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Sometimes described as a cross between
a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and a
North American P-51 Mustang, the
Kawasaki Ki-61 certainly had the distinctive
nose shape associated with an
inverted V-12 inline engine, the Kawasaki
Ha-40 being in effect a Daimler-
Benz DB 601A built under licence. The
Ki-61's designers, Takeo Doi and Shin
Owada, had moreover worked under
the German Richard Vogt, In December
1940 they were instructed to go
ahead with the Ki-61, and one year
later the prototype was flown. The first
production Ki-61-I fighters were deployed
operationally in April 1943
when the 68th and 78th Sentais arrived
in New Guinea. Named Hien (swallow)
in service (and codenamed 'Tony' by
the Allies), the new aircraft proved
popular with its pilots, being unusually
well-armed and armoured, and the
type was at least a match for opposing
American fighters. Its armament (of
four 12.7-mm machine-guns)
proved inadequate to knock down
enemy bombers, however, and the Ki-
61-I KAIc was introduced with a pair of
20-mm cannon in the nose, these being
replaced in a small number of Ki-61- I
KAId fighters by two 30-mm cannon.
The Ki-61- I and Ki-61-I KAI remained
in production until 1945, but in 1944
they were joined in service by the Ki-
61-II with more powerful Kawasaki Ha-
140 engine (producing 1119-kW); with a top speed of 610km/h
this would have been an excellent
fighter but for constant engine
problems; yet when fully serviceable
the Ki-61-II was one of the few
Japanese fighters fully able to combat
the Boeing B-29 at its normal operating
altitude, particularly when armed with
four 20-mm cannon. Excluding prototypes
and development aircraft, production
totalled 1,380 Ki-61-Is, 1,274 Ki-
61-I KAIs and 374 Ki-61-Ils.
| MODEL | Ki-61-II KAIa |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x Kawasaki Ha-140, 1125kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 3780-3825 kg | 8334 - 8433 lb |
| Empty weight | 2840 kg | 6261 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 12 m | 39 ft 4 in |
| Length | 9.16 m | 30 ft 1 in |
| Height | 3.7 m | 12 ft 2 in |
| Wing area | 20 m2 | 215.28 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 610 km/h | 379 mph |
| Cruise speed | 400 km/h | 249 mph |
| Ceiling | 11000 m | 36100 ft |
| Range w/max.fuel | 1600 km | 994 miles |
| Range w/max.payload | 1100 km | 684 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 2 x 20mm cannons, 2 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 2 x 250kg bombs |
 | A three-view drawing (1650 x 1183) |
| tony, netzero(@)john.com, 05.11.2009 was it a good plane beter than the zero! | | marg enright, neelford(@)yahoo.com, 02.10.2009 hi,wanted to update my dads email. he worked on this in the south pacific and we have detailed pics, including the insignia under the window, which seems to be unclarifiyed in previous posts. there are other sites, mainly model builders, that want the real info...we have origninal pics which we would love to send to anyone interested. we have been looking for the location of this plane for maybe 30 years. anyone with info??? please post to tepe88@verizon.net or neelford@yahoo.com thanks very much. | | TERENCE ENRIGHT, TEPE882VERISON.NET, 15.08.2009 I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO CONTACT ME REGUARDING THE CAPE GLOUSTER TONY FIGHTER AS I MAY HAVE INFORMATION AS I WAS ONE OF THE FOUR GUYS THAT GOT THE PLANE AT THE CAPE I HAVE PRIVATE PHOTOS ANYONE WHO WANTS COPIES SHOULD CONTACT ME AT MY EMAIL AND THEY CAN THEM HAVE FOR FREE | | CHINESE, 14.06.2009 THE CHINESES WAGED THE BATTLES TO DESTROY THE EVIL FORCE OF THE JAPS! | | CHINESE-PILOT, 08.04.2009 CHINESE Ki-61 AFTER THE WW2:
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!owWqfLiRGBJbisRWdd0UJtGfMNc-/article?mid=4970 | | Hiroyuki Takeuchi, cxc02366(@)nifty.com, 30.01.2009 Correction in subtype description which is probably based on the widely spread Francillion data.
Ki61I-ko(a) 2X7.7mm 2X12.7mm
Ki61I-otsu(b) 4X12.7mm
Ki61I-hei(c) 2X12.7mm (nose) 2X20mm (MG151/20 imported by submarine from Germany)
Ki61I-tei(d) 2X20mm Ho-5 nose guns 2X12.7mm wing guns (also called Ki61I-kai, this had a longer fuselage and additional fuselage tank).
The Ki61 was an exceptionally sturdy aircraft. I have read ex-pilot's accounts of this aircraft attaining over 550mph IAS in dives and pulling out. | | Chinese-pilot, 29.12.2008 Hien means "Flying Swallow"(¸¿P) in Japanese and Chinese. It also joined the Chinese Airforce after the WW2. | | Mick Dunne, hotideas(@)hotmail.com, 23.11.2008 The Japanese armaments planning was generally excellent! They certainly started the war with the Best Navy in the world and were no slouches at producing fine aircraft either! However, Kawasaki should NEVER have stuffed around with the German engine...BIG mistake!
The Hein was an EXCELLENT fighter...ask the Australian and US pilots who had to fight little suckers! | | Jabo, billjabo(@)yahoo.com, 02.07.2008 I find it interesting how there was insufficent planning of armaments by the japanese to result in an airplane of this nature. Further it was read once where Japan had a multitude of various caliber guns on there warships instead of a standard type.I just wonder why. |
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Do you have any comments about this aircraft ?
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