used until the last 14 retired in 1953.
Francillon also mentions delivery to the Japanese satellite air force of Cochinchina, the southernmost third part of present Vietnam[2]
Specifications (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 (5,577 ft)
- Propellers: 2-bladed wooden propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 349 km/h (217 mph, 188 kn) at 2,200 m (7,218 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 (9,843 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
- Guns: one fixed, forward-firing 7.7mm (0.303in) Type 89 machine gun
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tachikawa Ki-55. |
- Notes
- Francillon 1979, p. 254.
- Francillon 1979, p. 252.
- Francillon 1979, p. 253.
- Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
- Bibliography