Kawasaki Ki-102
| Ki-102 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Kawasaki Ki-102 Otsu attack plane | |
| Role | Attacker, fighter, night fighter |
| National origin | Japan |
| Manufacturer | Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K. |
| First flight | 1944 |
| Introduction | 1944 |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
|
| Number built | 238 |
| Developed from | Kawasaki Ki-96 |
The Kawasaki Ki-102 or Type 4 Attack Plane (四式襲撃機, Yonshiki shūgeki-ki) was a Japanese warplane of World War II. It was a twin-engine, two-seat, long-range heavy fighter developed to replace the Ki-45 Toryu. Three versions were planned: the Ki-102 Kō day fighter, Ki-102 Otsu ground-attack and Ki-102 Hei night fighter. This aircraft's Allied reporting name was "Randy".
Design and history
The Ki-102 entered service in 1944, but saw limited action. The main type (Ki-102 Otsu) was kept in reserve to protect Japan, although it did see some limited duty in the
Ki-148
air-to-surface guided missile when the Allied invasion of Japan occurred.
Variants
- Ki-102
- prototypes, three built
- Ki-102 Kō
- Externally similar to the Ki-102 Otsu, but with turbosuperchargers that enabled the engines to maintain their rating at higher altitudes. The 57 mm (2.24 in) cannon was swapped in favor of a 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon, and the 12.7 mm (.50 in) rear gun was deleted, 26 built.
- Ki-102 Otsu
- Ground-attack variant similar to prototypes, except with revised tail wheel, 207 built
- Ki-102 Hei
- Night fighter version with lengthened Plexiglas dome, oblique-firing 20 mm cannons, and the 20 mm cannons in the belly replaced with 30 mm (1.18 in) cannons in Schräge Musikbehind the cockpit, two built.
- Ki-108
- High-altitude fighter prototype with pressurised cabin, two conversions from Ki-102 Otsu aircraft using the structural improvements used on the Ki-102 Hei.
- Ki-108 Kai
- Improved version of the Ki-108 with longer fuselage and enlarged wings. Two built.
Specifications (Ki-102 Otsu)
Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 11.45 m (37 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 15.57 m (51 ft 1 in)
- Height: 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 34 m2 (370 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 24015; tip: NACA 23010[2]
- Empty weight: 4,950 kg (10,913 lb)
- Gross weight: 7,300 kg (16,094 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Mitsubishi Ha112-II Ru 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 1,120 kW (1,500 hp) each
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 580 km/h (360 mph, 310 kn)
- Range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 11.9 m/s (2,340 ft/min)
- Power/mass: 0.417 kW/kg (0.254 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns:
- 1 × 57 mm (2.24 in) Ho-401 cannon—replaced in the 102a with a 37 mm (1.46 in) Ho-204 cannon, deleted in the 102c
- 2 × 20 mm Ho-5 cannon in the belly—replaced in the 102c with 30 mm (1.18 in) cannon in the package, plus oblique-firing 2 × 20 mm cannon
- 1 × 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Ho-103 machine gun (deleted in the Ki-102a and Ki-102)
- Bombs:
- 2 × 200 L (53 US gal) drop tanks; or
- 2 × 250 kg (551 lb) bombs or
- 1 × Kawasaki Igo-1b guided missile
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Bristol Beaufighter
- de Havilland Mosquito
- Douglas A-26 Invader
- Grumman F7F Tigercat
- Henschel Hs 129
- Messerschmitt Me 410
- Mitsubishi Ki-83
- Nakajima J1N
- Rikugun Ki-93
Related lists
Footnotes
- ^ Francillon1979, pp. 137–138.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
References
- Francillon, René J. (1979). Japanese aircraft of the Pacific War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-30251-6.
Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kawasaki Ki-102.
- Green, William (1973). War Planes of the Second World War. v. 3 (Seventh impression ed.). London: Macdonald & Co. ISBN 0-356-01447-9.
- Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1976). Japanese Army Fighters / 1. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-356-08224-5.