Ki-64 | |
---|---|
Role | Fighter |
Manufacturer | Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K. |
First flight | December 1943 |
Status | Cancelled 1944 |
Primary user | Imperial Japanese Army |
Number built | 1 |
The Kawasaki Ki-64 (Allied code name: Rob) was a one-off prototype of an experimental heavy, single seat, fighter. It had two unusual design features. First; it had two Kawasaki Ha-40 engines in tandem; one in the aircraft nose, the other behind the cockpit, both being connected by a drive shaft. This combination (called the Kawasaki Ha-201) drove two, three-bladed, contra-rotating propellers. [1] [2] The second feature was the use of the wing surface as a radiator for the water-cooled engines. [3] The aircraft first flew in December 1943. During the fifth flight, the rear engine caught fire; and while the aircraft made an emergency landing, it was damaged. The aircraft was subsequently abandoned in mid-1944 in favour of more promising projects. The airframe survived the war, and parts of the unique cooling system were sent to Wright Field for examination. [4]
Data fromWarplanes of the Second World War, Volume Three: Fighters; [5] WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: Japanese Army Fighters, Part 1; [4] Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War [6]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
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