Kawasaki Ki-3

Infobox Aircraft
name=Ki-3


caption=Kawasaki Ki-3
(Army Type 93-1 single-engine Light bomber)
type= bomber
manufacturer=Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō KK
designer=
first flight=1933
introduced=1934
retired=
status=
primary user=IJA Air Force
more users=
produced=
number built=243
variants with their own articles=The nihongo|Kawasaki Ki-3|九三式単軽爆撃機|Kyūsan-shiki tankei bakugekiki was a light bomber aircraft built by Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō KK for the Imperial Japanese Army in the 1930s. It was the last biplane design bomber to be produced for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and saw combat service in Manchukuo and in north China during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Design & Development

The Ki-3 was a biplane design with staggered wings and fixed divided landing gear. It was powered by one Convert|492|kW|hp|-1|abbr=on　 BMW VIII inline engine. Maximum speed was Auto km/h|259|-1 and maximum take-off weight Auto kg|3097|1. One 7.7mm machine gun was mounted to fire forward, synchronized with the propeller, and anther was mounted dorsally on a flexible mount. The maximum bomb load was Auto kg|500|0.

The Ki-3 originated as a private venture launched by Kawasaki to develop a dedicated reconnaissance aircraft. The prototype, designated "KDA-6", was designed by the German engineer Dr. Richard Vogt, who was working in Japan at the time. Takeo Doi the future chief designer for Kawasaki, worked as Vogt's assistant on the project; Vogt later went on to become chief designer for Blohm und Voss.

Kawasaki built total of 203 aircraft and an additional 40 aircraft were built by Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd from September 1934-March 1935.

Operational history

The Kawasaki Ki-3 was initially designated “Army Type 93-1 Single-engine Light Bomber” under the former Japanese military aircraft nomenclature system. It flew in March 1933 and entered operational service initially with the 6th Composite Air Regiment in Korea. It subsequently was used in combat in Manchukuo and in north China during the initial stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War, where it could make use of its with good maneuverability to support ground troops. It was considered a rugged attack aircraft, but its liquid-cooled engine was a constant source of problems.

Variants

*Ki-3 (Army Type 93-1 Single-engine Light Bomber)

Operators

Military operators

;flag|Japan
* Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

pecifications (Ki-3)

aerospecs
ref=
met or eng?=met
crew=2
capacity=
length m=10
length ft=32
length in=9.6
span m=13
span ft=42
span in=7.8
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=3
height ft=9
height in=10
wing area sqm=38
wing area sqft=409
empty weight kg=1650
empty weight lb=3638
gross weight kg=3097
gross weight lb=6828

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=BMW VIII liquid-cooled in-line engine
eng1 kw=492
eng1 hp=660
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=

max speed kmh=259
max speed mph=161
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=7000
ceiling ft=23,000
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=

armament1=2x 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine-guns
armament2=500 kg of bombs
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

References

*cite book
last = Francillon
first = Rene
year = 1979
title = Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War
publisher = Putnam
location =
id = AISN B000OK9ETY
*cite book
last = Lake
first = Jon
year = 2002
title = Great Book of Bombers
publisher = Zenith Press
location = pp86
id = ISBN 0760313474
*cite book
last = Mikesh
first = Robert
year = 1990
title = Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 1557505632

External links

* [http://www.aviastar.org/air/japan/a_kawasaki.html Virtual Aircraft Museum]

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

lists=

see also=

* List of military aircraft of Japan