Kawasaki Ki-28
| Ki-28 | |
|---|---|
| |
| The sole prototype of the Kawasaki Ki-28 | |
| Role | Experimental Fighter Aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K. |
| Designer | Takeo Doi |
| First flight | 1936 |
| Primary user | IJA Air Force |
| Number built | 1 |
The Kawasaki Ki-28 (キ28, Ki-Nijuhachi), World War II Allied reporting name "Bob",[1] was an experimental fighter aircraft designed for the Imperial Japanese Army and meant as a replacement for the Kawasaki Ki-10. It flew in 1936, but was never produced for actual use as the Army choose the Nakajima Ki-27.
Design & Development
The Ki-28 was initially produced by Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K. in response to Japanese army specifications for a fighter to replace the existing Kawasaki Ki-10. In mid-1935, Kawasaki, Mitsubishi and Nakajima were instructed to build competitive prototypes. The Kawasaki design was based on its earlier, but unsuccessful Ki-5. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction, except for fabric-covered control surfaces, with a conventional tail unit, fixed tailskid landing gear and powered by a 596 kW (800 hp) Kawasaki Ha 9-II-Ko liquid-cooled inline V12 engine.[2]
Service trials proved that the Kawasaki Ki-28 was the fastest of the three contenders, but the Nakajima Ki-27 was by far the most maneuverable and had the lowest wing-loading, and on this basis was selected by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.[3] Despite losing to the Ki-27, the Ki-28 provided Kawasaki with valuable experience which would later help with development of the Kawasaki Ki-60 and Kawasaki Ki-61 fighters.[2]
Mistakenly believing the Ki-28 to have entered production in Japan as the Army Type 97 Fighter, the Allies assigned it the reporting name "Bob" during World War II.[1]
Operators
Military operators
Specifications
Data from Famous Aircraft of the World, no.76: Japanese Army Experimental Fighters (1);[4] Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941[5]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
Performance
- Time to altitude: 5 min. 10 sec. to 5,000 metres (16,000 ft)
Armament
- Guns: 2 × 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns
See also
Related lists
References
- Notes
- ^ a b Francillon, p. 566.
- ^ a b Mikesh and ABe 1990, p. 157.
- ^ Wieliczko and Szeremeta 2004, pp. 17–19.
- ^ FAOW 1976, p. 2.
- ^ Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 158.
- Bibliography
- Francillon, René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1979, ISBN 0-87021-313-X.
- Mikesh, Robert C.; Shorzoe Abe (1990). Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-563-2.
- Unknown Author(s). Famous Aircraft of the World, no.76: Japanese Army Experimental Fighters (1). Tokyo, Japan: Bunrin-Do Co. Ltd., August 1976.
- Wieliczko, Leszek A. and Zygmunt Szeremeta. Nakajima Ki 27 Nate (bilingual Polish/English). Lublin, Poland: Kagero, 2004. ISBN 83-89088-51-7.