Mitsubishi Ki-51

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Ki-51
Mitsubishi Ki-51
Role Type 99 Attacker
Manufacturer Mitsubishi
First flight mid-1939
Primary user Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
Number built 2385

The Mitsubishi Ki-51 (Army designation "Type 99 Assault Plane". Allied nickname "Sonia") 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 theatre, notably from airfields too rough for many other aircraft. As the war drew to a close, they began to be used in kamikaze attacks. Total production was around 2,385 units.

On the day Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb, two Ki-51s scored the last Japanese victory against US submarines, and of which is confirmed as the 52nd USN submarine lost during the war; essentially, she would have been second to last, as USS Halibut (SS-232) was irreparably damaged in action months before Bullhead was lost, and was decommissioned in early 1945. Two depth charges hit USS Bullhead (SS-332), in which she later exploded and sank with all hands.

Charles Lindbergh, flying a P-38 Lightning shot down a Ki-51 after a vigorous dogfight in which the much slower Ki-51 utilized its low speed maneuverability and made a fight of it.

Contents

[edit] Versions

  • Prototypes: 2 built
  • Service trials: 11 built
  • Ki-51: 2,3721 built (Manufacturers: Mitsubishi (1,462), Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal (913))
  • Mansyu Ki-71: 3 protoypes of a tactical reconnaissance variant built by Mansyu with a retractable landing gear, did not enter production.[1]

[edit] Operators

 Japan
 Indonesia
  • In 1945, Indonesian People's Security Force (IPSF) (Indonesian pro-independence guerrillas) captured a small number of aircraft at numerous Japanese air bases, including Bugis Air Base in Malang (repatriated 18 September 1945). Most aircraft were destroyed in military conflicts between the Netherlands and the newly proclaimed-Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution of 1945-1949.
 China
  • Communist Chinese (captured): The last 4 Ki-51s retired in 1953.

[edit] Specifications (Ki-51)

Mitsubishi Ki-51 planes at the Seoul airport, 1945

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War[2]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

  • Guns:
  • Bombs: 200 kg (441 lb) bombs (normal operations); 250 kg (551 lb) for suicide operations[2]

[edit] See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

[edit] References

Notes
  1. ^ Francillon 1979, p. 180.
  2. ^ a b Francillon 1979, p. 181.
Bibliography

[edit] External links
Company designations

1MF • 1MF9 • 1MT • 2MB1 • 2MB2 • 2MR • 2MR8 • 2MT • 3MT5 • MC-1 • MC-20 • MH2000 • MU-2 • MU-300 • MRJ • RP-1
Imperial Japanese Army short designations

Ki-1 • Ki-2 • Ki-15 • Ki-20 • Ki-21 • Ki-30 • Ki-46 • Ki-51 • Ki-57 • Ki-67 • Ki-83 • Ki-109 • Ki-202
Imperial Japanese Navy short designations

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Japanese Self-Defense Force designations

ATD-X • F-1 • F-15J • F-2 • SH-60/UH-60 • T-2
World War II Allied reporting names

Ann • Babs • Betty • Claude • Dinah • Eva • Eve • Gwen • Hap • Hamp • Jack • Jane • Kate 61 • Loise • Louise • Luke • Mabel • Nell • Pete • Pine • Sally • Sally III • Sam • Sandy • Sonia • Steve • Tina • Topsy • Zeke (Zero) • Zeke 32 (Zero)
Aircraft produced by Tachikawa
Imperial Japanese Army types

Ki-9 • Ki-17 • Ki-24 • Ki-25 • Ki-26 • Ki-29 • Ki-36 • Ki-54 • Ki-55 • Ki-70 • Ki-71 • Ki-72 • Ki-74 • Ki-77 • Ki-92 • Ki-94 • Ki-104 • Ki-106 • Ki-110 • Ki-111 • Ki-114
SS-1
T.S. 1
World War II Allied reporting names

Cedar • Clara • Hickory • Ida (Ki-36) • Ida (Ki-55) • Pat • Patsy • Sonia • Spruce
Aircraft produced by Mansyū (Manshū)
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1-50

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51-100

Ki-51  • Ki-52  • Ki-53  • Ki-54  • Ki-55  • Ki-56  • Ki-57  • Ki-58  • Ki-59  • Ki-60  • Ki-61  • Ki-62  • Ki-63  • Ki-64  • Ki-66  • Ki-67  • Ki-68  • Ki-69  • Ki-70  • Ki-71  • Ki-72  • Ki-73  • Ki-74  • Ki-75  • Ki-76  • Ki-77  • Ki-78  • Ki-79  • Ki-80  • Ki-81  • Ki-82  • Ki-83  • Ki-84  • Ki-85  • Ki-86  • Ki-87  • Ki-88  • Ki-89  • Ki-90  • Ki-91  • Ki-92  • Ki-93  • Ki-94  • Ki-95  • Ki-96  • Ki-97  • Ki-98  • Ki-99  • Ki-100
100-

Ki-101  • Ki-102  • Ki-103  • Ki-105  • Ki-106  • Ki-107  • Ki-108  • Ki-109  • Ki-110  • Ki-111  • Ki-112  • Ki-113  • Ki-114  • Ki-115  • Ki-116  • Ki-117  • Ki-118  • Ki-119  • Ki-148  • Ki-167  • Ki-174  • Ki-200  • Ki-201  • Ki-202 • Ki-230
Aircraft in Japanese service

Abdul • Alf • Ann • Babs • Baka • Belle • Betty • Bob • Buzzard • Cedar • Cherry • Clara • Claude • Cypress • Dave • Dick • Dinah • Dot • Edna • Emily • Eva • Eve • Frances • Frank • Gander • George • Glen • Goose • Grace • Gwen • Hamp • Hank • Hap • Helen • Hickory • Ida (Tachikawa Ki-36) • Ida (Tachikawa Ki-55) • Irving • Jack • Jake • Jane • Jean • Jerry • Jill • Jim • Judy • Kate • Kate 61 • Laura • Lily • Liz • Lorna • Loise • Louise • Luke • Mabel • Mary • Mavis • Myrt • Nate • Nell • Nick • Norm • Oak • Oscar • Pat • Patsy • Paul • Peggy • Perry • Pete • Pine • Rex • Rita • Rob • Rufe • Ruth • Sally • Sally III • Sam • Sandy • Slim • Sonia • Spruce • Stella • Steve • Susie • Tabby • Tess • Thalia • Thelma • Theresa • Thora • Tina • Tillie • Toby • Tojo • Tony • Topsy • Val • Willow • Zeke • Zeke 32
Nonexistent aircraft thought to be in Japanese service

Adam • Ben • Doris • Gus • Harry • Ione • Joe • Joyce • Julia • June • Norma • Omar • Ray
Foreign aircraft erroneously thought to be in Japanese service

Bess (Heinkel He 111) • Doc (Messerschmitt Bf 110) • Fred (Focke Wulf Fw 190A-5) • Irene (Junkers Ju 87A) • Janice (Junkers Ju 88A-5) • Mike (Messerschmitt Bf 109E) • Millie (Vultee V-11GB) • Trixie (Junkers Ju 52/3m) • Trudy (Focke Wulf Fw 200 Kondor)
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