Kawasaki Ki-78 (KEN III)

History

The Kawasaki Ki-78 (KENsan III) began development as a high-speed research aircraft designed to challenge the airspeed records of the 1930s. An entirely new wing was developed to test various stressors at speed, a program that began in 1938 through an initiative by the University of Tokyo's Institute of Aeronautics and aircraft built by Kwasaki Kokuki Kogyo K.K.

Only one example of seaworthiness was completed when World War II (1939-1945) interrupted the project and changed its fortunes forever.

The fuselage is slender, with no extra protrusions, the overall outline is delicate, and the lines are simple. To power the aircraft, an inline piston engine was chosen, which, as usual, was mounted on the nose. The light frame cockpit is located amidships. A raised dorsal vertebra blocks all useful view of the pilot's tail, but this is not a fighter jet. The rear wing tapers gracefully to the rear, to which a rudder and low-lying horizontal surface are attached.

The tail tow landing gear is retractable, and the two main legs are located under the wings. The plane is made of all metal including the outer shell.

The smallest possible cross-section was chosen for the aircraft, with powerful engines. The overall length reaches 26.5 feet, with a wingspan of 26.2 feet and a height of 10 feet. Curb weight is 4,255 lbs and MTOW is 5,070 lbs.

Power comes from a German Daimler-Benz DB601A V-12 inverted liquid-cooled inline-piston engine rated at 1,550 hp. Additional performance was achieved by injecting water/methanol. Performance includes a top speed of 435 mph, a range of up to 373 miles, and a service ceiling of 26,000 feet.

The Ki-78 gained momentum before the start of World War II, and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) authorities were interested in fully adopting the Ki-78 program. Two prototypes were contracted, and work on the first prototype began in September 1941. The aircraft was completed in 1942 and made its maiden flight on December 26. Although the Ki-78 performed well as a fast mount, it had little military value and the program was terminated in January 1944. Only one plane and one model are done together.

The second prototype was incomplete before being scrapped.

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