Kawasaki Ki-64 (Rob)

History

During the most intense period of World War II (1939-1945), all major players carried out various programs to further develop existing weapons platforms. For Japanese concerns Kawasaki, a 1943 initiative produced the experimental single-seat piston engine fighter "Ki-64".

The type could be built using just one prototype, and the entire program was scrapped shortly after the test flight ended with an emergency landing due to fire. The first flight of the Ki-64 was recorded sometime in December 1943, and the aircraft was codenamed "Rob" by the Allied Forces.

In every sense, the Ki-64 is a traditional fighter jet design with a unique internal layout designed to promote the outstanding top speed and performance that are critical to countering American development in the Pacific. One of the most notable features of the design is the coupling of two liquid-cooled Kawasaki Ha-40 Army Type 2 inline piston engines, designated "Ha-201" when paired. It's worth noting that the Ha-40 is nothing more than a localized production copy of the excellent German-origin Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa inline engine powering the equally excellent Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter - Japanese group Kawasaki And Aichi holds a manufacturing license. indeed. This powerplant delivers about 2,350 horsepower to the Kawasaki body, with a top speed of nearly 430 mph and an operating altitude of nearly 40,000 feet.

The range is 620 miles and the climb rate is about 3,000 feet per minute. The airframe has an empty weight of 9,000 pounds and a gross weight of 11,200 pounds. Therefore, Kawasaki classifies their Ki-64 as a "heavy" fighter. The Ha-40 was renamed "Ha-60" after a revamped naming system in 1944.

Externally, the Ki-64 has basic fighter form, including straight, low-mounted wingtips, a streamlined fuselage, and a single curved vertical tail. The landing gear is of the fully retractable "tail" variety. The pilot sits amidships forward, under a light-frame canopy, to reasonably observe the action. Due to the limited internal volume of the fuselage (slim design profile), one Ha-40 engine was installed as usual in the front of the cockpit, and the second engine was installed in a compartment aft of the cockpit. The rear engine is connected to the front system (similar to the American Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter) via a propeller shaft running under the cockpit floor.

This allows the full power of both engines or the ability to fly with a single unit if needed. Adding to the engine pairing is a 2 x three-blade propeller system that rotates in opposite directions to take full advantage of the power output at high speeds. Notably, the two propellers are not combined with engine power. Instead, the rear engine drives the front propeller assembly independently of the front engine that drives the rear propeller.

The front propeller adopts a variable pitch design, and the rear propeller adopts a fixed pitch design.

As a fighter designed to counter enemy fighter jets and Allied bombers attacking Japanese territory and home installations, Kawasaki considers their Ki-64 to be armed with either 4 x 20mm Ho-5 series guns or 2 x 20mm Ho -5 cannons, supplemented by 2 x 12.7mm Ho-103 series heavy machine guns. Regardless, this weapon will be impressive in combat.

Testing of the Ki-64 continued until 1944. On her fifth flight, the rear power unit caught fire, prompting the pilot to immediately land the plane. Although the landing was successful with no casualties, the impact of the impact severely damaged the test frame.

This brought an insurmountable setback to the program, and the Ki-64 has since been abandoned for further development and remains in the pages of military aviation history.

Like many other programs (whether aircraft or tanks) that began before the end of the war in 1945, the Ki-64 airframe was eventually captured and overtaken by advancing Allied forces. His designs were then handed over to American engineers to study before being thrown into the scrap heap.

This ended the brief reign of the Ki-64 heavy fighter.

Specification

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