Nakajima Ki-12 (キ12)

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Nakajima Ki-12
This aircraft was an early attempt to create a modern fighter. Engineers from the French company Dewoitine helped in its production.
History
This aircraft was created after losing the competition for the Army aircraft in 1935.At the same time, the Dvoitin D.510 aircraft was imported to Japan to look at modern aircraft from Europe. The most interesting element of this aircraft was the armament and engine, which were of great interest to Nakaji, who wanted to win the next tender for a new aircraft.Engineers from France, Roger Robert and Jean Beziaud, were invited to build the new fighter to support engineer Shigenobu Mori in the construction of the new aircraft. They assumed that they would create a state-of-the-art aircraft and began working on it.The aircraft was based on the design of the very successful D.410, but was heavily modified structurally. Thanks to this procedure, the prototype was ready to fly as early as October 1936. Unfortunately, although the Ki-12 was heavily armed (20mm cannon and two 7.7mm MGs) and very fast (480km/h), it was rejected due to the lack of maneuverability and stability, in addition, there were problems with the purchase of a license for the production of Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons and the Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs V12 engine.
Structure description
The design of the Ki-12 was very similar to the D.510. However, it differed significantly from it because it was longer and taller, had a larger wing area, which were also longer. It was a single-seater low-wing aircraft with unique features for the time: it had a retractable landing gear and split flaps.It was powered by a 610 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs engine, through which a 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon with a supply of 60 rounds passed. Underneath the three-blade fixed-pitch metal propeller are two holes, which are likely to be the mounting locations of two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns.

Photos and sketches

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General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 8.3 m (27 ft 3.75 in)
  • Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
  • Height: 3.45 m (11 ft 3.8 in)
  • Wing area: 17 m2 (183 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 1,400 kg (3,086 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,900 kg (4,189 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs water-cooled engine , 450 kW (610 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 480 km/h (300 mph, 260 kn)
  • Range: 800 km (500 mi, 430 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 10,500 m (34,000 ft)

Summary
The Ki-12 would be a very interesting fighter of the first era, it is great as a premium aircraft or to complement the army aircraft lines. As for me, it’s a very interesting one that lends itself great to War Thunder. I encourage you to discuss in the comments and share additional information if you have any.
Finally, I apologize for the linguistic and logical errors because unfortunately English is not my main language and I had to use google translator.

Source

Nakajima Ki-12 / 中島 キ12 航空機 : Nakajima (armedconflicts.com)
Уголок неба ¦ Nakajima Ki-12 (airwar.ru)
Nakajima Ki-12 (historyofwar.org)
Nakajima Ki-12 - Japan - War Thunder - Official Forum
Airplanes in the skies + FAF history: Nakajima Ki-12 (panssarivaunut.blogspot.com)
nakajima_ki-12 | Secret Projects Forum
キ12 (航空機) - Wikipedia
Nakajima Ki-12 - Wikipedia

7 Likes
2

What an interesting aircraft! It would offer a different play style in the Japanese air tree. +1

3 Likes
3

Of course…such a cool looking little bird +1

1 Like
4

History of the vehicle:

No sooner had production begun in France of the advanced Dewoitine 0.510 fighter in 1935, than Mitsubishi imported two* for study by September of that year. The outstanding appeal of this aeroplane was its new engine-mounted 20mm cannon which fired through the propeller shaft. Taking into consideration this and other features of the Dewoitine, Nakajima designed a comparable fighter but went a major step further by adding a retractable undercarriage, the fir t to be built in Japan.
Heading this project were two French engineers, Roger Robert and Jean Beziaud who were hired by akajima, with Shigenobu Mori as the chief Japanese designer.

Although the 0.510 served as a reference aircraft in creating the new Nakajima fighter, a number of details were further refined. Using the same 690hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs engine with its 20mm engine-mounted cannon which was imported separately for this project, an oval-shaped radiator was mounted in front of the nose instead of beneath as on the D.510. This reduced the frontal area of this aeroplane as with the similar D.513. The hydraulically-operated undercarriage retracted inwards into the elliptically shaped wing which also had split flaps.

The tailwheel was fully retractable. The headrest behind the open cockpit was extended aft to become part of the fin. The result was perhaps one of the most refined fighter airframes in the world at that time. The aeroplane was completed in October 1936 and moved immediately into the flight-test phase. It was tested against the Mitsubishi Ki-18 which had been completed fourteen months previously, as well as the Mitsubishi Ki-33, Kawasaki Ki-28 and the Nakajima Ki-27, the last of these being finished about this time.

The Nakajima Ki-12 was found to be inferior to all in manoeuvrability, a quality which the Japanese Army placed above all others. Failing this most important test, the design was doomed because it was not thought that a licence manufacturing agreement for the Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs would be granted, and Japan did not want to rely upon imported engines for its combat aircraft.

Consequently, the Ki-12 programme ended with but one prototype, and Nakajima’s Ki27 won the Army’s approval to become its next standard fighter. On a trial basis, two Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs were tested in the normally radial-engined Mitsubishi A5M3a, greatly enhancing its fighter-like lines and adding a little more speed.

stats:

Single-engine low-wing cantilever monoplane fighter with retractable undercarriage.
All-metal monocoque fuselage, with all-metal multi-spar stressed skin wing.
Pilot in open cockpit.
610-690hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs
twelve-cylinder vee liquid-cooled engine, driving a fixed-pitch three-bladed metal propeller.

image

Source:

4 Likes
5

+1

6

So cool.