Short description: Japanese trainer aircraft
Ki-54
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Tachikawa Ki-54
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Role
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Twin-engine advanced crew trainer
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Manufacturer
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Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd
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Designer
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Shinjiro Shinagawa
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First flight
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Summer 1940
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Introduction
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1941
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Retired
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1945 (Japan) 1952 (China)
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Primary user
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Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
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Produced
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1941-1945
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Number built
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1,368
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The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a Japanese twin-engine advanced trainer used during World War II. The aircraft was named Hickory by the Allies.
History
The Ki-54 was developed in response to an Imperial Japanese Army requirement for a twin-engine advanced trainer, principally for crew training. The prototype first flew in summer 1940 and, on completing trials, entered production in 1941 as Army Type 1 Advanced Trainer Model A (Ki-54a). The Ki-54a was soon followed by the Ki-54b as Army Type 1 Operations Trainer Model B and Ki-54c as Army Type 1 Transport Model C. The Ki-54b and -c enjoyed successful careers until the end of the war. A few captured aircraft were flown after the war by various users.
Operators
- Japan
- Manchukuo
- China-Nanjing
- China
- China
- Template:Country data French Indochina
- Armée de l'Air At least seven Ki-54 were recovered by the French in French Indochina between 1945 and 1947, after the Japanese surrender.
- United Kingdom
- One aircraft operated briefly by No. 273 Squadron RAF during September and October 1945 in French Indochina.[1]
Variants
- Ki-54a - unarmed pilot trainer
- Ki-54b - armed crew trainer
- Ki-54c - eight-passenger light transport, communications aircraft. Civil designation Y-59.
- Ki-54d - maritime reconnaissance/ASW, carried 8x 60-kg (132-lb) depth charges
- Ki-110 - one prototype Ki-54c of all-wood construction, destroyed in US bombing attack
- Ki-111 - projected fuel tanker (none built)
- Ki-114 - projected fuel tanker of all-wood construction (none built)
Surviving aircraft
Ki-54 at the Misawa Aviation & Science Museum
- A Ki-54 fuselage is in Australia in storage at the Australian War Museum Annex. It was previously part of a playground at the RAAF Fairbairn base kindergarten.[2][3]
- Another Ki-54 fuselage is stored in China at the Chinese Aviation Museum.[4]
- An unrestored Ki-54 is on display at the Misawa Aviation & Science Museum, Japan, it was found at the bottom of Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture on 13 August 2010. It was recovered on 5 September 2012[5] and has been restored for display.[6]
Specifications (Ki-54c light transport)
Data from The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II;[7] Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War[8]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Capacity: 8
- Length: 11.94 m (39 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 17.9 m (58 ft 9 in)
- Height: 3.58 m (11 ft 9 in)
- Wing area: 40 m2 (430 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 2,954 kg (6,512 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,897 kg (8,591 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Hitachi Ha13a (Army Type 98 450hp Air Cooled Radial) 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 380 kW (510 hp) each for take-off
- 350 kW (470 hp) at 1,700 m (5,600 ft)
- Propellers: 2-bladed metal propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 375 km/h (233 mph, 202 kn)
- Cruise speed: 240 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn)
- Range: 960 km (600 mi, 520 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 7,180 m (23,560 ft)
- Wing loading: 97.4 kg/m2 (19.9 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.195 kW/kg (0.119 hp/lb)
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists
References
Notes
Bibliography
| Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachikawa Ki-54. Read more |