Tachikawa Ki-55

Tachikawa Ki-55

Role	Military Advanced Training aircraft
Manufacturer	Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd
First flight	September 1939
Retired	1945 (Japan) 1953 (China)
Primary users	Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Royal Thai Air Force
Produced	1940 - 1943
Number built	1,389
Developed from	Tachikawa Ki-36

The Tachikawa Ki-55 was a Japanese advanced trainer.

Design and development

The excellent characteristics of the Tachikawa Ki-36 made it potentially ideal as a trainer. This led to the development of the Ki-36 with a single machine gun. After successful testing of a prototype in September 1939, the type was put into production as the Army Type 99 Advanced Trainer.

In all 1,389 Ki-55 were constructed before production ended in December 1943 with Tachikawa having built 1078 and Kawasaki 311.^[1]

Both the Ki-55 and the Ki-36 were given the Allied nickname 'Ida.'

Variants

Ki-36 : Army cooperation aircraft.
Ki-72 : An evolved version with a 600-hp (447-kW) Hitachi Ha-38 engine and retractable undercarriage. Not built.

Operators

Tachikawa Ki-36 trainer at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum.

Japan

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

Kumagaya Army Flying School
Mito Army Flying School
Tachiarai Army Flying School
Utsonomiya Army Flying School

Manchukuo

Manchukuo Air Force

Reorganized National Government of China

National Government of China Air Force received several from the Japanese.

Republic of China

Republic of China Air Force operated captured aircraft.

People's Republic of China

People's Liberation Army Air Force operated more than 30 captured aircraft at the end of 1945. These Ki-55s were used until the last 14 retired in 1953.

Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea Air Force operated ex-Japanese aircraft.

Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force

Francillon also mentions delivery to the Japanese satellite air force of Cochinchina, the southernmost third part of present Vietnam^[2]

Specifications (Ki-55)

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: two
Length: 8.00 m (25 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 11.80 m (38 ft 8.5 in)
Height: 3.64 m (11 ft 11.25 in)
Wing area: 20 m² (215.29 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,292 kg (2,847 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,721 kg (3,794 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,721 kg (3,793 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hitachi Army Type 98 Ha-13a nine cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 380 kW (510 hp) at take-off

Performance

Maximum speed: 349 km/h (217 mph)
Cruise speed: 235 km/h (146 mph)
Range: 1,060 km (659 mi)
Service ceiling: 8,150 m (26,740 ft)
Wing loading: 86.1 kg/m² (17.6 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: kW/kg (hp/lb)

Armament

one fixed, forward-firing 7.7mm (0.303in) Type 89 machine gun

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tachikawa Ki-55.

Notes

Bibliography

Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 (2nd edition, 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6.; 3rd edition 1987, Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-801-1.)

Aircraft produced by Tachikawa Aircraft Company

Imperial Japanese Army types	Ki-9 Ki-17 Ki-24 Ki-25 Ki-26 Ki-29 Ki-36 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-70 Ki-71 Ki-72 Ki-74 Ki-77 Ki-92 Ki-94 Ki-104 Ki-106 Ki-110 Ki-111 Ki-114 SS-1 T.S. 1

World War II Allied reporting names	Cedar Clara Hickory Ida (Ki-36) Ida (Ki-55) Pat Patsy Sonia Spruce

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service aircraft designations

1-50	Ki-1 Ki-2 Ki-3 Ki-4 Ki-5 Ki-6 Ki-7 Ki-8 Ki-9 Ki-10 Ki-11 Ki-12 Ki-13 Ki-14 Ki-15 Ki-16 Ki-17 Ki-18 Ki-19 Ki-20 Ki-21 Ki-22 Ki-23 Ki-24 Ki-25 Ki-26 Ki-27 Ki-28 Ki-29 Ki-30 Ki-31 Ki-32 Ki-33 Ki-34 Ki-35 Ki-36 Ki-37 Ki-38 Ki-39 Ki-40 Ki-41 Ki-42 Ki-43 Ki-44 Ki-45 Ki-46 Ki-47 Ki-48 Ki-49 Ki-50

51-100	Ki-51 Ki-52 Ki-53 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-56 Ki-57 Ki-58 Ki-59 Ki-60 Ki-61 Ki-62 Ki-63 Ki-64 Ki-66 Ki-67 Ki-68 Ki-69 Ki-70 Ki-71 Ki-72 Ki-73 Ki-74 Ki-75 Ki-76 Ki-77 Ki-78 Ki-79 Ki-80 Ki-81 Ki-82 Ki-83 Ki-84 Ki-85 Ki-86 Ki-87 Ki-88 Ki-89 Ki-90 Ki-91 Ki-92 Ki-93 Ki-94 Ki-95 Ki-96 Ki-97 Ki-98 Ki-99 Ki-100

100-	Ki-101 Ki-102 Ki-103 Ki-105 Ki-106 Ki-107 Ki-108 Ki-109 Ki-110 Ki-111 Ki-112 Ki-113 Ki-114 Ki-115 Ki-116 Ki-117 Ki-118 Ki-119 Ki-148 Ki-167 Ki-174 Ki-200 Ki-201 Ki-202 Ki-230

World War II Allied reporting names for Japanese aircraft

Aircraft in Japanese service	Abdul Alf Ann Babs Baka Belle Betty Bob Buzzard Cedar Cherry Clara Claude Cypress Dave Dick Dinah Dot Edna Emily Eva Eve Frances Frank Gander George Glen Goose Grace Gwen Hamp Hank Hap Helen Hickory Ida (Tachikawa Ki-36) Ida (Tachikawa Ki-55) Irving Jack Jake Jane Jean Jerry Jill Jim Judy Kate Kate 61 Laura Lily Liz Lorna Loise Louise Luke Mabel Mary Mavis Myrt Nate Nell Nick Norm Oak Oscar Pat Patsy Paul Peggy Perry Pete Pine Rex Rita Rob Rufe Ruth Sally Sally III Sam Sandy Slim Sonia Spruce Stella Steve Susie Tabby Tess Thalia Thelma Theresa Thora Tina Tillie Toby Tojo Tony Topsy Val Willow Zeke Zeke 32

Nonexistent aircraft thought to be in Japanese service	Adam Ben Doris Gus Harry Ione Joe Joyce Julia June Norma Omar Ray

Foreign aircraft erroneously thought to be in Japanese service	Bess (Heinkel He 111) Doc (Messerschmitt Bf 110) Fred (Focke Wulf Fw 190A-5) Irene (Junkers Ju 87A) Janice (Junkers Ju 88A-5) Mike (Messerschmitt Bf 109E) Millie (Vultee V-11GB) Trixie (Junkers Ju 52/3m) Trudy (Focke Wulf Fw 200 Kondor)

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