Tachikawa Ki-92

Ki-92
Role	Transport aircraft
Manufacturer	Tachikawa Hikōki KK
Designer	Shinjiro Shinagawa
First flight	April 1945
Primary user	Imperial Japanese Army Air Forces
Number built	1

The Tachikawa Ki-92 was an experimental Japanese heavy transport aircraft of World War II. It was a low-wing monoplane with a pressurized fuselage, twin piston engines and a tailwheel undercarriage.

Development

In March 1942 the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force chose Tachikawa to design and build a new heavy twin engine transport aircraft with a focus on increased range, power and speed to carry light tanks, field artillery and troops.

Shinjiro Shinagawa was in charge of the development and began work in March 1943 and the first prototype was completed by September 1944. Due to various repairs and modifications, the first flight did not occur until April 1945. The test flight recorded a maximum speed to 426 km/h but it was found to be dangerous to fly with the cargo door open at these speeds though fuselage rigidity was not a problem. Like Tachikawa's Ki-77 it featured a laminar flow wing, a sealed cabin with double glazed windows seating 34 troops in 4 rows (including two emergency seats) to reduce the need for oxygen, and forced draught cooling in low drag engine nacelles.

Due to the deteriorating war situation, and resulting reduction in priority for transport aircraft, only one of between three and 10 prototypes planned for and no production aircraft were built before the war ended. Orders included 114 built extensively from wood to conserve on aluminium use though the prototype already featured a tail made from wood. Tachikawa had planned for their use as commercial transports during the design phase.

Allied intelligence organizations such as ATAIU SEA were unaware of the existence of the Ki-92 and did not assign a code name to it.

Operators

Japan

• Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (Evaluation only)

Specifications (Tachikawa Ki-92)

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Capacity: 34 troops
• Length: 22.00 m (ft in)
• Wingspan: 32.00 m (ft in)
• Height: 5.95 m (ft in)
• Wing area: 122.0 m² (ft²)
• Empty weight: 11,175 kg (lb)
• Loaded weight: 17,600 kg (lb)
• Useful load: kg (kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: kg (lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Mitsubishi Ha 104 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, kW (1870 hp)1870 hp each

Performance

• Never exceed speed: km/h (knots, mph)
• Maximum speed: 466 km/h (knots, mph)
• Cruise speed: km/h (knots, mph)
• Stall speed: km/h (knots, mph)
• Range: 3,960 km - 5,000 km (estimated) (nm, mi)
• Service ceiling: 10,100 m (ft)
• Rate of climb: m/s 7000m/18' 20 " (ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: W/kg (hp/lb)

Armament

12.7mm (Ho 103 Machine gun) × 1 (not fitted)

See also

Related development

• Tachikawa Ki-77

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Curtiss C-46

References

Bibliography

• (Japanese)
• (Czech)