| Ki-55 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Military advanced training aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Tachikawa Aircraft Company |
| 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.
The excellent characteristics of the Tachikawa Ki-36 made it potentially ideal as a trainer. This led to the development of the Ki-55 with a single machine gun. After successful testing of a prototype in September 1939, the type was put into production as the Tachikawa 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.'
Japan 
Manchukuo 
Reorganized National Government of China 
Republic of China 
People's Republic of China 
Thailand Francillon also mentions delivery to the Japanese satellite air force of Cochinchina, the southernmost third part of present Vietnam [2]
Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War [3]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Related lists
The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa, formal Japanese designation Army Type 1 Fighter is a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in World War II.
The Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu was a two-seat, twin-engine heavy fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. The army gave it the designation "Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter"; the Allied reporting name was "Nick". Originally serving as a long-range escort-fighter, the design — as with most heavy fighters of the period — fell prey to smaller, lighter, more agile single-engine fighters. As such, the Ki-45 instead served as a day and nighttime interceptor and strike fighter.
The Kawasaki Ki-10 was the last biplane fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army, entering service in 1935. Built by Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K. for the Imperial Japanese Army, it saw combat service in Manchukuo and in North China during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Its reporting name given by the Allies was "Perry".
The Nakajima Ki-27 was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" (CBI) theater by many post war sources; Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy Type 97 fighter, expected to be the successor to the carrier-borne Type 96 with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit.
The Mitsubishi Ki-57 was a Japanese passenger transport aircraft, developed from the Ki-21 bomber, during the early 1940s.
The Mitsubishi Ki-51 was a light bomber/dive bomber in service with the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It first flew in mid-1939. Initially deployed against Chinese forces, it proved to be too slow to hold up against the fighter aircraft of the other Allied powers. However, it performed a useful ground-attack role in the China-Burma-India theater, notably from airfields too rough for many other aircraft. As the war drew to a close, the Japanese began using them in kamikaze attacks. Total production was around 2,385 units.
The Kawasaki Ki-32 was a Japanese light bomber aircraft of World War II. It was a single-engine, two-seat, mid-wing, cantilever monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. An internal bomb bay accommodated a 300 kg (660 lb) offensive load, supplemented by 150 kg (330 lb) of bombs on external racks. During the war, it was known by the Allies by the name Mary.
The Tachikawa Ki-70 "Clara" was a high speed photo reconnaissance aircraft that was tested for the Japanese Air Force in prototype form but never entered production. The Ki-70 was the intended successor to the Mitsubishi Ki-46 but was difficult to handle and was slower than the Mitsubishi Ki-46. The Ki-70 was first flown in 1943 but was found unsatisfactory and the program was terminated. Three aircraft were built.
The Tachikawa Ki-17 was a basic training aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force built by Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd in the 1930s. It was known to the Allies under the nickname of Cedar during World War II.
The Tachikawa Ki-9 was an intermediate training aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force built by Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd in the 1930s. It was known to the Allies under the nickname of "Spruce" during World War II.
The Tachikawa Ki-94 was a single-seat fighter-Interceptor aircraft project undertaken by the Tachikawa Aircraft Company and to be operated by the Imperial Japanese Army. The project refers to two aircraft designs: the Ki-94-I and the Ki-94-II, both of which did not advance beyond the mock-up and prototype stage respectively.
The Tachikawa Ki-36 was a Japanese army co-operation aircraft of World War II. It was a two-seat, low-wing monoplane with a single piston engine and fixed, tailwheel-type undercarriage.
The Kawasaki Ki-96 was a Japanese single seat, twin-engine heavy fighter of World War II. It was intended to replace the Kawasaki Ki-45s of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. However, it was not adopted and only three prototypes were built.
The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a Japanese twin-engine advanced trainer used during World War II. The aircraft was named Hickory by the Allies.
The Tachikawa Ki-74 was a Japanese experimental long-range reconnaissance bomber of World War II. A twin-engine, mid-wing monoplane, it was developed for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service but never deployed in combat. The Ki-74 was designed for high altitude operation with a pressurized cabin for its crew.
The Nakajima Ki-34 was a Japanese light transport of World War II. It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane; the undercarriage was of tailwheel type with retractable main units. During the Pacific War, the Allies assigned the type the reporting name Thora.
The Kokusai Ki-76, or Liaison Aircraft Type 3, was a Japanese high-wing monoplane artillery spotter and liaison aircraft that served in World War II. The Allied reporting name was "Stella".
The Nakajima Ki-4Kyūyon-shiki teisatsuki (九四式偵察機) was the last biplane reconnaissance aircraft of the Japanese Imperial Army. It saw combat service in Manchukuo and in north China during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
The Kokusai Ki-59 was an early 1940s light transport monoplane built by Nippon Kokusai Koku Kogyo K.K for the Imperial Japanese Army as a development of the Teradako-ken TK-3 which had first flown in 1938.
The Tokyo Koku Ki-107 was a Japanese military training aircraft for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. The Ki-107 was a wooden-built low-wing two-seat monoplane with an open cockpit. Powered by a Hitachi Hatsukaze Ha-47 (Ha-11) inline piston engine it first flew in October 1943. The Japanese Army had ordered 450 as primary trainers as replacement for the Kokusai Ki-86, but production was held up by air raids and only 29 had been delivered by the end of the war.
