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Mitsubishi Ki-83

1945 WORLD WAR 2 X-PLANE

History of the Mitsubishi Ki-83

The Japanese had a talent for developing excellent twin-engine aircraft during World War II (1939-1945). More than 1,700 Kawasaki Ki-45 "Toryu" were produced starting in late 1941, and the Ki-46 "Dinah" for rapid reconnaissance missions is another example with similar production numbers and service life.

The latter design was conceived by Tomio Kubo, and with the success of the product, Kubo and his design team tried a single-engine, single-seat, long-range escort fighter on the Mitsubishi Ki-73??the aircraft used A 24-cylinder in-line engine, producing 2,600 hp, drives two three-bladed propeller units, arranged in counter-rotating noses.

However, engine problems doomed the Ki-73, which led Kubo and his team to work on an entirely new twin-engine heavy fighter design to meet the requirements for such an aircraft in 1943 - the key quality being essentially good range. A typical shape was chosen, which sees a central fuselage spanned by engine nacelles attached to each wing element. The main wing aircraft is installed in front of the ship.

The two-seat cockpit remains forward, the fuselage tapers aft, and the stern consists of a vertical tail with a mid-level horizontal plane. Each nacelle is suspended below, spanning from the front of the leading edge of the wing to beyond the trailing edge of the wing.

The "Tail Dragger" landing gear was used. Each engine will drive a four-bladed propeller.

The first flight took place on November 18, 1944, and the design immediately proved to be a formidable platform with good handling and maneuverability. Power comes from two Mitsubishi Ha-211 "Ru" 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, each producing 2,070 hp.

As a fighter, the aircraft would carry a massive, forward array of 2 x 30mm and 2 x 20mm nose cannons - giving it a formidable blow to all Allied fighters and bombers at the time. Performance specs show quick installation and a top speed of 440 mph. Cruising speed will be close to 280 mph.

The operational range is 1,215 miles, with service reportedly capped at 41,500 feet.

At the time, the Ki-83 was one of the most advanced project aircraft capable of changing the fate of Japan in the war. However, the Allied bombing of the Japanese mainland effectively limited what was and was not available.

Four prototypes of the Ki-83 eventually came to fruition, but the surrender of Japan in August 1945 dashed any hopes of the serial production line. The Ki-83 was extensively studied by American researchers shortly after the war, who did not know of the aircraft's existence until after the war.

In addition to the designated Ki-83 version, there are plans for two main branches - Ki-95 and Ki-103. The Ki-93 is known to resemble a fast reconnaissance platform, but it was never built.