Harman Patil (Editor)

Mitsubishi Ki 83

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Top speed
  
705 km/h

Wingspan
  
16 m

Length
  
12 m

First flight
  
November 18, 1944


Manufacturers
  
Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

The Mitsubishi Ki-83 (キ83 (航空機)) was a Japanese experimental long-range heavy fighter designed near the end of World War II. It did not reach production status.

Contents

Mitsubishi Ki-83 Mitsubishi Ki83 Heavy Fighter Old Machine Press

War thunder mitsubishi ki 83 rb


Design and development

Mitsubishi Ki-83 Mitsubishi Ki83 Heavy Fighter Old Machine Press

The Mitsubishi Ki-83 was designed as a long-range heavy fighter. It was designed and built by a team led by Tomio Kubo, the designer of the highly successful Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah". The design was a response to a 1943 specification for a new heavy fighter with great range. The first of four prototypes flew on 18 November 1944. The machines displayed remarkable maneuverability for aircraft of their size, being able to execute a 671 m (2,200 ft) diameter loop in just 31 seconds at a speed of over 644 km/h (400 mph). The Ki-83 carried a powerful armament of two 30 mm (1.18 in) and two 20 mm cannon in its nose.

Mitsubishi Ki-83 Mitsubishi Ki83

Despite the bomb-ravaged Japanese manufacturing sector, plans for the Ki-83 to enter production within were underway when Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945.

Mitsubishi Ki-83 Mitsubishi Ki83 Wikipedia

Both the existence and performance of the Ki-83 were little known during the war, even in Japan. It was completely unknown in Allied military aviation circles – as demonstrated by the fact that the Ki-83 had not been given a reporting name. Most early photographs of the type were taken during the post-war occupation of Japan, when the four prototypes were seized by the United States Army Air Forces and re-painted with USAAF insignia. When they were evaluated by US aeronautical engineers and other experts, a Ki-83 using high-octane fuel reached a speed of 762 km/h (473 mph), at an altitude of 7,000 metres (23,000 ft).

Versions

  • Ki-83 experimental long-range heavy fighter, four prototypes built.
  • Ki-95 projected reconnaissance version, none built.
  • Ki-103 projected development, none built.

    • Specifications

    Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War

    General characteristics


  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 12.50 m (41 ft 0⅛)
  • Wingspan: 15.50 m (50 ft 10¼ in)
  • Height: 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
  • Wing area: 33.5 m² (361 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 5,980 kg (13,184 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 8,795 kg (19,390 lb)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 9,430 kg (20,790 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Mitsubishi Ha-211 Ru (Ha-43) 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, 1,544 kW (2,070 hp) at 1,000 m (3,284 ft) each

    • Performance

    Mitsubishi Ki-83 Mitsubishi Ki83 engine by DemonDogMarine1960 on DeviantArt

  • Maximum speed: 705 km/h (381 kn, 438 mph at 32,180 ft) at 9,000 m (29,500 ft)
  • Cruise speed: 450 km/h (243 kn, 280 mph)
  • Range: 1,953 km (1,054 nmi, 1,213 mi)
  • Service ceiling: 12,600 m (41,500 ft)
  • Wing loading: 263 kg/m² (53.7 lb/ft²)
  • Power/mass: 0.35 kW/kg (0.21 hp/lb)
  • Climb to 10,000 m (32,800 ft): 10 min

    • Armament

  • Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) and 2× 20 mm cannon mounted in the fuselage nose

    • Mitsubishi Ki-83 Mitsubishi Ki83 Info

    References

    Mitsubishi Ki-83 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA