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Kawasaki Ki-45 Kai Bo (川崎 キ45改戊)
The Kawasaki Ki-45 Kai Bo (Ki-45 Kai E) is a Japanese prototype night fighter, created in 1945. Between one and twelve aircraft were built, which underwent tests during the surrender of Japan.
History
In 1944, the Japanese army ordered a specialized night fighter, similar to the Nakajima J1N1-S fighters. However, the Japanese army did not have sufficiently light radars for fighters at that time, so it was necessary to first develop one (there were TaKi 1 model 1 radars, but they were too heavy for fighters, so they were used, for example, on Ki-49 bombers). Japanese engineers managed to develop the lighter TaKi 1 Model 2 in 1944, but it could not be used in fighters either (this radar is in play on the Ki-67-I Otsu). At that time, the German friends of Japan came to the rescue. At that time, the Japanese army managed to buy the German FuG 202 Lichtenstein B/C radar. On the basis of the Fug 202, a simpler (the Japanese were less technologically advanced than the Germans) TaKi 2 air radar was created. After testing the new radar in 1945, Kawasaki developed a new night fighter, which was designated Ki-45 Kai Bo. The plane was created as a modified Ki-45 Kai Ko, in which a few important things were changed. The aircraft were produced very slowly due to the lack of materials, bombing, slow production of modern radars. Probably 12 Ki-45 Kai Bo planes were built, which were in the operational testing phase before the surrender of Japan. After the capitulation, the planes, as very modern (by Japanese standards), were destroyed to avoid falling into American hands.
Construction description
The Kawasaki Ki-45 Kai Bo is similar to the Ki-45 Kai Ko, but there are important differences between them, which I will try to describe here.
- Removed the armament from the nose of the aircraft
- The TaKi-2 radar was installed in the nose of the aircraft, and its transmitting and receiving antennas were under a transparent cover
- Replaced 20 mm Ho-3 cannon with 40 mm Ho-301 cannon
- The aircraft is equipped with Ho-5 cannons in the Schräge Musik configuration (the same as in the Ki-45 Kai Tei)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 10,51 m
- Wingspan: 15,02 m
- Height: 3,70 m
- Wing area: 32,03 m2
- Empty weight: 4000 kg (?)
- Gross weight: 5500 kg (?)
- Maximum Take-off Weight: ?
- Powerplant: 2 x Mitsubishi Ha-102, air-cooled two-star fourteen-cylinder engine with a take-off power of 772 kW (1,080 hp)
- Propellers: Three-bladed propellers with a diameter of 2 950 mm
Performance
- Maximum speed: 547 km/h
- Cruising speed: 360 km/h (?)
- Range: 2,000 km (?)
- Maximum Range: ?
- Service ceiling: 10000 m
- Climb Rate: ?
- Rate of climb: ?
Armament
- Guns:
- 1 x Fixed 40mm Ho-301 belly cannon (10 rounds or more)
- 2 x Fixed 20mm Ho-5 cannons on the back at 30 degrees (100 rounds per gun)
- 1 x Type 98 7.7mm Mobile Machine Gun in rear gunner position (1050 rounds)
- Bombs:
- 2 x Type 2 No. 6 No. 21 “TA-DAN (under the fuselage)
- 2 x 50 kg bombs (?) (under the fuselage)
- 2 x 100 kg bombs (?) (under the fuselage)
- 2 x 250 Kg bombs (?) (under the fuselage)
- Rocket:
- 4 x rocket Ro-3 (?)
- 4 x rocket Ro-5 (?)
- Fuel dump tanks:
- 2 x 200 L dump tanks under wings
Radar equipment
- 1 x TaKi 2 Airborne Surveillance Radar
Special thanks
Summary
The Kawasaki Ki-45 Kai Bo is a very interesting aircraft for Japan in War Thunder. This fighter is one of the few Japanese fighters from World War II equipped with radar (the other fighters are the Kawasaki Ki-102 Hei, Nakajima J1N1-S/Sa, Aichi S1A1 and Yokosuka P1Y1/2-S), so it deserves to be included in the game. The aircraft is armed with a powerful 40mm Ho-301 cannon, for which it could carry probably more than 10 rounds (the rear gunner could probably reload the cannon). This aircraft is ideal for any place in Japan, it can be in the research tree, be premium or a unique event vehicle. I encourage you to discuss in the comments and to share your own knowledge on this subject.
Finally, I apologize for the linguistic and logical errors because unfortunately English is not my main language and I had to use google translator.
Internet sources
二式複座戦闘機 - Wikipedia
Aviation of Japan 日本の航空史: Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter Kai Bo
Untitled Document
Kawasaki Ki-45 Projects, Prototypes & Variants | Page 2 | Secret Projects Forum
Kawanishi K-90/KX-2 “Jinpu” (J3K, J6K & carrier-based A8K) | Page 4 | Secret Projects Forum
Уголок неба ¦ Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu
【戦闘機】『二式複座戦闘機 屠龍』本土防空に活躍した37mm砲装備のB-29キラー : トイレで読む向けブログ
Book sources
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