Kawasaki Ki-102

Ki-102
Ki-102
	Kawasaki Ki-102 B attack plane
General information
Type	Attacker, fighter, night fighter
National origin	Japan
Manufacturer	Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K.
Status	Retired
Primary user	Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
Number built	238
History
Introduction date	1944
First flight	1944
Retired	1945
Developed from	Kawasaki Ki-96

The Kawasaki Ki-102 or Type 4 Attack Plane (四式襲撃機, Yonshiki shūgeki-ki) was a twin-engine, two-seat, long-range heavy fighter developed to replace the Ki-45 Toryū. Three versions were planned: the Ki-102 Kō day fighter, Ki-102 B ground-attack, and Ki-102 C night fighter. This aircraft's Allied reporting name was "Randy".

Design and history

The Ki-102 entered service in 1944 but saw limited action. The main type (Ki-102 B) was kept in reserve to protect Japan, although it did see some limited duty in the Okinawa campaign. It was kept out of front line service because it was hoped that it would be the carrier of the Ki-148 air-to-surface guided missile when the Allied invasion of Japan occurred.

Variants

Ki-102: prototypes, three built
Ki-102 A (kō/甲): Externally similar to the Ki-102 B, but with turbosuperchargers that enabled the engines to maintain their rating at higher altitudes. The 57 mm (2.24 in) cannon was swapped in favor of a 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon, and the 12.7 mm (.50 in) rear gun was deleted, 26 built.
Ki-102 B (otsu/乙): Ground-attack variant similar to prototypes, except with revised tail wheel, 207 built
Ki-102 C (hei/丙): Night fighter version with lengthened fuselage and span. Radar under a Plexiglas dome, oblique-firing 20 mm cannons, and the 20 mm cannons in the belly replaced with 30 mm (1.18 in) cannons in Schräge Musik behind the cockpit, two built.
Ki-108: High-altitude fighter prototype with pressurised cabin, two conversions from Ki-102 B aircraft using the structural improvements used on the Ki-102 C.
Ki-108 Kai: Improved version of the Ki-108 with longer fuselage and enlarged wings. Two built.

Specifications (Ki-102 B)

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 11.45 m (37 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 15.57 m (51 ft 1 in)
Height: 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 34 m² (370 sq ft)
Airfoil: root: NACA 24015; tip: NACA 23010^[2]
Empty weight: 4,950 kg (10,913 lb)
Gross weight: 7,300 kg (16,094 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Mitsubishi Ha112-II Ru 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 1,120 kW (1,500 hp) each
Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers

Performance

Maximum speed: 580 km/h (360 mph, 310 kn)
Range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 11.9 m/s (2,340 ft/min)
Power/mass: 0.417 kW/kg (0.254 hp/lb)

Armament

Guns:
- 1 × 57 mm (2.24 in) Ho-401 cannon—replaced in the 102a with a 37 mm (1.46 in) Ho-204 cannon, deleted in the 102 C
- 2 × 20 mm Ho-5 cannon in the belly—replaced in the 102 C with 30 mm (1.18 in) cannon in the package, plus oblique-firing 2 × 20 mm cannon
- 1 × 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Ho-103 machine gun (deleted in the Ki-102a and Ki-102)
Bombs:
- 2 × 200 L (53 US gal) drop tanks; or
- 2 × 250 kg (551 lb) bombs or
- 1 × Kawasaki Igo-1b guided missile

Footnotes

^ Francillon1979, pp. 137–138.
^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

References

Francillon, René J. (1979). Japanese aircraft of the Pacific War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-30251-6.

External links

[FOOTNOTEFrancillon1979137–138-1] Francillon1979, pp. 137–138.

[Selig-2] Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

[1]

[2]

Kawasaki aircraft
Company designations	KAL-1 KAL-2 KAT-1 KAQ-1 KDA-2 KDA-3 KDA-5 KDC-2 KDC-5 KH-4 YPX
Imperial Japanese Army designations	Type 87 Type 88 Type 92 Ki-3 Ki-5 Ki-10 Ki-22 Ki-28 Ki-32 Ki-38 Ki-45 Ki-48 Ki-56 Ki-60 Ki-61 Ki-64 Ki-66 Ki-78 Ki-81 Ki-85 Ki-88 Ki-89 Ki-91 Ki-96 Ki-100 Ki-102 Ki-108 Ki-119 Ki-148 Ki-174
Japanese Self-Defense Force designations	C-1 C-2 OH-1 P-1 P-2J T-4
Joint ventures	BK 117 BK 117-C2
Licensed production	Bell 47 Hughes 500 Hughes 369 Boeing-Vertol V-107 Boeing-Vertol CH-47 Lockheed T-33 Lockheed P-2 Lockheed P-3C
World War II Allied reporting names	Bob Lily Mary Nick Perry Randy Rob Thalia Tony

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service official aircraft designations
1-50	Ki-1 Ki-2 Ki-3 Ki-4 Ki-5 Ki-6 Ki-7 Ki-8 Ki-9 Ki-10 Ki-11 Ki-12 Ki-13 Ki-14 Ki-15 Ki-16 Ki-17 Ki-18 Ki-19 Ki-20 Ki-21 Ki-22 Ki-23 Ki-24 Ki-25 Ki-26 Ki-27 Ki-28 Ki-29 Ki-30 Ki-31 Ki-32 Ki-33 Ki-34 Ki-35 Ki-36 Ki-37 Ki-38 Ki-39 Ki-40 Ki-41 Ki-42 Ki-43 Ki-44 Ki-45 Ki-46 Ki-47 Ki-48 Ki-49 Ki-50
51-100	Ki-51 Ki-52 Ki-53 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-56 Ki-57 Ki-58 Ki-59 Ki-60 Ki-61 Ki-62 Ki-63 Ki-64 Ki-66 Ki-67 Ki-68 Ki-69 Ki-70 Ki-71 Ki-72 Ki-73 Ki-74 Ki-75 Ki-76 Ki-77 Ki-78 Ki-79 Ki-80 Ki-81 Ki-82 Ki-83 Ki-84 Ki-85 Ki-86 Ki-87 Ki-88 Ki-89 Ki-90 Ki-91 Ki-92 Ki-93 Ki-94 Ki-95 Ki-96 Ki-97 Ki-98 Ki-99 Ki-100
100-	Ki-101 Ki-102 Ki-103 Ki-105 Ki-106 Ki-107 Ki-108 Ki-109 Ki-110 Ki-111 Ki-112 Ki-113 Ki-114 Ki-115 Ki-116 Ki-117 Ki-118 Ki-119 Ki-128 Ki-147 Ki-148 Ki-167 Ki-174 Ki-200 Ki-201 Ki-202 Ki-230 Ki-337
Autogyro	Ka-1 Ka-2
Glider	Ku-1 Ku-2 Ku-3 Ku-4 Ku-5 Ku-6 Ku-7 Ku-8 Ku-9 Ku-10 Ku-11 Ku-12 Ku-13 Ku-14