World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn late 1942, the Japanese Navy issued a requirement for a ground attack aircraft design, and the Manshu Aircraft Company, based in the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo responded with the Ki-98 design (Kawasaki had also responded to this requirement with its Ki-102 design). In the spring of 1944, the design was modified with a more powerful engine in order to satisfy Japanese Navy's new requirement that increased the service ceiling of the resulting aircraft, thus making the design double as a high-altitude interceptor. Construction of the prototype aircraft began at Manshu's plant in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China in Jan 1945, and it saw significant delays. It was projected that the aircraft could achieve a top speed of 730 kilometers per hour, a range of 1,200 kilometers, an altitude ceiling of 10,000 meters, and the rate of climb of more than 15 meters per second. In Aug 1945, when the Soviet Union turned on Japan and invaded Manchukuo, the prototype was destroyed along with all design documents to prevent capture.

SPECIFICATIONS

Ki-98

Machinery	One Mitsubishi Ha-211 Ru 18-cyl fan-assisted air-cooled radial engine rated at 2,200hp
Armament	1x37mm Ho 204 cannon, 2x20mm Ho 5 cannon
Crew	1
Span	11.26 m
Length	11.40 m
Height	4.29 m
Wing Area	23.99 m²
Weight, Empty	3,500 kg
Weight, Loaded	4,500 kg

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