Mitsubishi Ki-67 Type 4 Heavy-Bomber Hiryu (Peggy)

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: 6

Speed: 6

Maneuverability: 5

Firepower: n/a

Climb Rate: 2

Ground Attack: 4

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	262	278	283	334	334@ 20013'	158 mph	2:24	7:01	14:25
kph	421	448	456	538	538@ 6100m	255 kph

Historical Statistics

Service Date: July 1944

Defensive Guns: 1x Ho-103 Type 1 12.7 mm flex machine gun with 500 rpg in nose, 1x Ho-5 Type 1 20 mm cannon with 300 rpg in dorsal turret, 1x Ho-103 Type 1 12.7 mm flex machine gun with 400 rpg in port waist, 1x Ho-103 Type 1 12.7 mm flex machine gun with 400 rpg in starboard waist, 1x Ho-103 Type 1 12.7 mm flex machine gun with 750 rpg in tail

Ordnance: 8x 220 lb (100 kg) or 4x 551 lb (250 kg) or 2x 1103 lb (500 kg) or 2x 1,764 lb (800 kg) bombs or 1x 2031 lb (921 kg) torpedo

Engine(s): 2x Mitsubishi Ha.104 Type 4 radials rated for 2,000 hp at sea level

Int Fuel Capacity: 6,156 lbs (2,792 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: none

Maximum Speeds: 334 mph (537 kph) at 19,980 ft (6,090 m)

Ceiling: 31,700 ft (9,662 m)

Loaded Weight: 30,346 lbs (13,765 kg)

Wing Area: 741.1 sq ft (68.9 sq m)

Wing Loading: 40.9 lbs/sq ft (199.8 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Maneuverability: When not loaded with bombs, the Peggy can easily do vertical turns.

Weaknesses

Bomb Load: With a maximum load of only 2,200 lbs. the Peggy needs to run at least two missions to equal one of its contemporaries.

History

With Nakajima's Ki-49 starting to replace their Ki-21 in JAAF service, Mitsubishi feared that they were about to lose their position as chief bomber supplier to the Army. So when the Army issued a specification in 1941 for a heavy-bomber able to carry more bombs and fly further, higher and faster than anything else then in service, they jumped on the opportunity.

Mitsubishi assembled a team of their best designers under Chief Engineer Ozawa Kyonosuke, who had become known for his work on the Ki-21 bomber. Joining Ozawa was Yoshio Tsubota, a young engineer who had been trained at the California Institute of Technology. Given free-reign to meet the specification, the team gave a high priority to crew and fuel tank protection, with three-ply rubber sheeting being applied to all fuel and oil tanks, plus armor protection for the crew. As important in the long run, the plane was designed for modular construction, allowing it to be constructed in dispersed facilities.

Cheating somewhat on the specification, the team opted to use the new Ha-104 18-cylinder radial engine then under development at Mitsubishi. Equipped with a two-speed supercharger and fan assisted cooling, the Ha-104 could produce 1,900 hp for take-off. First flown on December 27, 1942 the Ki-67 Hiryu (Flying Dragon) handled remarkably well, being capable of doing loops and vertical turns when not carrying bombs.

Understandably the Army was excited about the project and despite entering production in 1943, an endless series of modifications conspired to keep production down. By April 1944 a mere twenty-one planes had been built and so the Army froze development to increase production. However, modifications continued to be made and incorporated into production until the end of the war.

To augment JNAF anti-shipping capabilities, the Army ordered that 100 planes be produced with torpedo racks. But after successful torpedo testing, the contract for 100 special torpedo carriers was cancelled and all Ki-67s were ordered to be so equipped, resulting in the model change from -Ia to -Ib.

First encountered during the furious air-sea battle fought off Formosa in 1944, the Allies identified it as a new Naval type. However, downed examples in China and captured planes in the Philippines revealed its true identity. They also revealed the JAAF's newfound dedication to aircraft survivability and marked the resurgence of the JAAF, which had lagged the JNAF in aircraft development, from laughing-stock to a serious threat.

Production of the Hiryu was given highest priority and several Mitsubishi plants were assigned to build them. However, a massive B-29 raid combined with the devastating Earthquake of December 1944 to completely wreck the Oe-Machi plant, thus shifting all production to the Chita factory. Production was also hampered by a shortage of engines caused by the other projects that were all vying for the Ha-104.

Sources

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

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

See Also

Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K.

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II

Japanese Aircraft Designation System

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory