- Yes
- No
- 4 x 20 mm Ho-5 cannons
- 2 x 20 mm Ho-5 cannons and 2 x 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns
- No
Tachikawa Ki-106.01 (立川 Ki-106)
The Tachikawa Ki-106 is a wooden version of the Ki-84 aircraft. The plane was created to replace the depleting stocks of duralumin with wood. Three prototype machines were created, but the project was interrupted by the end of the war. The Ki-106.01 version is the first prototype to differ in armament from the Ki-106.02 version.
History
In the second half of 1944, the Japanese aviation industry began to feel more and more the shortage of rare metals that were needed for the production of aircraft. There were two solutions to this problem: the first was to replace some machine elements with wooden substitutes, and the second solution was to build an aircraft only from wood. In Koku Hombu (Japan’s Air Ministry) a decision was made to use both of these solutions and in October 1944 the Tachikawa plant was commissioned to build a wooden Ki-84 aircraft, which was named the prototype Ki-106. The choice fell on the Tachikawa plant because its engineering staff had experience in the construction of wooden planes and at that moment was not busy with any project. The design work went very smoothly and already in the spring of 1945 the technical and design drawings were ready. Therefore, the production of three prototypes began, which was joined by Kure Spinning, Oji Aircraft and Ohji Koku K.K. In June, the first prototype of the Ki-106.01 was created, which, compared to the Ki-84, had a slightly larger and different-looking vertical stabilizer, and additionally had larger wheels. The plane was armed like the Ki-84 Ko or like the Otsu version (sources vary). Due to the heavy armament and the large amount of paint and paint (used to reduce aerodynamic drag), the aircraft weighed as much as 500 kg more than the regular Ki-84 aircraft. The increase in weight led to a deterioration in maneuverability and climb speed. In August 1945, the aircraft was transported to the Koku Shinsabu experimental center in Fussa near Tokyo. There, the pilot Shosa Yasuhiko Kuroe sat at the controls of the Ki-106.01 aircraft, who reached a speed of 618 km/h at an altitude of 7300m in one of the test flights, but noticed how fragments of the upper wing skin broke off and had to abort the flight. The plane landed safely and tests were carried out which showed that the problems were caused by low-quality glue. Soon after, a second prototype was created under the designation Ki-106.02, which was lighter, so tests were carried out on it. The Ki-106.01 was abandoned due to the unprofitability of repairs, and after the surrender it was found by the Americans. The plane was not tested by the Americans due to damage and was scrapped shortly after being found.
Ki-106.01 art
Construction description
Difference between Ki-106.01 and Ki-84 ko
- The plane is entirely wood
- Larger main landing gear wheels 700x200mm instead of 650x170mm.
- Increase in machine weight by 500 kg
General Characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 9.95 m
- Wingspan: 11.24 m
- Height: 3.80 m or 3.60 m
- Wing area: 21 m2
- Empty weight: 3.175 kg
- Gross weight: 4.115 kg
- Powerplant: 1 x Nakajima Homare 21 Ha-45-21) eigteen-cylinder air-cooled two-row radial engine rated 2,000 hp for take-off
- Propellers: Four-blade propeller with constant rotational speed with a diameter of 3,100 mm
Performance
- Maximum speed: 618 km/h
- Cruise speed: 338 km/h
- Range: 1.200 km
- Service ceiling: 10,600 m
- Time to Climb: 7,51 min to 5000 m
- Wing loading: 197,62 kg/m2
Armament
- Option one
- 4 x 20mm Ho-5 cannon (same as in the Ki-84 otsu)
- Option Two
- 2 x 20 mm Ho-5 cannons and 2 x 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns (same as the Ki-84 ko)
Summary
The Tachikawa Ki-106.01 would be a very interesting aircraft for Japan in War Thunder. It would be an ideal premium aircraft because it is very similar to the Ki-84, but it is made of inferior materials (wood), which makes it less durable. 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
Nakajima Ki-84 – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia
四式戦闘機 - Wikipedia
Tačikawa Ki 106.01 : Tačikawa / Išikawadžima (valka.cz)
Tachikawa Ki-106 (Ki-84 Hayate) All-Wood Single-Seat Fighter Prototype (militaryfactory.com)
Tachikawa Ki-106 - fighter (aviastar.org)
Tachikawa Ki-106 (Ki-84 Hayate): Photos, History, Specification (tvd.im)
Tachikawa Ki-106 Experimental Fighter: Wooden Frank - Passed for Consideration - War Thunder - Official Forum
Book sources
- Kagero - Monografie No18 - Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate , Leszek A. Wieliczko ,Edition 1 2005, Page 27-30
Kagero - Monografie No18 - Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate | PDF (scribd.com) - 070 - Profile Publications - Aircraft Profile - The Nakajima Ki-84 Page 10
070 - Profile Publications - Aircraft Profile - The Nakajima Ki-84 | PDF (scribd.com)