Tachikawa Ki-55 - Misplaced Pages

Japanese military trainer aircraft

Ki-55

General information
Type	Military advanced training aircraft
Manufacturer	Tachikawa Aircraft Company
Primary users	Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Royal Thai Air Force
Number built	1,389
History
Manufactured	1940 - 1943
First flight	September 1939
Retired	1945 (Japan) 1953 (China)
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-55 with a single machine gun. After successful testing of a prototype in September 1939, the type was put into production as the Tachikawa Army Type 99 Advanced Trainer.

In all 1,389 Ki-55 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.'

Variants

Ki-36: Army co-operation aircraft.
Ki-72: An evolved version with a 447 kW (599 hp) Hitachi Ha38 engine and retractable undercarriage. Not built.

Operators

Japan

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

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

Manchukuo

Manchukuo Air Force

Reorganized National Government of China

National Government of China Air Force received several from the Japanese.

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.

Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force

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

Specifications (Ki-55)

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 11.8 m (38 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Wing area: 20 m (220 sq ft)
Airfoil: root: NACA 23014; tip: NACA 23006
Empty weight: 1,292 kg (2,848 lb)
Gross weight: 1,721 kg (3,794 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hitachi Ha13a (Army Type 98 450hp Air Cooled Radial) 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 380 kW (510 hp) for take-off

350 kW (470 hp) at 1,700 m (5,600 ft)

Propellers: 2-bladed wooden propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 349 km/h (217 mph, 188 kn) at 2,200 m (7,200 ft)
Cruise speed: 235 km/h (146 mph, 127 kn)
Range: 1,060 km (660 mi, 570 nmi)
Service ceiling: 8,200 m (26,900 ft)
Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 6 minutes 55 seconds
Wing loading: 86.1 kg/m (17.6 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.222 kW/kg (0.135 hp/lb)

Armament

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

References

Notes

Francillon 1979, p. 254.
Francillon 1979, p. 252.
Francillon 1979, p. 253.
Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Bibliography

Francillon, René J. (1979). Japanese aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-30251-6. OCLC 6124909. (new edition 1987 by Putnam Aeronautical Books, ISBN 0-85177-801-1); 3rd edition 1987, Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-801-1.)
Green, William & Swanborough, Gordon (n.d.). "Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty-Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation". Air Enthusiast Quarterly (2): 154–162. ISSN 0143-5450.

v t e Tachikawa aircraft
Imperial Japanese Army types	Ki-9 Ki-17 Ki-24 Ki-25 Ki-26 Ki-29 Ki-36 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-70 Ki-71 Ki-72 Ki-74 Ki-77 Ki-92 Ki-94 Ki-104 Ki-106 Ki-110 Ki-111 Ki-114 SS-1 T.S. 1 R-38
World War II Allied reporting names	Cedar Clara Hickory Ida (Ki-36) Ida (Ki-55) Pat Patsy Sonia Spruce

Tachikawa aircraft

Imperial Japanese Army types

World War II Allied reporting names

Cedar
Clara
Hickory
Ida (Ki-36)
Ida (Ki-55)
Pat
Patsy
Sonia
Spruce

v t e Imperial Japanese Army Air Service aircraft designations
1-50	Ki-1 Ki-2 Ki-3 Ki-4 Ki-5 Ki-6 Ki-7 Ki-8 Ki-9 Ki-10 Ki-11 Ki-12 Ki-13 Ki-14 Ki-15 Ki-16 Ki-17 Ki-18 Ki-19 Ki-20 Ki-21 Ki-22 Ki-23 Ki-24 Ki-25 Ki-26 Ki-27 Ki-28 Ki-29 Ki-30 Ki-31 Ki-32 Ki-33 Ki-34 Ki-35 Ki-36 Ki-37 Ki-38 Ki-39 Ki-40 Ki-41 Ki-42 Ki-43 Ki-44 Ki-45 Ki-46 Ki-47 Ki-48 Ki-49 Ki-50
51-100	Ki-51 Ki-52 Ki-53 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-56 Ki-57 Ki-58 Ki-59 Ki-60 Ki-61 Ki-62 Ki-63 Ki-64 Ki-66 Ki-67 Ki-68 Ki-69 Ki-70 Ki-71 Ki-72 Ki-73 Ki-74 Ki-75 Ki-76 Ki-77 Ki-78 Ki-79 Ki-80 Ki-81 Ki-82 Ki-83 Ki-84 Ki-85 Ki-86 Ki-87 Ki-88 Ki-89 Ki-90 Ki-91 Ki-92 Ki-93 Ki-94 Ki-95 Ki-96 Ki-97 Ki-98 Ki-99 Ki-100
100-	Ki-101 Ki-102 Ki-103 Ki-105 Ki-106 Ki-107 Ki-108 Ki-109 Ki-110 Ki-111 Ki-112 Ki-113 Ki-114 Ki-115 Ki-116 Ki-117 Ki-118 Ki-119 Ki-147 Ki-148 Ki-167 Ki-174 Ki-200 Ki-201 Ki-202 Ki-230 Ki-337

v t e World War II Allied reporting names for Japanese aircraft
Aircraft in Japanese service	Abdul Alf Ann Babs Baka Belle Betty Bob Buzzard Cedar Cherry Clara Claude Cypress Dave Dick Dinah Dot Edna Emily Eva Eve Frances Frank Gander George Glen Goose Grace Gwen Hamp Hank Hap Helen Hickory Ida (Ki-36) Ida (Ki-55) Irving Jack Jake Jane Jean Jerry Jill Jim Judy Kate Kate 61 Laura Lily Liz Lorna Loise Louise Luke Mabel Mary Mavis Myrt Nate Nell Nick Norm Oak Oscar Pat Patsy Paul Peggy Perry Pete Pine Rex Rita Rob Rufe Ruth Sally Sally III Sam Sandy Slim Sonia Spruce Stella Steve Susie Tabby Tess Thalia Thelma Theresa Thora Tina Tillie Toby Tojo Tony Topsy Val Willow Zeke Zeke 32
Foreign aircraft thought to be in Japanese service	Bess (Heinkel He 111) Doc (Messerschmitt Bf 110) Fred (Focke Wulf Fw 190) Irene (Junkers Ju 87) Janice (Junkers Ju 88) Mike (Messerschmitt Bf 109) Millie (Vultee V-11) Trixie (Junkers Ju 52) Trudy (Focke-Wulf Fw 200)

World War II Allied reporting names for Japanese aircraft

Aircraft in Japanese service

Foreign aircraft
thought to be in Japanese service

Bess (Heinkel He 111)
Doc (Messerschmitt Bf 110)
Fred (Focke Wulf Fw 190)
Irene (Junkers Ju 87)
Janice (Junkers Ju 88)
Mike (Messerschmitt Bf 109)
Millie (Vultee V-11)
Trixie (Junkers Ju 52)
Trudy (Focke-Wulf Fw 200)

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