Nakadžima Ki 44 Šóki [Tojo]

Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki - přehled verzí

Nakajima Ki-44 - version overview

中島 キ44「鍾馗」


二式単座戦闘機 - Ni-shiki tanza sentōki


Japanese name: 鍾馗 - Shōki (Demon Exorcist))


Allied reporting name: "Tojo"



DesignationAircraft design - description
Nakajima Ki-44 prototypes tested from August 1940, childhood diseases removed, gradual increase in top speed, no armament
Nakajima Ki-44-Ia from mid-1942, Nakajima Ha-41 engine tubular oil cooler in front of engine, 2 Type 89 machine guns and 2 Ho-103 machine guns.
Nakajima Ki-44-Ib reinforced armament to 4 Ho-103 machine guns
Nakajima Ki-44-IIa Ko Nakajima Ha-109 engine, armament matches Ki-44-Ia, can also carry 2x 30-100 kg bombs.
Nakajima Ki-44-IIb Otsú mass production, reinforced wings, mostly 4x Ho-103 armament, but various armament variants possible including Ho-301 guns
Nakajima Ki-44-IIc Hei armament four Ho-103 machine guns, documented use of reflex sights.
Nakajima Ki-44-IIIa Nakajima Ha-145 engine with 2,020 hp, larger carrying area, armament 4x Ho-5 cannon.
Nakajima Ki-44-IIIb Nakajima Ha-145 engine, armament 2x Ho-5 20 mm and 2x Ho-203 37 mm



A total of 1,227 aircraft of this type were produced.
中島飛行機株式会社 - Nakajima Hikōki Kabushiki Kaisha,Ota




Sources used:
Richard M. Bueschel, Nakajima Ki.44 Shoki Ia,b,c/IIa,b,c in Japanese Army AIr Force Service, Atglen, PA, Schiffer Books, 1996, ISBN 0-88740-914-8.
John F. Brindley, Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki ('Tojo'), Aircraft in Profile No.255, Windsor, Berkshire, UK, Profile Publications Ltd, 1973, No ISBN.
Jeffrey L. Ethell, Aircraft of World War II, Glasgow, HarperCollins/Jane's, 1995, ISBN 0-00-470849-0.
René J. Francillion Ph.D., Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, 2nd edition, London, Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979, ISBN 0-370-30251-6.
William Green, War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Three: Fighters, 7th impression, London, Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 1973 [1961], ISBN 0-356-01447-9.
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Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki / Tojo

History & development:
Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkū Hombu (Imperial army air force) in company 中島飛行機株式会社 - Nakajima Hikōki Kabushiki Kaisha (hereinafter referred to as Nakajima) ordered in 1938 design, for Japan, until then, completely out of the ordinary spill of a fighter plane - when the award was this time the emphasis is on dexterity, but above all on high speed, climb rate and armament. The release of these specifications was a truly revolutionary act, because so far, once was the aircraft maneuverable was eliminated from the competition, or the pilots did not accept. But if we look at the course of the fighting, in which are engaged the traditional japanese fighter aircraft Nakajima Ki-27 characterized extreme finesse with a sturdy and heavier I-16 with a much larger armament, and their pilots have learned the weaknesses of the Ki-27, and use vertical maneuvers in a way "Hit – run", then we understand that the award of these specifications was necessary. In the specifications it was required, inter alia, reaching a speed of 600 km/h and climb to a height of 5 000 m in 4 minutes!!!

Work on the project began leading the development of Toru Kojama without delay, for achieving high performance was selected the engine Nakajima Ha-41, which provided reasonable performance and that he had already Kojama a good experience, since it was used for bomber Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu. The weight of the engine was higher than a fighter jet looked pretty, but the designer preferably a big performance. The engine gave respectable 1 250 hp at takeoff and at an altitude in the altitude of 3 700 m was the performance of the 1 280 horsepower, thanks to the efficient turbocharging with single-stage mechanical compressor. The plane had a stubby fuselage, i.e. the front part of the engine, the rear part was on the contrary quite subtle. The wing then was small and on them were installed the flaps of the japanese type, most resembling the type of Fowler. These flaps increase lift during takeoff and landing.

The first flight of the prototype was in August 1940, but the prototype seemed like a fairly bad kid, suffered from the vibration of the engine, just faired the engine considerably was and the performances of the airplane thus remained far behind the specifications. The first prototype všal was soon followed by the second and the third prototype, all engage in intensive trials that bring growth performance, e.g. the maximum speed has increased from the originally obtained value of 550 km/h on a very solid 626 km/h. I must, however, be noted that all three prototypes were tested completely without weaponry.
In the tests, but soon involved also the first pre-series aircraft, which already have the weapons built-in, it's on the japanese ratios again powerful, we must remember that at that time coming into the loadout light Ki-43-Ia Oscar with in the japanese army air force still the usual armament of two machine guns Type 87 rifle caliber 7.7 mm, the new aircraft Ki-44 receive armament of two machine guns Type 87 above the engine and into each half of the wings after one machine gun Ho-103 of 12.7 mm caliber. Under the wings it was possible to hang up two of the tank after 130 l. the Two aircraft were classified tentatively into service in China in September 1941. The first unit that the new aircraft try and get them into the fight was 47.Sentai. The pilots, who migrated to new planes of light and resourceful Ki-27 had a cruel disillusionment. The new machines have a high wing loading and thus all the properties that result from this: a little dexterity, high landing and starting speed. Massive engine pilots to a very restricted view at startup. These pilots didn't have new planes even a little bit in popularity and add that to the still immaturity of the first machines...

Japan, however, had meanwhile become a direct participant in the world war and the new machines were from January 1942 planted tentatively in the fighting over the Malaysia. The aircraft was officially accepted into armaments in September 1942 as: "army fighter type 2 model 1". All the pre-series machines were given the designation Nakajima Ki-44-Ia Ko (キ44-I甲)and the actual mass-produced aircraft from the race in Life have been tagged as "army fighter type 2 model 1B" in the system Kitai Ki-44-Ib Otsu(キ44-I乙)and he was assigned to combat name Shoki, which is often translated as Demon, more rightly should be used to translation an Exorcist of demons. Armament was reinforced by replacing the fuselage machine guns Type 87 machine guns Ho-103, the evaluation of this adjustment is different, some sources indicate that synchronization has reduced the practical rate of fire of up to 60% and so a machine gun Ho-103 became in its essence a dummy and over the engine were often dismantled. Other sources again report that in the framework of the relief were dismantled under-wing weapons. At the end of 1942 it was delivered several machines to the new version, designated Ki-44-Ic Hei(キ44-I丙), this version got under the engine is converted into impact the oil cooler of the honeycomb type and it was replaced by a tubular radiator, which was in front of the engine block.

The aim of the efforts of the designers was to increase further raising the performance, and so one of the prototype appeared dvoulisté counterrotating propellers, but this route was discarded as a complex reducer coming out as too material solution and the performance increase was not proportional.
Much more successful was the installation of a new engine Nakajima Ha-109, which was again dvojhvězdicový čtrnáctiválec, this time the supercharged two-stage mechanical supercharger. The engine had an even higher weight, but provide a higher starting performance 1 520 horsepower and a two-stage compressor to keep the performance 1 340 horses up to a height of 5 250 m. of the Machine with this engine were designated as the "army fighter type 2 model 2" or the Ki-44-II. First into production were even at the turn of the year 1942-43. Other improvements has not been seen because concerning passive safety, the improvements lived to see the chassis and foremost was introduced, the protection of internal fuel tanks and armoring of the pilot seat and boxes of ammunition. Performance increased despite the higher weight.

The first machines were delivered in the version Ki-44-IIa Ko(キ44-II甲)with equipment corresponding to the Ki-44-Ia, and here all the information related to armaments and noncontradictory ends. The introduction of the type Ki-44-IIb Otsu(キ44-II乙)begins to inconsistencies in the description of the equipment and often some authors write up of the meaningless combination. For sure I would consider the introduction of armament 4x machine gun Ho-103 of 12.7 mm caliber, and later, which was photographically documented installation of cannons Him-301, which were certainly interesting air cannons, that in the event of an enemy bomber to be able to knock out of the fight. This air cannon was, however, discarded a very small effective range. For unfounded can be considered assertion, that in the wings were installed cannons Him-3 the caliber of 20 mm, the length of this weapon is 1 765,3 mm over a length of 1 245 mm machine gun Ho-103 also, the weight is doubled. In addition, this combination of equipment has never been documented photographically. In the same category would have ranked even mounting cannons Ho-203 the caliber of 37 mm. Thus armed aircraft were referred to as Ki-44-IIc(キ44-II丙), but some works has been in the past 10-15 years has been revised and so the Ki-44-IIc Hei, was assigned to the armament of four machine guns Ho-103, certain, and photographically doležená is fitting better reflection of the reticle, some of the machines of the last production blocks had the exhaust system without the manifold ring, each cylinder had its own outfall pipe.

Units that were equipped with fighter aircraft Shoki, were downloaded from the queue and assigned to the defense of the parent islands, there to help fend off the waves B-29. Airstrikes Superfortessů started 5.June 1944 and the small lightning is swirling jets is, however, do not impair enough to air raids have stopped. A total of can be to evaluate the aircraft Shoki as quite successful, but on piloting rather difficult machines but with relatively little effective weaponry, if he should be deployed against strategic bombers B-29. For the most successful action of the Ki-44 can be considered the destruction of the 10 B-29 from the 120 nalétávajících, it happened 19.in February 1945, two of these B-29 were destroyed in the suicide attack.
For the suicide attacks was a fighter Shoki lightened the wing guns, so adjusted, is the use of special units Shimbu-tai.

The company Nakajima built in mid-1945, still a few aircraft Ki-44-IIIa(キ44-III甲) with the engine Ha-145 about the performance of the 2 020 horsepower with a larger bearing area (19 m2) and with the more massive armament of four cannons Him-5 the caliber of 20 mm and a Ki-44-IIIb(キ44-III乙), in which the wing cannons Ho-5 were replaced by cannon Ho-203 caliber 37 mm (according to me, is this version the source of the inaccuracies previously mentioned) both versions allegedly have undergone complete flight trials, but the equipment already included were not, because it replaced a more modern and more powerful aircraft Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate.

The allies had with identifying types of aircraft problems, the japanese names were too hard to say, therefore, proceeded to award code names in the case of Shoki were allocated the names of the two and that John and Tojo, and later to unify the naming on Tojo, which was the name of the japanese prime minister. Properly should be used male names. The present day is not preserved no specimen of this small nimble fighters, which was a total made 1 225..
Nakadžima Ki 44 Šóki [Tojo] - Obrázek je ze serveru http://www.ne.jp/asahi/airplane/museum/cl-pln3/FR0521.html

Obrázek je ze serveru www.ne.jp
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Nakadzima-Ki-44-Soki-Tojo-t29805#135098 Version : 0

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Použité prameny:
René J. Francillon Ph.D., Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis Maryland, Reprinted 1990, ISBN-0-87021-313-X
William Green a Gordon Swanborough, WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: Japanese Army Fighters, part 2, London, Macdonald & Jane's, rok 1977, ISBN 0-354-01068-9.
Brindley F.John, Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki (Tojo), Aircraft in Profile No.255, Windsdor, Berkshire, Profile Publications Ltd., 1973 (bez ISBN)
Václav Němeček, Vojenská letadla 3., Naše vojsko, Praha rok 1992, 3. doplněné vydání, ISBN 80-206-0117-1
Jaroslav Schmid, Stíhací a bombardovací letadla Japonska, díl 2., Nakladatelství Fraus Plzeň, rok 2000, ISBN 80-7238077-x
Nakajima Ki44, Maru Mechanic No.9, 03/1978
Bunrindo, Famous Airplane, Nakajima Army Type 2, single-seat fighter "Shokí"
L+K, 13, 14, 15, 16 a 17/1998 Monografie Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki (Tojo), Jiří Hornát
L+K, 4/1990, Letadla 39-45
www.xs4all.nl
http://www.militarium.net/lotnictwo/ki44.php
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww2/ki44.html
archiv autora
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