Kawasaki Ki-64 ROB

1943

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Kawasaki Ki-64 ROB

The first prototype flew in December 1943. Did not entered production.

Kawasaki Ki-64 ROB

Specification 
 MODELKi-64
 CREW1
 ENGINE1 x Kawasaki Ha-201, 1760kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight5100 kg11244 lb
  Empty weight4050 kg8929 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan13.5 m44 ft 3 in
  Length11.03 m36 ft 2 in
  Height4.25 m14 ft 11 in
  Wing area28 m2301.39 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed690 km/h429 mph
  Ceiling12000 m39350 ft
  Range1000 km621 miles
 ARMAMENT4 x 20mm cannons

3-View 
Kawasaki Ki-64 ROBA three-view drawing (752 x 1048)

Comments
Anonymous, 29.10.2021 19:13

WW-II Japanese fighters are usually thought of as being small, light-weight and simple. The Ki-64 was just the opposite. Based upon information coming back from European combat experience and European experimental aircraft design technology, Kawasaki built a large, fast, heavy fighter powered by two tandem engines driving contra-rotating propellers. The engines, one of which was mounted in the nose and one behind the pilot's cockpit, were derived from the design of the German Daimler-Benz DB-601. Both engines were turbo-supercharged and were cooled by means of low-drag evaporative cooling systems. The wings were also of advanced laminar flow design. Unfortunately, the first prototype crashed when rear engine overheated and caught fire. Under pressure from the deteriorating war situation, the Japanese Army Air Force was compelled to abandon development of this highly advanced project.

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RB, e-mail, 05.08.2020 03:47

The Rob was much like the Mitsubishi Ki 73 Steve. Both had contra-rotating props. Both were stumped by the complex engines. But the Rob caught fire despite its unconventional evaporative engine cooling. I would prefer the Ki 88 or Ki 62 potential as a Tony replacement..

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RB, e-mail, 05.08.2020 03:26

The Ki 88 was a Kawasaki built P-39 style hub-cannon B-29 interceptor prototype. Unfortunately it never flew. At least Kawasaki was contemplating the need to confront the Superfortress with a 37mm packing single-engine fighter that could defend itself better than a heavy twin engine interceptor.
It also makes apparent that the Ha-40 /140 was not likely suitable to accommodate a motor-cannon for the Ki 61, Bf 109 style. At least not 37mm size.
The early success of the Tony fighter not only put the damper on the brute Ki 88, but the back-up to the Ki 61 from Nakajima. This was the bubble-top Ki 62 prototype. Unlike Kawasaki, Nakajima had pre-war experience with the Ki 12 motor-cannon fighter. If the Tony had stumbled, who knows? Maybe both the Ki 88 and Ki 62 would've faced B-29s packing heavy hub-cannons in their gun combos. As it turned out, the Kawasaki Ki 100 belatedly came to the rescue instead, but minus the heavier cannons.

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Barry, 02.06.2016 18:05

Ian L. McQueen you are both right and wrong. There was 2 x Kawasaki Ha 40 linked into one unit which was known as the 2,350 h.p. Kawasaki Ha 201 coupled V12 with one part of the engine in front of the pilot and the other behind him in the fuselage with a shaft running between the two parts. The engine in the rear caught fire during it's fifth flight and was abandoned in mid 1944 for work on more promising projects. The Americans took parts of the aeroplane home for investigation such as the unique wing mounted cooling system.

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Ian L. McQueen, e-mail, 04.01.2014 23:49

Pardon my slowness, but there is a fundamental error in the specs. This airplane had TWO engines, not one. One in front of the pilot, one behind.
The HA-201 engine was a copy of a Daimler-Benz engine.

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lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 Ian L. McQueen

20

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Ian L. McQueen, e-mail, 04.01.2014 22:46

I believe that the drawing illustrating this article is not accurate. I believe that it is "squished" down. However.....I have never been able to find more than the same few photos that appear again and again, and none of them is from the side. Compare the photo illustrating this posting with the drawing and the drawing looks too thin and streamlined.
I believe that the nose was related to the Ki-61.
I was told that the one prototype was dismantled by American authorities on the airfield at Gifu following the war and that no parts of it remain.

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Ian L. McQueen, e-mail, 04.01.2014 22:40

There was a successful Italian aircraft with this layout, the Macchi M.C.72.
There are more details of this interesting Japanese aircraft that are not carried in the very brief description. For example, it was cooled by condensing steam in the wings instead of by the use of a radiator.
When living in Japan I met the designer of the aircraft. He joked that Japanese airplanes could be built smaller because the pilots had a smaller stature than their Western counterparts.

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Matthew Kitchen, e-mail, 23.09.2012 19:23

Looks like a Westland Wyvern.

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Angela, 20.06.2011 06:28

I guess having two unreliable engines in one plane was too much trouble and they gave it a pass.

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Ben Beekman, e-mail, 10.03.2011 02:52

Just one more example of a design that looks good on paper but fails the unforgiving test of reality. Just too complicated. Probably inspired by the Bell Airacobra, it was damaged on its fifth flight and subsequently abandoned.

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y.k, e-mail, 01.01.2011 18:33

It's practically twin engine fighter with tandem arrangement like Arsenal VB-10.

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DebtMan, e-mail, 01.10.2010 06:59

WellŽlooky here:looks like Japan was built copies of He-100
and He-112

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Mykola, 25.09.2010 10:05

I love it but I think it needs a bigger range.

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Tyler, e-mail, 13.06.2010 19:19

it looks like a p-39 airacobra

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le bao, 17.10.2009 05:36

I think it was the experimental high altitude fighter of Japan

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Andrew Perovich, e-mail, 07.08.2009 23:23

Cool plane; another example of a great idea that just didn't make itself known!

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leo rudnicki, e-mail, 10.04.2009 04:47

Actually, it looks like a French arsenal VG-10, or vice versa since the VG-10 was post war. My data is that it has 2 engines, one in the nose, one mid-ships cobra-style driving contraprops like the aermacchi mc-72, which it doesn't look like. I guess having two unreliable engines in one plane was too much trouble and they gave it a pass.

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Civettone, 29.09.2008 16:02

As the He 100 and He 112 don't even look alike I think that's unlikely

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interceptor, 16.05.2008 11:29

it looks like general motors XP-75 eagle!

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Cardinal Sin, 21.02.2008 03:01

Looks pretty much like He-100 and He-112

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