Nakajima Ki-87 | |
---|---|
Role | High-altitude fighter-interceptor |
Manufacturer | Nakajima Aircraft Company |
Designer | Kunihiro Aoki |
First flight | April 1945 |
Status | Prototype |
Primary user | Imperial Japanese Army Air Force |
Number built | 1 |
The Nakajima Ki-87 was a Japanese high-altitude fighter-interceptor of World War II. It was a single, exhaust-driven turbo-supercharged engined, low-wing monoplane with a conventional undercarriage.
Design and development[]
The Ki-87 was developed in response to American B-29 Superfortress raids on the Home Islands. It followed up on earlier research by Nakajima and the Technical Division of Imperial Army Headquarters into boosting a large radial engine with an exhaust-driven turbo-supercharger, which had begun in 1942, well before the B-29 raids began.[1] The efforts of the Technical Division of Imperial Army Headquarters eventually culminated into the Tachikawa Ki-94-I, while the Ki-87 was developed as a fall-back project, using less stringent requirements.[2][3] Nakajima started in July 1943 with the construction of three prototypes, to be completed between November 1944 and January 1945, and seven pre-production aircraft, to be delivered by April 1945.[3] The Technical Division of Imperial Army Headquarters made itself felt during the development of the Ki-87 prototype when they insisted upon placing the turbo-supercharger in the rear-fuselage, and from the sixth prototype the Nakajima fighter was to have that arrangement.[4][5] The Ki-87 had a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk-like undercarriage, as space in the wing was needed for ammunition for the wing-mounted cannon. The 90° rearwards retracting undercarriage was to provide that needed space.[1][6]
Construction was delayed due to problems with the electrical undercarriage and the turbo-supercharger, and the first prototype was not completed until February 1945; it first flew in April, but only five test flights were completed, all with the undercarriage in the extended position.[6][7]
A further variant, the Ki-87-II, powered by a 3,000 hp Nakajima Ha.217 (Ha.46) engine and with the turbo-supercharger in the same position as the P-47 Thunderbolt, never went further than the drawing board.
Operational history[]
Production of 500 aircraft was planned, but the war ended before any more than the single prototype were built.
Aircraft markings[]
The sole completed prototype was in natural metal finish; some paintings show a black anti-glare area in front of the cockpit, but this is not seen on any of the known photographs of the plane.[1][8][9]
Specifications (Ki-87 prototype)[]

Another photograph of the first Ki-87 prototype, showing to advantage the turbo supercharger.
Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War;[6] Japanese Army Fighters, Part 2;[7] Famous Aircraft of the World, first series, no.76: Japanese Army Experimental Fighters (1)[10]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 11.82 m (38 ft 9.375 in)
- Wingspan: 13.423 m (44 ft 0.5 in)
- Height: 4.503 m (14 ft 9.312 in)
- Wing area: 26.00 m² (279.860 ft²)
- Empty weight: 4,388 kg (9,672 lb)
- Loaded weight: 5,633 kg (12,416 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 6,102 kg (13,448 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Mitsubishi Ha.215 (Ha.44/11) eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial four-blade, 1,789 kW (2,400 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 697 km/h (379 kn, 433 mph)
- Cruise speed: 470 km/h (254 kn, 292 mph)
- Service ceiling: 12,855 m (42,175 ft)
- Wing loading: 216.6 kg/m² (44.3 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.317 kW/kg (2.3 kg/hp; 5.2 lb/hp)
Armament
- Guns: 2 × 30 mm (1.18 in) Ho-105 cannons in the outer wing panels and 2 × 20 mm synchronized Ho-5 cannons in the wing roots
- Bombs: 1 x 250 kg (550 lb) bomb under fuselage
See also[]
- Focke-Wulf Ta 152H
- Republic P-47N
- Tachikawa Ki-94-II
- Blohm & Voss BV 155
- Ki-84
- Ki-85
- Ki-86
- Ki-87
- Ki-88
- Ki-89
- Ki-90
References[]
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Green 1973, p. 90.
- ↑ Francillon 1979, p. 238 and 265.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Green and Swanborough 1977, p. 62.
- ↑ Green and Swanborough 1977, p. 63.
- ↑ Francillon 1979, p. 239.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Francillon 1979, p. 240.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Green and Swanborough 1977, p. 64.
- ↑ FAOW 1976, pp. 59–61 and front cover.
- ↑ Green and Swanborough 1977, pp. 62–64.
- ↑ FAOW 1976, p. 67.
- Bibliography
- Francillon, René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London, Putnam & Company, 1970 (Second edition 1979). ISBN 0-370-30251-6.
- Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Three: Fighters. London: Macdonald, 1961 (Seventh impression 1973). ISBN 0-356-01447-9.
- Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: Japanese Army Fighters, part 2. London, Macdonald & Jane's, 1977. ISBN 0-354-01068-9.
- Unknown Author Famous Aircraft of the World, first series, no.76: Japanese Army Experimental Fighters (1). Japan: Bunrin-Do Co. Ltd., August 1976.
External links[]
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