Tachikawa Ki-36
Tachikawa Ki-55
The Tachikawa Aeroplane Company, established at Tachikawa in
1924, was regarded as a comparatively small organisation before the beginning
of the Pacific war. However, in 1937 it began the design of a two-seat army
co-operation aircraft that was to change the company image. First flown in
prototype form on 20 April 1938, the Tachikawa Ki-36 was a cantilever low-wing
monoplane of all-metal basic structure, covered by a mix of light alloy and
fabric. Landing gear was of fixed tailwheel type, the main units enclosed in
speed fairings, and power was provided by a 450-hp (336-kW) Hitachi Ha-13
radial engine. The two-man crew was enclosed by a long 'greenhouse' canopy and
both men had good fields of view, that of the observer being improved by
clear-view panels in the floor. Flown in competitive trials against the
Mitsubishi Ki-35, Tachikawa's design proved to be the more effective and the
type was ordered into production in November 1938 as the Army Type 98 Direct
Co-Operation Plane, company designation Ki-36; generally similar to the
prototypes, they were armed with two 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machineguns and
introduced the more powerful Hitachi Ha-13a engine. When construction ended in
January 1944, a total of 1,334 had been built by Tachikawa (862) and Kawasaki
(472). An advanced version of the Ki-36 was proposed under the designation
Ki-72, gaining improved performance by installation of the 600-hp (447-kW)
Hitachi Ha-38 engine and retractable landing gear, but no examples were built.
The handling characteristics and reliability of theKi36 made
the army realise that it was ideal for use as an advanced trainer, resulting in
development of the Ki55, intended specifically for this role, and having
armament reduced to a single forward-firing machinegun. Following the testing
of a prototype in September 1939, the army ordered this aircraft as the Army
Type 99 Advanced Trainer; when production was terminated in December 1943 a
total of 1,389 had been built by Tachikawa (1,078) and Kawasaki (311).
Both versions were allocated the Allied codename 'Ida', and
the Ki-36 was first deployed with considerable success in China. However, when
confronted by Allied fighters at the beginning of the Pacific war it was found
to be too vulnerable, being re-deployed in China where it was less likely to be
confronted by such aircraft. It was also considered suitable for kamikaze use
in the closing stages of the war, being modified to carry internally a bomb of
up to 1,1021b (500 kg).
Specification
Tachikawa Ki-36
Powerplant: one 510-hp (380-kW) Hitachi Ha-13a 9cylinder
radial piston engine
Performance: maximum speed 216 mph (348 km/h) at 5,905 ft
(1800 m); cruising speed 146 mph (235 km/h); service ceiling 26,740 ft (8150
m); range 767 miles (1235 km)
Weights: empty 2,749 lb (1247 kg); maximum take-off 3,660 lb
(1660 kg)
Dimensions: span 38 ft 8 1/2 in (11.80 m); length 25 ft 3 in
(8.00 m); height 11 ft 11 1/4 in (3.64
m); wing area 215.29 sq ft (20.00 m2)
Armament: two 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine-guns (one
forward-firing and one on a trainable mounting in the rear cockpit), plus an
external bombload of up to 331 lb (150 kg)
Variants
Ki-55
Trainer version.
Ki-72
An evolved version with a 600-hp (447-kW)
Hitachi Ha-38 engine and retractable undercarriage, not built.
