World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseKi-48 Sokei light bombers, designated by the Japanese Army as the Type 99 Twin-engined Light Bomber, were originally designed by Takeo Doi of Kawasaki Aircraft Company Limited, who began this project with the Ki-45 heavy fighter design. Meant to be used as a light bomber, they could only each carry 800 kilograms of bombs and only had three machine guns for defense. They first saw service in China starting in late 1940, where they were adequate against Chinese forces which generally lacked modern fighters and anti-aircraft weaponry. When the Pacific War started, they were deployed across all of southeast Asia. In China and Burma, they remained in active service, often used as dive bombers for ground support; in the Pacific islands, however, they were out-classed by American fighters. Near the end of the Pacific War, some Ki-48 aircraft were re-equipped as special attack weapons for suicide missions. During the design's production life, 1,997 examples were built, most of which were of the Ki-48-II variant.

ww2dbaseDuring the war, both the Chinese Nationalist and Communist forces operated captured Ki-48 aircraft; some of these aircraft remained in service until the 1950s. Indonesian forces had one of them, put together from a number of captured inoperable aircraft; it was used against Dutch forces during the Indonesian National Revolution in the late 1940s.

ww2dbaseThe Allies gave the Ki-48 aircraft the codename of Lily.

SPECIFICATIONS

Ki-48-II

Machinery	Two Nakajima Ha.115 radial engines rated at 1,130hp each
Armament	3x7.7mm Type 89 machine guns, 800kg of bombs
Crew	4
Span	17.45 m
Length	12.75 m
Height	3.80 m
Wing Area	40.00 m²
Weight, Empty	4,550 kg
Weight, Loaded	6,500 kg
Weight, Maximum	6,750 kg
Speed, Maximum	505 km/h
Service Ceiling	10,000 m
Range, Normal	2,400 km

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