Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Type 3 Fighter Hien (Tony)

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 2

Speed: 6

Maneuverability: 6

Firepower: 5

Climb Rate: 4

Ground Attack: 2

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	302	323	347	360	367@ 14108'	171 mph	1:44	4:25	8:42
kph	486	520	558	580	590@ 4300m	275 kph

Historical Statistics

Service Date: January 1944

Primary Guns: 2x Ho-103 Type 1 12.7 mm machine guns with 250 rpg in wings

Secondary Guns: 2x Ho-5 Type 1 20 mm cannon with 120 rpg in cowl

Ordnance: 2x 551 lb (250 kg) bombs or 2x 317 lb (144 kg) drop tanks under wings

Engine(s): 1x Kawasaki Ha.40 in-line rated for 1,175 hp at sea level

Int Fuel Capacity: 966 lbs (438 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 634 lbs (288 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 302 mph (486 kph) at sea level, 366 mph (589 kph) at 13,980 (4,261 m)

Ceiling: 32,800 ft (9,997 m)

Loaded Weight: 7,650 lbs (3,470 kg)

Wing Area: 215.3 sq ft (20.0 sq m)

Wing Loading: 35.5 lbs/sq ft (173.5 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Firepower: With two 20mm cannons and two 12.7 mm machine guns, the Tony has a solid air-to-air capability.

Weaknesses

Speed: Its top speed of only 302 mph at sea level and 366 mph at altitude means that the Tony has to rely on outmaneuvering planes of its era.

History

The Kawasaki company had long been a proponent of the use of liquid-cooled engines for fighters and was sorely disappointed when their Ki-28 design lost out to Nakajima's Ki-27. Looking for a better alternative to the BMW V-1 they had been using, they entered negotiations with Daimler-Benz to build the DB-601A under license. Negotiations were completed in April 1940 and they received both blueprints and working examples to use for production templates.

The Ha-40, as the copy was known, had an output of 1,100 hp and was proposed to be used in two different fighter designs - the Ki-60 heavy interceptor and the Ki-61 light, multi-role fighter. With the success stories coming out of Europe of inline engine fighters, the Koku Hombu approved the latter of the two designs.

The Ki-61 Hien (Swallow) showed its European influence, using a wing of high-aspect ratio and large area to provide maximum maneuverability and fuel economy. Particular attention was paid to streamlining and drag reduction as well as keeping weight down to a minimum. Armed with a pair of 12.7 mm machine guns in the cowl and a pair of 7.7 mm machine guns in the wings, the first prototype was flown in December 1941.

Pre-production testing revealed a top speed of 367 mph at 19,685 feet and while pilots were wary of the high wing loading of almost 30 lbs./sq.ft., they were highly impressed with the plane's high diving speed, its armor protection and its armament. In competitive trials against an imported Bf-109E, a Ki-43-II, a Ki-44-I, and a captured P-40E, the Ki-61 was judged to be the best overall weapon of the group.

After successful service trials production was ordered late in 1942 and the first deliveries were made in February 1943. Two models were produced, the 1A with the original armament and the 1B with the 7.7 mm machine guns in the wings being replaced with 12.7 mm models. Combat operations began two months later with 68th and 78th Sentais in New Guinea. The plane immediately proved to be much more suited to combat against the faster American and Australian planes than the Ki-43s then in service.

To improve offensive armament, 388 Ki-61-Ibs were modified to accept a 20 mm Mauser MG-151 in each wing. This variant was called Ki-61-Ic. This necessitated mounting the guns on their sides with bulges in the wings to cover the breeches. However, this was only a temporary solution until the 20 mm Ho-5 cannon was available for production. The Ki-61-Id (aka Ki-61-I-KAIc) was thus produced with a pair of these guns replacing the machine guns in the cowl.

Production of the Ki-61-Id began in January 1944 and over half of all Ki-61s produced were of this type. The type saw action in the New Guinea and Rabaul area but was most active in the Philippines and over Formosa before being relegated to home defense.

Sources

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

See Also

Kawasaki Kokuki Kogyo K.K.

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II

Japanese Aircraft Designation System

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory