Tachikawa Ki-55

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Tachikawa Ki-55
Type	Military Advanced Training aircraft
Manufacturer	Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd
Maiden flight	September 1939
Retired	1945 (Japan) 1953 (China)
Primary users	Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Royal Thai Air Force
Produced	1940 - 1943
Number built	1,389
Developed from	Tachikawa Ki-36

The Tachikawa Ki-55 was a Japanese advanced trainer.

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Variant 3 Operators 4 Specifications (Ki-55) 5 References 5.1 Notes 5.2 Bibliography 6 See also

[edit] 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-36 with a single machine-gun. After successful testing of a prototype in September 1939, the type was put into production as the Army Type 99 Advanced Trainer.

In all 1,389 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 codename 'Ida.'

[edit] Variant

• Ki-55 : Two-seat advanced trainer aircraft.
• Ki-72 : improved version. Not built.

[edit] Operators

 China

• Chinese Nationalist Air Force operated captured aircraft.

 Japan

• Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

 People's Republic of China

• Chinese Communist 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.

 Manchukuo

• Manshukoku Hombu

 Thailand

• Royal Thai Air Force

Francillon also mentions deliverance to the Japanese satellite air force of Cochin China, which means present Vietnam^[1]

[edit] Specifications (Ki-55)

Data from {Virtual Aviation Museum}

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 8.00m (25ft 3in)
• Wingspan: 11.80m (38ft 8.5in)
• Height: 3.64m (11ft 11.25in)
• Wing area: 20m² (215.29ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,292kg (2,847lb)
• Loaded weight: kg (lb)
• Useful load: kg (kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,721kg (3,793lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Hitachi Ha-13a 9-cylinder radial 2, 380kW (510hp)

Performance

• Never exceed speed: km/h (knots, mph)
• Maximum speed: 348km/h (knots, 216mph)
• Cruise speed: 235km/h (knots, 146mph)
• Stall speed: km/h (knots, mph)
• Range: 1,060km (nm, 659mi)
• Service ceiling 8,150m (26,740ft)
• Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: W/kg (hp/lb)

Armament one fixed, forward-firing 7.7mm (0.303in) machine-gun

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] See also

Related development Tachikawa Ki-36

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of Japan
  

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