Tachikawa Ki-94-I

Andres Erdos, e-mail, 25.08.2012 00:35 The first was a twin-boom monoplane with two 1,641 kW (2,200 hp) Mitsubishi Ha-211 18 cylinder engines, driving two 4-blade propellors in a push-pull configuration. The very heavy armament that should have been mounted on the aircraft (two 37 mm /1.46 in and two 30 mm /1.18 in cannons,[1] should have been enough to make short work of most US heavy bombers of the era. Notwithstanding the outstanding prospective performance, which however was judged as "unduly optimistic" by the technical department of the Japanese Army Air Force, this design was judged too complex by the technical department and the design was discarded. The second Ki-94 design, made by a team under Tatsuo Hasegawa, chief designer of the aircraft and responsible for the used airfoil, was a more conventional single-seat, piston-engine monoplane fighter, developed for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force along the same requirements as the Nakajima Ki-87, which had been the Army's fall-back design for the original Ki-94.Intended to counter B-29 raids, it was optimized for high-altitude interception with a pressurized cockpit and heavy armament. This design was approved by the Koku Hombu, and the aircraft was designated Ki-94-II (the scrapped earlier Ki-94 design was named the Ki-94-I). An order was placed for one static test airframe, three prototypes, and eighteen pre-production aircraft. Only 2 prototypes were built in the event; the first was equipped with a single Nakajima Ha-44 engine, driving a 4-blade propeller because the 6-blade one was not ready.The second prototype was to be fitted with a 6-blade propeller. The war's end however stopped the construction of the second prototype and also found the first prototype still being readied for its maiden flight; the Ki-94-II never taking to the air. General characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 12 m (39 ft 4 in) Wingspan: 14 m (45 ft 11 in) Height: 4.65 m (15 ft 3 in) Wing area: 28 m² (301.388 ft²) Airfoil: TH airfoil Empty weight: 4,637 kg (10,337 lb) Loaded weight: 6.450 kg (14.220 lb) Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima Ha-44 12 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 1,835 kW (2,461 hp) Performance Maximum speed: 712 km /h (385 kn, 443 mph) Cruise speed: 440 km /h (237 kn, 273 mph) Range: 2,100 km (1,305 mi) Service ceiling: 14,680 m (48,170 ft) Wing loading: 230.4 kg /m² (47.2 lb /ft²) Power /mass: 0.28 kW /kg (0.17 hp /lb) Climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft): 5 min 9 sec; Climb to 10,000 m (32,800 ft): 17 min 38 sec; Climb to 13,000 m (42,640 ft): 21 min 03 sec Armament Guns: 2 × 30 mm (1.18 in) Ho-155 cannons and 2 × 20 mm Ho-5 cannons in wings, Bombs: 2 × 250 kg (551 lb) bombs. Wikipedia.com reply

beifanglang, 18.06.2011 12:04 swinging a four-bladed propeller. Japanese army higher-ups thought it was too complicated, though, and cancelled it in favor of a more conventional single-engine fighter design. reply

Klaatu, e-mail, 30.04.2011 03:18 Looks like a larger and more powerful development of the Fokker D.XXIII of 1939. It has the same fundamental drawback, as well, to wit: how does the pilot get out in case of an emergency? Ejection seats hadn't been invented yet. Bail out, and the unfortunate pilot would undoubtedly end up pureed by the propeller! reply

Ben Beekman, e-mail, 22.02.2011 21:39 This appears to be the result of someone believing that if the best qualities of the Dornier Do 335 tractor-pusher and the Lockheed P-38 twin-boom style could be combined, it would lead to a winning design. Tatchikawa, with its successful Ki-36 (Ida) and Ki-54 (Hickory) felt it could pull it off but it was only a disappointment for them. A bold configuration, it boasted two 2,200 horsepower engines each swinging a four-bladed propeller. Japanese army higher-ups thought it was too complicated, though, and cancelled it in favor of a more conventional single-engine fighter design. reply