Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Tachikawa Ki 54

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Top speed
  
375 km/h

Length
  
12 m

Wingspan
  
18 m

First flight
  
1940

Tachikawa Ki-54 imgwpscnrucammsar874pics651jpg

Manufacturer
  
Tachikawa Aircraft Company

The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a Japanese twin-engine advanced trainer used during World War II. The aircraft was named Hickory by the Allies.

Contents

Tachikawa Ki-54 WINGS PALETTE Tachikawa Ki54 Hickory Japan

History

Tachikawa Ki-54 Tachikawa Ki54 trainer transport

The Ki-54 was developed in response to an Imperial Japanese Army requirement for a twin-engine advanced trainer, principally for crew training. The prototype first flew in summer 1940 and, on completing trials, entered production in 1941 as Army Type 1 Advanced Trainer Model A (Ki-54a). The Ki-54a was soon followed by the Ki-54b as Army Type 1 Operations Trainer Model B and Ki-54c as Army Type 1 Transport Model C. The Ki-54b and -c enjoyed successful careers until the end of the war. A few captured aircraft were flown after the war by various users.

Operators

 Japan
  • Imperial Japanese Army Air Force used them for training as per their design.
    •  Manchukuo
  • Manchukuo Air Force Three were provided by Japan as VIP transports.
    • China-Nanjing
  • Nanjing air force
    •  China
  • Republic of China Air Force Nationalist Chinese (captured).
    •  China
    Tachikawa Ki-54 Tachikawa Ki54 trainer transport

  • People's Liberation Army Air Force Communist Chinese (captured): Four captured Ki-54s were used, including in 1951 to train the first class of female pilots in China. They were retired in 1952.
    •  French Indochina
    Tachikawa Ki-54 WINGS PALETTE Tachikawa Ki54 Hickory France

  • Armée de l'Air At least seven Ki-54 were recovered by the French in French Indochina between 1945 and 1947, after the Japanese surrender.
    •  United Kingdom
  • One aircraft operated briefly by No. 273 Squadron RAF during September and October 1945 in French Indochina.

    • Survivors

    Tachikawa Ki-54 Tachikawa Ki54 Wikipedia

  • A Ki-54 fuselage is in Australia in storage at the Australian War Museum Annex. It was previously part of a playground at the RAAF Fairbairn base kindergarten.
  • Another Ki-54 fuselage is stored in China at the Chinese Aviation Museum.
  • A Ki-54 was found at the bottom of Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture on 13 August 2010. It was recovered on September 5, 2012 and has been restored for display.

    • Variants

    Tachikawa Ki-54 Tachikawa Ki54 Type 1 Hickory Info

  • Ki-54a - unarmed pilot trainer
  • Ki-54b - armed crew trainer
  • Ki-54c - eight-passenger light transport, communications aircraft. Civil designation Y-59.
  • Ki-54d - maritime reconnaissance/ASW, carried 8x 60-kg (132-lb) depth charges
  • Ki-110 - one prototype Ki-54c of all-wood construction, destroyed in US bombing attack
  • Ki-111 - projected fuel tanker (none built)
  • Ki-114 - projected fuel tanker of all-wood construction (none built)

    • Specifications (Ki-54)

    Data from The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II; Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War

    General characteristics

  • Crew: two
  • Capacity: eight
  • Length: 11.94 m (39 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 17.90 m (58 ft 8.75 in)
  • Height: 3.58 m (11 ft 9 in)
  • Wing area: 40 m² (430.57 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 2,954 kg (6,512 lb)
  • Useful load: 943 kg (2079 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 3,897 kg (8,591 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Hitachi Ha-13a 9-cylinder radial engine, 380 kW (510 hp) each

    • Performance

  • Maximum speed: 375 km/h (233 mph)
  • Cruise speed: 240 km/h (149 mph)
  • Range: 960 km (597 mi)
  • Service ceiling: 7,180 m (23,555 ft)
  • Wing loading: 97.4 kg/m² (20 lb/ft²)
  • Power/mass: 0.195 kW/kg (0.119 hp/lb)

    • Armament

    4x 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine guns, practice bombs

    References

    Tachikawa Ki-54 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA