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"Flying Swallow"
[Source: Benjamin Sanchez De Tagle Collection]
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Type: Single-seat fighter Origin: Kawasaki Allied Code Name: Tony First Flight: December 1941 Combat Debut: April 1943 Final Delivery: January 1945 Number Produced: 2,666 Powerplant: Ki-61-I Model: Kawasaki Ha-40 Type: Inverted V12 liquid cooled Number: One Horsepower: 1,175 hp Ki-61-II Model: Kawasaki Ha-140 Type: Inverted V12 liquid cooled Number: One Horsepower: 1,450 hp Dimensions: Wing span: 39 ft. 4½ in. (12m) Length (Ki-61-I): 29 ft. 4 in. (8.94m) Length (Ki-61-II): 30 ft. ½ in. (9.16m) Length (Ki-100): 28 ft. 11¼ in. (8.82m) Height: 12 ft. 2 in. (20.00m) Wing Surface Area: 215.29 sq. ft. (32.00m²) Weights: Empty (Ki-61-I): 5,798 lbs. (2630 kg) Empty (Ki-61-II): 6,294 lbs. (2855 kg) Empty (Ki-100): 5,567 lbs. (2525 kg) Loaded (Ki-61-I): 7,650 lbs. (3470 kg) Loaded (Ki-61-II): 8,433 lbs. (3825 kg) Loaded (Ki-100): 7,705 lbs. (3495 kg) |
Performance: Maximum Speed (Ki-61-I): 348 mph (560 km/h) Maximum Speed (Ki-61-II): 379 mph (610 km/h) Maximum Speed (Ki-100): 367 mph (590 km/h) Initial climb (Ki-61): 2,200 ft./min (675 m/min) Initial climb (Ki-100): 3,280 ft./min (1000 m/min) Service Ceiling (Ki-61-I): 32,800 ft. (10,000m) Service Ceiling (Ki-61-II): 36,089 ft. (11,000m) Service Ceiling (Ki-100): 37,729 ft. (11,500m) Range (Ki-61): 990-1,100 Miles (1600-1800 km) Range (Ki-100): 1,243 Miles (2000 km) Armament: Ki-61-Ia: Two 20mm MG 151/20 cannon in wings (German supplied) Two 7.7mm machine guns above engines Ki-61-Id: Two 30mm cannon in wings Two 7.7mm machine guns above engines Ki-61-IIb: Four 20mm Ho-5 cannon in wings Ki-100: Two 20mm Ho-5 cannon in wings Two 7.7mm machine guns in fuselage Two 551 lb. (250 kg) on wing racks Avionics: N/A |
Designed the Ha-40, a licensed built Daimler-Benz 601 engine, the Ki-61 perfromed well when tested against a captured P-40E and a Bf 109E that had been shipped in by submarine for evaluation (800 MG 151/20 cannon were also aboard this submarine). Introduced into combat in 1943, the Tony saw constant action against the Allied advance.
In 1945 the allies succeded in destroying production of the Ha-140 engine, Kawasaki took 275 completed airframes and fitted the Mitsubishi Ha-112-II radial engine. The lashed together fighter surprised everyone by being the most formidable fighter ever produced by the Japanese. The first unit to be equipped with this fighter engaged US Navy fighters over Okinawa, destroying 14 Hellcats with no losses to themselves. This easily flown and serviced fighter fought well against the allies till the end, but did not exist in sufficient numbers to affect the outcome.
Sources:
The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft
, 1997, Barnes & Nobles Books, ISBN: 0 7607 0592 5WARBIRDS RESOURCE GROUP > IJARC > FIGHTERS > PREVIOUS PAGE