Nakajima Ki-34

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ki-34 "Thora"
Nakajima AT-2, civil version of the Ki-34
Type	Civil airliner/Light military transport
Manufacturer	Nakajima Aircraft Company
Maiden flight	12 September 1936
Introduced	1937
Primary users	IJA Air Force IJN Air Service Dai Nippon Koku KK Manchukuo National Airways
Number built	351

The Nakajima Ki-34 was a Japanese light transport of World War II. It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane; the undercarriage was of tailwheel type with retractable main units. During the Pacific War, the Allies of World War II assigned the type the code-name "Thora".

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Civil operational history (AT-2) 3 Military operational history (Ki-34) 4 Operators 4.1 Military operators 4.2 Civil operators 5 Specifications (Ki-34) 6 References 7 External links 8 Notes 9 See also

[edit] Design and development

The Ki-34 was originally designed as a civil transport. Nakajima Aircraft Company, which had the license-production rights to the Douglas DC-2, began design work in 1935 on a smaller twin engine airliner for routes which did not have the capacity to justify use of the larger DC-2. The initial design was designated AT-1, and after numerous design iterations, flew as a prototype designated AT-2 12 September 1936. The design was all metal, except for the flight control surfaces, which were plywood. The wings used a multi-cell cantilever design. The prototype was fitted with 580 shp (430 kW) Nakajima Kotobuki 2-1 radial engines with fixed pitch wooden propellers, which were replaced in production models with Kotobuki-41 710 shp (530 kW) nine-cylinder radial engines, with variable pitch metal propellers.

[edit] Civil operational history (AT-2)

A total of thirty-two AT-2s were produced for Imperial Japanese Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK) and Manchukuo National Airways,^[1] operating on scheduled routes between Tokyo and Hsinking, Tokyo and Tianjin, and within Manchukuo. These aircraft remained in operational service until the surrender of Japan in August 1945.

[edit] Military operational history (Ki-34)

With a high demand for increased military transport capability after the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army adapted the AT-2 design for military use by fitting with more powerful Nakajima Ha-1b radial engines and re-designating the aircraft as the Army Type 97 transport. The designation was later changed to Ki-34. The initial 19 aircraft were produced by Nakajima Aircraft, and another 299 aircraft were subsequently produced by the Army-affiliated Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd. The final airframe was delivered in 1942.

In operational service, the Ki-34 was used as a utility aircraft for liaison and communications duties, and for paratrooper training and Special Forces operations.

At a later date, some aircraft were transferred to the Imperial Japanese Navy, where they were known as the Navy Type AT-2 or Navy Type L1N1. Several were also transferred to the air force of the Japanese puppet state of Cochin China in 1942.

[edit] Operators

[edit] Military operators

 Japan

• Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
• Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

[edit] Civil operators

 Japan

• Imperial Japanese Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK)

 Manchukuo

• Manchukuo National Airways

[edit] Specifications (Ki-34)

Data from Warbirds Resource Group^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Capacity: 8 passengers
• Length: 15.30 m (59 ft 2.25 in)
• Wingspan: 19.81 m (65 ft 0 in)
• Height: 4.15 m (13 ft 7.5 in)
• Wing area: 49.2 m² (529.6 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,500 kg (7,716 lb)
• Loaded weight: 5,250 kg (11,574 lb)
• Useful load: kg (kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 5,250 kg (lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Nakajima Kotobuki 9-cylinder, air-cooled radial, 529-kW (710-hp) each

Performance

• Never exceed speed: km/h (knots, mph)
• Maximum speed: 360 km/h (knots,)
• Cruise speed: 310 km/h (knots, mph)
• Stall speed: km/h (knots, mph)
• Range: 1,200 km (nm, 746 mi)
• Service ceiling 7,000 m (22,965 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: W/kg (hp/lb)

Armament none

[edit] References

• Wilson, Stuart (1999). Airliners of the World. Australian Aviation. ISBN: 1875671447. 

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

[edit] See also

v • d • e Japanese Army Aircraft Designation System 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  • 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  • 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-148  • Ki-167  • Ki-174  • Ki-200  • Ki-201  • Ki-202 • Ki-230

v • d • e Lists relating to aviation General Timeline of aviation · Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airports · Airlines Military Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft Accidents/incidents General · Military · Commercial (airliners) · Deaths Records Airspeed · Distance · Altitude · Endurance · Most-produced aircraft