×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

Kawasaki Ki-96


Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Prototype Aircraft


Imperial Japan | 1943



"Only three prototypes of the Kawasaki Ki-96 twin-engined heavy fighter were ever completed before the end of World War 2."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Kawasaki Ki-96 Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Prototype Aircraft.
2 x Mitsubishi Ha112-II 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines developing 1,500 horsepower each.
Propulsion
373 mph
600 kph | 324 kts
Max Speed
37,730 ft
11,500 m | 7 miles
Service Ceiling
994 miles
1,600 km | 864 nm
Operational Range
2,733 ft/min
833 m/min
Rate-of-Climb
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Kawasaki Ki-96 Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Prototype Aircraft.
1
(MANNED)
Crew
37.6 ft
11.45 m
O/A Length
51.1 ft
(15.57 m)
O/A Width
12.1 ft
(3.70 m)
O/A Height
10,031 lb
(4,550 kg)
Empty Weight
13,228 lb
(6,000 kg)
MTOW
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Kawasaki Ki-96 Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Prototype Aircraft .
PROPOSED:
1 x 37mm Ho-203 cannon
2 x 20mm Ho-5 cannons
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Kawasaki Ki-96 family line.
Ki-96 - Base Series Designation
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/03/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

After witnessing the successes encountered by the German Messerschmitt Bf 110 twin-engine, two-seat heavy fighter over Europe, the Empire of Japan requested similar designs. Kawasaki delivered their Ki-48 "Sokei" as a light fast bomber in 1940 and this was then followed by the excellent Ki-45 "Toryu" in 1941. While limited in several areas, the Ki-48 gave good service through to the end of the war and the Ki-45 ended the conflict as the best twin-engine heavy fighters of World War 2.

As the Ki-45 began to prove itself in practical combat heading into 1942, Kawasaki undertook a private venture to deliver an improved replacement beginning in August. The new design incorporated the basic features of the Ki-45 including its two-seat crew placement, streamlined fuselage with single vertical tail fin and twin-engine configuration. The cockpit was set well forward in the design aft of a short nose cone. The fuselage was tapered heading towards the fin and horizontal tailplanes were affixed low on the rudder. Engines were of the air-cooled radial type, each driving three-bladed propellers. The undercarriage was wholly retractable and consisted of two single-wheeled main legs under each engine nacelle and a single-wheeled tail leg - also retractable. Power was served through 2 x Mitsubishi Ha.112-II series 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial piston engines developing 1,500 horsepower each - an improvement over the Ha.102 radials of 1,050 horsepower each featured in the Ki-45. Performance indicated a maximum speed of 373 miles per hour with a range out to 995 miles and service ceiling of 37,700 feet. The aircraft recorded a climb rate of 16,400 feet in six minutes which gave it strong interception qualities. Armament was 1 x 37mm Ho-203 cannon supplemented by 2 x 20mm Ho-5 cannons. The aircraft was assigned the company model designation of Ki-96 and classified as a heavy fighter in the same vein as the German Bf 110 - intended to fulfill the same battlefield function.

After presenting their product to authorities, the type was given attention though under the request that the design be converted to a single-seat heavy fighter form, perhaps to shore up a dwindling stock of qualified pilots. Changes were quickly made and the form was completed for showing and first flew in September of 1943. However, the conversion was not entirely finished for the prototype still exhibited the full-length two-seat canopy for the now-single-seat cockpit. Nevertheless, performance was retained and the type proved important enough to the Japanese scope that development progressed. An additional two prototypes followed, though these were completed from the outset with their single-seat canopy covers which presented more of the finalized Ki-96 form.

For whatever reason, Japanese authorities returned to Kawasaki and ordered the design to be reverted back to its two-seat fighter form, presenting a major delay to the program. By this time, the situation across Japan and its territorial holdings had deteriorated to the point that development of the Ki-96 was halted altogether. The project netted just the three prototypes and no preproduction or production quality forms followed. The war ended in August after the Allied atomic bomb drops on Japan and a formal surrender followed in September, brining about the formal end of World War 2.

The Ki-102 was another possible Ki-45 replacement which did manage to see 238 production forms completed. It was of a similar twin-engine, two-crew design and classified as a heavy fighter and produced in three distinct versions - fighter, ground attack and night fighter. The line was introduced in 1944 and saw action through to the end of the war in 1945. The Ki-102 held origins in the incomplete Ki-96 design and is detailed elsewhere on this site.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Kawasaki Ki-96. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 3 Units

Contractor(s): Kawasaki - Imperial Japan
National flag of modern Japan

[ Imperial Japan ]
1 / 1
Image of the Kawasaki Ki-96

Going Further...
The Kawasaki Ki-96 Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Prototype Aircraft appears in the following collections:
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
WWII AIRCRAFT
X-PLANE AIRCRAFT
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)