Time Period: World War II
Country of Origin: Japan
Type: Fighter Aircraft, Bomber Aircraft, Interceptors
Manufacturer: Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K.
Kawasaki Ki-45 Aircraft Overview
The Kawasaki Ki-45 was a twin-engine heavy fighter aircraft developed by the Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries during World War II. The aircraft was also known by its Allied reporting name “Nick”.
The Ki-45 was designed to meet the Japanese army’s requirements for a long-range fighter to escort bombers and engage enemy aircraft. The first prototype flew in January 1939, and the Ki-45 entered service with the Japanese army in 1941.
The Ki-45 was a low-wing monoplane with a twin-engine configuration and retractable landing gear. It was armed with one 20mm cannon and two 7.7mm machine guns mounted in the nose, as well as two 12.7mm machine guns in a dorsal turret. Later variants of the Ki-45 were equipped with additional guns and bombs for ground attack missions.
During the war, the Ki-45 served in a variety of roles, including bomber escort, reconnaissance, and ground attack. It saw combat in the Pacific, China, and Southeast Asia, and was considered a capable fighter by its pilots. However, it was also vulnerable to enemy fighters due to its relatively slow speed and poor maneuverability compared to newer Allied designs.
Despite its limitations, the Ki-45 remained in service until the end of the war, and was used by the Japanese army in several major campaigns, including the defense of the Philippines and the defense of Japan.
Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Specifications
- Crew: 2
- Length: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 15.02 m (49 ft 3 in)
- Height: 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 32 m2 (340 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 24015; tip: NACA 23010
- Empty weight: 4,000 kg (8,818 lb)
- Gross weight: 8,820 kg (19,445 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Mitsubishi Ha-102 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 783 kW (1,050 hp) each
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers
Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Performance
- Maximum speed: 540 km/h (340 mph, 290 kn)
- Range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 11.7 m/s (2,300 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 171.9 kg/m2 (35.2 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.26 kW/kg (0.16 hp/lb)
Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Armament
- 1 × 37 mm (1.457 in) Ho-203 cannon, 1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) Ho-3 cannon, 1 × 7.92 mm. (0.312 in) Type 89 machine gun on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit.
