Tachikawa Ki-92

Ki-92
Role Transport aircraft
Manufacturer Tachikawa Hikōki KK
Designer Shinjiro Shinagawa
First flight April 1945
Primary user Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
Number built 1

The Tachikawa Ki-92 was an experimental Japanese heavy transport aircraft of World War II. It was a low-wing monoplane with a pressurized fuselage, twin piston engines and a tailwheel undercarriage.

Development

In March 1942 the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service chose Tachikawa Aircraft Company to design and build a new heavy twin engine transport aircraft with a focus on increased range, power and speed to carry light tanks, field artillery and troops.

Shinjiro Shinagawa was in charge of the development and began work in March 1943 and the first prototype was completed by September 1944. Like Tachikawa's Ki-77 the aircraft featured a laminar flow airfoil; the Ki-92 also had a sealed cabin with double glazed windows seating 34 troops in 4 rows (including two emergency seats) to reduce the need for oxygen, and forced draught cooling in low drag engine nacelles. Due to various repairs and modifications, the first flight did not occur until April 1945. The test flight recorded a maximum speed of 426 km/h, but the Ki-92 was found to be dangerous to fly with the cargo door open at these speeds even though fuselage rigidity was not a problem.

Due to the deteriorating war situation and resulting reduction in priority for transport aircraft only one (of between three and 10 prototypes planned for) Ki-92 was constructed, and no production aircraft were built before the war ended. Orders included 114 built extensively from wood materials to conserve on aluminium use, though the Ki-92 prototype already featured a tail made from wood. Tachikawa had planned for their use as commercial transports during the design phase.

Allied intelligence organizations such as ATAIU SEA were unaware of the existence of the Ki-92 and did not assign a code name to it.

Operators

 Japan

Specifications (Tachikawa Ki-92)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 5
  • Capacity: 34 troops
  • Length: 22.00 m (ft in)
  • Wingspan: 32.00 m (ft in)
  • Height: 5.95 m (ft in)
  • Wing area: 122.0 m² (ft²)
  • Empty weight: 11,175 kg (lb)
  • Useful load: kg (kg)
  • Loaded weight: 17,600 kg (lb)
  • Max. takeoff weight: kg (lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Mitsubishi Ha 104 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, kW (1,870 hp)1,870 hp each

Performance

Armament
12.7mm (Ho 103 Machine gun) × 1 (not fitted)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

Citations

    Bibliography

    • Francillon, René J. (1987). Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0870213137.
    • Nohara, Shigeru (1999). The XPlanes of Imperial Japanese Army & Navy 1924-45. Illustrated Warplane History 8. Green Arrow. ISBN 476633292X. (Japanese)
    • Picarella, Giuseppe (2012). Japanese Experimental Transport Aircraft of the Pacific War. MMPBooks. ISBN 978-8361421412.
    • Němeček, Václav (2000). "Tachikawa Ki-92". L+K. archiv autora. 10. (Czech)
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.