Imperial Japanese Army Air Service Bombers

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service Bombers



 Mitsubishi Ki-21



A medium bomber which used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service from 1938 to 1945 when it was relegated to training or second-line duties, by the early-1950s no Ki-21s where in use with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. However several where handed over to the Republic of China-Nanking Air Force who used them into the early-1960s.



 Mitsubishi Ki-30



A single-engine light bomber which entered into service in 1938 and was withdrawn in 1944. The Republic of China-Nanking Air Force used them as trainer aircraft until the early 1950s.



 Kawasaki Ki-32



A single-engine light bomber which entered into service in 1938 and was withdrawn in 1943.



 Kawasaki Ki-48



<p class="MsoNormal">A twin-engine medium bomber which entered into service in 1941 with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and started to replace the Kawasaki Ki-32 light bomber. But the aircraft proof to be slow and poorly armed and was withdrawn from service in 1945.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Nakajima Ki-49

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<p class="MsoNormal">A twin-engine medium bomber wish was intended to replace the Ki-21 while it was faster and better armed than the Ki-21, it proved difficult and unpleasant to fly. It was withdrawn from service in 1945.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Mitsubishi Ki-51

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<p class="MsoNormal">A light bomber/dive bomber which replaced the Ki-30 and Ki-32 in service. It was withdrawn from service in the late 1940s.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Mitsubishi Ki-65

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<p class="MsoNormal">A light bomber/dive bomber which was the successor to the Ki-51 which had a retractable undercarriage, two wing-mounted 20mm cannon and other refinements. It was withdrawn from service in the late 1950s.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Mitsubishi Ki-67

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<p class="MsoNormal">A twin-engine medium bomber which entered into service in mid-1943, it replaced the Ki-21, Ki-48 and Ki-49 medium bombers in service with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. The Ki-67 was in use until the late-1950s. An Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service variant called the Q2M1 based on the Ki-67 and designed for antisubmarine warfare was also used and equipped with radar unit and carrying torpedoes or depth charges it remained in use until the mid-1960s.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Tachikawa Ki-74

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<p class="MsoNormal">A twin-engine long range reconnaissance bomber, it was the first Japanese bomber to have pressurized crew compartment and turbocharged engines. Only 182 where produced from 1944 to 1952 when production ceased. The last Ki-74 was withdrawn from active service in 1960.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Kawasaki Ki-91

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<p class="MsoNormal">By 1943, the twin engine bombers in service with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service had reach the point that no more capability could be squeezed out of them, regardless of modifications tried. Coupled with the call for a long range heavy bomber which would able to attack targets thousands miles away resulted in a four- engine heavy bomber called the Kawasaki Ki-91 which first flew in 1945 and entered service in 1947. Whit the Ki-91 capable of reaching a speed of 360 mph, having a maximum range of 6,214 miles, a service ceiling of 39,000 feet and capable of carrying a payload off 8,800 pounds. It gave the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service the long range heavy bomber it wanted. The Ki-91 remained in service until 1957 when it was replaced by the Kawasaki Ki-122 heavy bomber which was based on the Ki-91.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Kawasaki Ki-119

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<p class="MsoNormal">In early 1945, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service began searching for a new single-seat light bomber which would be capable of replacing the Mitsubishi Ki-65, The following requirements where put down for this plane which where , to have a range of 746 miles with an 800 kg bomb-load , a built-in armament and a good take-off and landing performance.

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<p class="MsoNormal">In less than six months a Kawasaki engineering team completed the basic design of the aircraft and a mock-up was readied for inspection. A wing of high aspect-ratio and large area was selected to obtain good airfield performance and flying characteristics, and a wide-track undercarriage, utilizing the same shock absorbers as the Kawasaki Ki-102 long-range heavy fighter. The design of the fuselage was influenced by that of the Ki-100, this aircraft also providing most of the equipment.

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<p class="MsoNormal">The first flight took place in 1946 and it entered into production in 1947 becoming the main light bomber in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service until the early 1960s.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Mitsubishi Ki-120

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<p class="MsoNormal">The Ki-120 is based on the German Arado Ar 234 jet bomber and like the Nakajima Ki-201 jet fighter which was designed using photographs of the German Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter the Mitsubishi Ki-120 was also designed by Japanese engineers using information provided by the Japanese military attaché in Germany. The Ki-120 first flew in 1947 and remained in service until the late 1960s when it was replaced by the Ki-123.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Kawasaki Ki-122

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<p class="MsoNormal">A scaled up version of the Kawasaki Ki-91 it was 50% heavier than the Ki-91 and could more fly 3,000 miles more. This was achieved by using a more powerful and fuel-efficient engines, a redesigned wing to increase the lift/drag ratio and the addition of more fuel. Work on the design began in 1950 and construction of the first aircraft began in 1951. It first flew in 1952 when the first prototype flew almost 9,000 miles, 3,000 miles more than the Ki-91. The Ki-122 went into service in 1955 and replaced the Ki-91 as the main heavy bomber in use with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. The Ki-122 is still flying as of 1982 with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service.

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<p class="MsoNormal"> Nakajima Ki-123

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<p class="MsoNormal">When in 1965, a captain in the Mongolian People's Air Force flew his Il-28 jet bomber to the Republic of China-Nanking it became the first fully operational Il-28 in Japanese hands. Despite repeated request by the Mongolian People's Republic and the Soviet Union to return the Il-28 and its four pilots, it was decided by the Japanese to keep the Il-28 in its possession and to reverse-engineer it.

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<p class="MsoNormal">The development of the Japanese copy of the IL-28 began in 1966 and the aircraft received the designation of Ki-123. The first Ki-123 flew in 1969 and the batch production began in 1968. As of 1982 several hundred examples have been produced in several variants.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Variants

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<p class="MsoNormal">Ki-123, Prototypes and pre-series models.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Ki-123-I, First production version.

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<p class="MsoNormal">B12N torpedo bomber, naval torpedo bomber version of the Ki-123-I in use with the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Ki-123 bomber-trainer

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<p class="MsoNormal">Ki-123 nuclear weapon carrier

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<p class="MsoNormal">Ki-123 photo reconnaissance aircraft

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<p class="MsoNormal">Ki-123 electronic warfare aircraft.