Ki-64 "Rob"
Heavy Fighter- Interceptor
Kawasaki
The Ki.64 was developed for the Japanese Army Air Force and was one of the most innovative Japanese designs of the war. Original conceived of in 1939, the Ki.64 had a contrarotating propellor coupled to tandem mounted engines and equipped with an evaporative cooling system. The two Ha-40 engines were installed in the fuselage, one in the nose and the second one behind the pilot, with a long axis beneath the pilot's seat, driving contra-rotating propellors in the nose. This arrangment was known as the Ha-201. The Ki.64 also used steam vapour cooling with wing surface radiators to reduce drag even more.
The prototype was damaged on its fifth flight and the programme abandoned.
| Ki-64 'Rob' Specification | ||
| Crew | 1 | |
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wing span | 13.50 m (44 ft. 3 ½ in.) | |
| Wing area, | 28.00 m2 (301.389 Sq. Ft) | |
| Length | 11.03 m (36 ft. 2¼ in.) | |
| Height | 4.25m (10 ft. 5¼ in.) | |
| Powerplant | ||
| Ha-201 ,24-Cylinder inverted Vee liquid cooled. power | 2,350 hp | |
| Weight | ||
| Empty weight | 4,050 kg (8,929 lbs.) | |
| Loaded weight | 5,100kg (11,244 lbs.) | |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | at altitude | 690km/h (429 mph) |
| m (ft) | 5,000 ( 16,400 ft) | |
| Initial rate of climb | 910m/min (2986 ft/min ) | |
| Time to level 5000m (16,400 ft) | 5 min. 30 sec. | |
| Service ceiling | 12000 m (39,370 ft.) | |
| Service range | 1000 km (620 ml) | |
| Armament | ||
| Four 20mm Type Ho-5 cannon | ||
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References
- - War Planes Of The Second World War - Fighters - /Green, William, 1964, Doubleday And Company, Inc., New York/