Kawasaki Ki-28

Ki-28

The sole prototype of the Kawasaki Ki-28
Role	Experimental Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer	Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K.
Designer	Takeo Doi
First flight	1936
Primary user	IJA Air Force
Number built	1

The Kawasaki Ki-28 (キ28, Ki-Nijuhachi), World War II Allied reporting name "Bob",^[1] was an experimental fighter aircraft designed for the Imperial Japanese Army and meant as a replacement for the Kawasaki Ki-10. It flew in 1936, but was never produced for actual use as the Army choose the Nakajima Ki-27.

Design & Development

The Ki-28 was initially produced by Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K. in response to Japanese army specifications for a fighter to replace the existing Kawasaki Ki-10. In mid-1935, Kawasaki, Mitsubishi and Nakajima were instructed to build competitive prototypes. The Kawasaki design was based on its earlier, but unsuccessful Ki-5. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction, except for fabric-covered control surfaces, with a conventional tail unit, fixed tailskid landing gear and powered by a 596 kW (800 hp) Kawasaki Ha 9-II-Ko liquid-cooled inline V12 engine.^[2]

Service trials proved that the Kawasaki Ki-28 was the fastest of the three contenders, but the Nakajima Ki-27 was by far the most maneuverable and had the lowest wing-loading, and on this basis was selected by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.^[3] Despite losing to the Ki-27, the Ki-28 provided Kawasaki with valuable experience which would later help with development of the Kawasaki Ki-60 and Kawasaki Ki-61 fighters.^[2]

Mistakenly believing the Ki-28 to have entered production in Japan as the Army Type 97 Fighter, the Allies assigned it the reporting name "Bob" during World War II.^[1]

Operators

Military operators

Japan

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

Specifications

Data from Famous Aircraft of the World, no.76: Japanese Army Experimental Fighters (1);^[4] Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941^[5]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 7.9 m (25.92 ft)
Wingspan: 12 m (39.37 ft)
Height: 2.60 m (8.53 ft)
Wing area: 19 m² (204.52 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,420 kg (3,130 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,760 kg (3,880 lb)
Useful load: 340 kg (750 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Kawasaki Ha-9-II-Ko liquid-cooled in-line piston V-12 engine, 800 hp (597 kW)
Propellers: 1 propeller
- Propeller diameter: 2.90 m (10 ft)

Performance

Maximum speed: 485 km/h (262 kn, 301 mph)
Range: 1,000 km (540 nmi, 620 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
Wing loading: 92.6 kg/m² (18.97 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.33 kW/kg (0.45 hp/kg; 0.20 hp/lb)
Time to altitude: 5 min. 10 sec. to 5,000 metres (16,000 ft)

Armament

Guns: 2 × 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns

References

Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 Francillon, p. 566.
↑ 2.0 2.1 Mikesh and ABe 1990, p. 157.
↑ Wieliczko and Szeremeta 2004, pp. 17–19.
↑ FAOW 1976, p. 2.
↑ Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 158.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kawasaki aircraft.

Francillon, René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1979, ISBN 0-87021-313-X.
Mikesh, Robert C.; Shorzoe Abe (1990). Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-563-2.
Unknown Author(s). Famous Aircraft of the World, no.76: Japanese Army Experimental Fighters (1). Tokyo, Japan: Bunrin-Do Co. Ltd., August 1976.
Wieliczko, Leszek A. and Zygmunt Szeremeta. Nakajima Ki 27 Nate (bilingual Polish/English). Lublin, Poland: Kagero, 2004. ISBN 83-89088-51-7.

Aircraft produced by Kawasaki

Company designations	Type 87 Type 88 Type 92 KAL-1 KAL-2 KAT-1 KAQ-1 KDA-2 KDA-3 KDA-5 KH-4 YPX

Imperial Japanese Army short designations	Ki-3 Ki-5 Ki-10 Ki-22 Ki-28 Ki-32 Ki-38 Ki-45 Ki-48 Ki-56 Ki-60 Ki-61 Ki-64 Ki-66 Ki-78 Ki-81 Ki-85 Ki-88 Ki-89 Ki-91 Ki-96 Ki-100 Ki-102 Ki-108 Ki-119 Ki-148 Ki-174

Japanese Self-Defense Force designations	C-1 C-2 OH-1 P-1 P-2J T-4

Joint ventures	BK 117 BK 117-C2

Licenced production	Bell 47 Hughes 500 Hughes 369 Boeing-Vertol V-107 Boeing-Vertol CH-47 Lockheed T-33 Lockheed P-2 Lockheed P-3C

World War II Allied reporting names	Bob Lily Mary Nick Perry Randy Rob Thalia Tony

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-148 Ki-167 Ki-174 Ki-200 Ki-201 Ki-202 Ki-230

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 (Tachikawa Ki-36) Ida (Tachikawa 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

Nonexistent aircraft thought to be in Japanese service	Adam Ben Doris Gus Harry Ione Joe Joyce Julia June Norma Omar Ray

Foreign aircraft erroneously thought to be in Japanese service	Bess (Heinkel He 111) Doc (Messerschmitt Bf 110) Fred (Focke Wulf Fw 190A-5) Irene (Junkers Ju 87A) Janice (Junkers Ju 88A-5) Mike (Messerschmitt Bf 109E) Millie (Vultee V-11GB) Trixie (Junkers Ju 52/3m) Trudy (Focke Wulf Fw 200 Kondor)