Tachikawa Ki-54

Ki-54

Tachikawa Ki-54
Role	Twin-engine advanced crew trainer
Manufacturer	Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd
Designer	Shinjiro Shinagawa
First flight	Summer 1940
Introduction	1941
Retired	1945 (Japan) 1952 (China)
Primary user	Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
Produced	1941-1945
Number built	1,368

The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a Japanese twin-engine advanced trainer used during World War II. The aircraft was named Hickory by the Allies.

History

The Ki-54 was developed in response to an Imperial Japanese Army requirement for a twin-engine advanced trainer, principally for crew training. The prototype first flew in summer 1940 and, on completing trials, entered production in 1941 as Army Type 1 Advanced Trainer Model A (Ki-54a). The Ki-54a was soon followed by the Ki-54b as Army Type 1 Operations Trainer Model B and Ki-54c as Army Type 1 Transport Model C. The Ki-54b and -c enjoyed successful careers until the end of the war. A few captured aircraft were flown after the war by various users.

Operators

Japan

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force used them for training as per their design.

Manchukuo

Manchukuo Air Force Three were provided by Japan as VIP transports.

China-Nanjing

Nanjing air force

China

Republic of China Air Force Nationalist Chinese (captured).

China

People's Liberation Army Air Force Communist Chinese (captured): Four captured Ki-54s were used, including in 1951 to train the first class of female pilots in China. They were retired in 1952.

French Indochina

Armée de l'Air At least seven Ki-54 were recovered by the French in French Indochina between 1945 and 1947, after the Japanese surrender.

United Kingdom

One aircraft operated briefly by No. 273 Squadron RAF during September and October 1945 in French Indochina.^[1]

Survivors

A Ki-54 fuselage is in Australia in storage at the Australian War Museum Annex. It was previously part of a playground at the RAAF Fairbairn base kindergarten.^[2]
Another Ki-54 fuselage is stored in China at the Chinese Aviation Museum.^[3]^[4]
A Ki-54 was found at the bottom of Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture on 13 August 2010. It was recovered on September 5, 2012^[5] and has been restored for display.^[6]

Variants

Ki-54a - unarmed pilot trainer
Ki-54b - armed crew trainer
Ki-54c - eight-passenger light transport, communications aircraft. Civil designation Y-59.
Ki-54d - maritime reconnaissance/ASW, carried 8x 60-kg (132-lb) depth charges
Ki-110 - one prototype Ki-54c of all-wood construction, destroyed in US bombing attack
Ki-111 - projected fuel tanker (none built)
Ki-114 - projected fuel tanker of all-wood construction (none built)

Specifications (Ki-54)

Data from The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II;^[7] Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War^[8]

General characteristics

Crew: two
Capacity: eight
Length: 11.94 m (39 ft 2 in)
Wingspan: 17.90 m (58 ft 8.75 in)
Height: 3.58 m (11 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 40 m² (430.57 ft²)
Empty weight: 2,954 kg (6,512 lb)
Useful load: 943 kg (2079 lb)
Loaded weight: 3,897 kg (8,591 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Hitachi Ha-13a 9-cylinder radial engine, 380 kW (510 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 375 km/h (233 mph)
Cruise speed: 240 km/h (149 mph)
Range: 960 km (597 mi)
Service ceiling: 7,180 m (23,555 ft)
Wing loading: 97.4 kg/m² (20 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.195 kW/kg (0.119 hp/lb)

Armament

4x 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine guns, practice bombs

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tachikawa Ki-54.

Notes

↑ Thomas, Andy (July 2008). "Vietnam Prelude". FlyPast. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing (324): 70–71.
↑ "Anyone got pics of the AWM Ki-54?". Warbirdz Aviation Photography. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
↑ Ki-54 Hickory Manufacture Number ? Retrieved April 3, 2016
↑ http://www.lph2o.com Aircraft database Retrieved April 3, 2016
↑ September 5, 2012 Retrieved April 2, 2016 Template:Icon ja
↑ 旧陸軍練習機、十和田湖で発見…戦時中に墜落：社会 : YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）(Japanese)
↑ David Mondey 1996, p. ?.
↑ Francillon 1979, p. 256.

Bibliography

Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6. (new edition 1987. ISBN 0-85177-801-1.)
Mondey, David. The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. New York: Bounty Books, 1996. ISBN 1-85152-966-7.

Aircraft produced by Tachikawa Aircraft Company
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
World War II Allied reporting names	Cedar Clara Hickory Ida (Ki-36) Ida (Ki-55) Pat Patsy Sonia Spruce

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

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)

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