Tachikawa Ki-36

Ki-36

Role	Two-seat Army Co-operation Aircraft
Manufacturer	Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd
First flight	20 April 1938
Primary users	Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Royal Thai Air Force
Produced	1938 - 1944
Number built	1,334
Variants	Tachikawa Ki-55

The Tachikawa Ki-36 (named Ida in Allied reporting code) was a Japanese army co-operation aircraft of World War II. It was a two-seat, low-wing monoplane with a single piston engine and fixed, tailwheel-type undercarriage.

Design and development

The prototype, fitted with a 450 hp (336 kW) Hitachi Army Type 98 Ha-13 engine, first flew on 20 April 1938. Having outperformed the Mitsubishi Ki-35 in comparative trials, the Ki-36 was designated the Army Type 98 Direct Co-operation Aircraft and ordered into production in November 1938. Production ended in January 1944 after a total of 1,334 Ki-36 had been built (Tachikawa 862 and Kawasaki 472).^[1]

Operational history

The Ki-36 first saw action in China where it saw success. Later, in the Pacific, it proved excessively vulnerable to opposing fighters. It was thereafter redeployed to the safer theater of China. Towards the end of the war, the Ki-36 was employed as a kamikaze aircraft with a bomb of 500-kg (1,102-lb) fitted externally.^[2]

Variants

Ki-55 : Two-seat advanced trainer version.
Ki-72 : An evolved version with a 600-hp (447-kW) Hitachi Ha-38 engine and retractable undercarriage. Not built.

Operators

Tachikawa Ki-36 trainer at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum.

People's Republic of China

Chinese Communist Air Force operated two captured aircraft postwar as trainers until their retirement in early 1950s.

Indonesia

Indonesian People's Security Force

Japan

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force

Specifications (Ki-36)

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War;^[2] The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: two
Length: 8.00m (25ft 3in)
Wingspan: 11.80m (38ft 8.5in)
Height: 3.64m (11ft 11.25in)
Wing area: 20m² (215.29ft²)
Empty weight: 1,247kg (2,749lb)
Loaded weight: 1,660kg (3,660lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hitachi Army Type 98 Ha-13a nine cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 380kW (510hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 348km/h (216mph)
Cruise speed: 235km/h (146mph)
Range: 1,235km (767mi)
Service ceiling: 8,150m (26,740ft)
Wing loading: 83kg/m² (17lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.23kW/kg (0.31hp/kg; 0.14hp/lb)
Time to 3000m (9,845ft): 6min 39sec

Armament

one fixed, forward-firing 7.7mm (0.303in) machine-gun , one flexible 7.7mm (0.303in) machine-gun in rear cockpit.
up to 150kg (331lb) external bombload.

References

Citations

↑ Francillon 1979, p. 254.
1 2 Francillon 1979, p. 253.
↑ Mondey 1996, p. 246.

Bibliography

Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-801-1.
Mondey, David. The Concise guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press, 1996. ISBN 1-85152-966-7.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tachikawa Ki-36.

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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