Tachikawa Ki-55

Tachikawa Ki-55

Role: Military Advanced Training aircraft
Manufacturer: Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd
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-36 with a single machine-gun. After successful testing of a prototype in September 1939, the type was put into production as the Army Type 99 Advanced Trainer.

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

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

Variant

Ki-55 : Two-seat advanced trainer aircraft.
Ki-72 : improved version. Not built.

Operators

Picture - Tachikawa Ki-55 trainer at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum.

Republic of China

Republic of China Air Force operated captured aircraft.

People's Republic of China

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.

Japan

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

Kumagaya Army Flying School
Mito Army Flying School
Tachiarai Army Flying School
Utsonomiya Army Flying School

Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea Air Force operated ex-Japanese aircraft.

Manchukuo

Manchukuo Air Force

Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force

Francillon also mentions deliverance to the Japanese satellite air force of Cochinchina, which means the southernmost third part of present Vietnam

Specifications (Ki-55)

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 8.00m (25ft 3in)
Wingspan: 11.80m (38ft 8.5in)
Height: 3.64m (11ft 11.25in)
Wing area: 20m² (215.29ft²)
Empty weight: 1,292kg (2,847lb)
Loaded weight: 1,721kg (3,794lb)
Max takeoff weight: 1,721kg (3,793lb)
Powerplant: 1x— Hitachi Army Type 98 Ha-13a nine cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 380kW (510hp)at take-off

Performance

Maximum speed: 349km/h (217mph)
Cruise speed: 235km/h (146mph)
Range: 1,060km (659mi)
Service ceiling: 8,150m (26,740ft)
Wing loading: 86.1kg/m² (17.6lb/ft²)
Power/mass: kW/kg (hp/lb)

Armament

one fixed, forward-firing 7.7mm (0.303in) Type 89 machine gun

Related development

Tachikawa Ki-36

Bibliography

Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 (2nd edition, 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6.; 3rd edition 1987, Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-801-1.)

Tachikawa Ki-55 Pictures

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Source: WikiPedia