Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen)

Medium Bomber Aircraft

Imperial Japan | 1941

"The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu was destined to replace the ill-equipped Ki-21 though the Ki-49 itself was a general failure in design."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Nakajima Ki-49-IIa Donryu (Helen) Medium Bomber Aircraft.

2 x Nakajima Ha-109 radial piston engines developing 1,450 horsepower each.
Propulsion

306 mph
492 kph | 266 kts
Max Speed

30,512 ft
9,300 m | 6 miles
Service Ceiling

1,833 miles
2,950 km | 1,593 nm
Operational Range

1,225 ft/min
373 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Nakajima Ki-49-IIa Donryu (Helen) Medium Bomber Aircraft.

7
(MANNED)
Crew

54.1 ft
16.50 m
O/A Length

67.0 ft
(20.42 m)
O/A Width

13.9 ft
(4.25 m)
O/A Height

14,396 lb
(6,530 kg)
Empty Weight

25,133 lb
(11,400 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen) Medium Bomber Aircraft .

STANDARD:
1 x 20mm Ho-1 cannon in dorsal turret (flexible mounting)
1 x 7.7mm Type 89 machine gun in nose position
1 x 7.7mm Type 89 machine gun in ventral position
1 x 7.7mm Type 89 machine gun in left beam position
1 x 7.7mm Type 89 machine gun in right beam position
1 x 7.7mm Type 89 machine gun in tail gun position

OPTIONAL:
Up to 2,205 lb of internal stores.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen) family line.

Ki-49-I - Initial Production Model Designation

Ki-49-IIa - "Improved" Ki-49-I Model; fitted with uprated 2 x Nakajima Ha-109 radial engines; improved armor and fuel protection; improved defensive armament.

Ki-49-IIb - At least three of the existing 7.7mm machine guns replaced by heavy caliber 12.7mm Ho-103 types for improved defensive armament.

Ki-49-III - Prototype Models fitted with 2,420 horsepower engines; 6 examples produced.

Ki-58 - Experimental Escort Fighter based on the Ki-49 platform.

Ki-80 - Experimental Escort Bomber based on the Ki-49 platform.

Army Type 100 Heavy Bomber Model 1 - Official Designation for the Ki-49-I production model.

Army Type 100 Heavy Bomber Model 2A - Official Designation for the Ki-49-IIa production model.

Army Type 100 Heavy Bomber Model 2B - Official Designation for the Ki-49-IIb production model.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/10/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (meaning "storm dragon" and codenamed "Helen" by the Allies) heavy bomber was intended as a replacement for the out-classed Mitsubishi Ki-21 series of medium bomber. In reality, the newer Ki-49 design proved to be something of a disappointment to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force as the type was a slow performer that - like most Japanese aircraft of the war - was ill-armed and under-armored. As a result, the type saw very limited production numbers (being limited to just over 800), appeared in a few variants and quickly was dismissed as a partner to the successful ki-21 instead of its direct replacement.

The Nakajima Ki-49 was drawn up by 1938 as a very utilitarian heavy bomber design. The term "heavy bomber" in this instance was carried quite loosely as the production Ki-49 could carry barely above 2,000 pounds of internal ordnance. The aircrafts design followed along the same lines of previous twin engine bomber attempts of Japanese ordnance that saw a slender fuselage with clean lines, a middle-mounted monoplane wing assembly, various gun positions adorning the design and a single vertical tail surface. Crew accommodations amounted to seven (or in some cases eight) personnel. Defensive armament (always an issue with Japanese bomber aircraft designs throughout the war) consisted of a nose-mounted 7.7mm machine gun, a 7.7mm machine gun in a tail gun position, 2 x 7.7mm machine guns in beam positions (1 gun per side), a 7.7mm machine gun in a ventral position and a 20mm cannon in a flexible dorsal mounting.

The first Ki-49 prototype went airborne in 1939 with Nakajima Ha-5 KAI radial engines of 950 horsepower each. Pre-production and the first production models would be mated with 2 x Nakajima Ha-41 radial engines of 1,250 horsepower each, increasing performance capabilities as a result. The Ki-49 would enter service in 1941 with mixed results, forcing the aircraft to undergo some much needed upgrades to armor and armament by 1942. The "improved" Ki-49 appeared in form as the Ki-49-IIa and was followed by another improved version in the Ki-49-IIb variant.

The Ki-49 was fielded extensively against China, Australia and the Burma region but the aircraft was generally outclassed by the latest crop of American and British fighters. As a result, the Ki-49 suffered heavy losses throughout the conflict and their reach was lessened by 1944. Afterwards, the Ki-49 - like most of the mid-sized Japanese aircraft of limited potential - could be seen focused on kamikaze attacks against Allied interests.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 819 Units
Contractor(s): Nakajima - Japan

[ Imperial Japan; Indonesia; Thailand ]

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Image of the Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen)

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The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen) Medium Bomber Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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