Ki-67 file photo [14009]

Ki-67 Hiryu

CountryJapan
ManufacturerMitsubishi Heavy Industries
Primary RoleMedium Bomber
Maiden Flight27 December 1942

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe Ki-67 Hiryu was without doubt the finest bomber to see service with the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Forces during World War II, for it combined high performance with good defensive firepower, adequate offensive weapon load, and a structure that was both sturdy and provided good protection for the crew and fuel supply. Mitsubishi had submitted a design to a 1940 specification for a heavy bomber and in February 1941 was granted permission to develop and build three prototypes. The flight of the first of an eventual seventeen prototypes took place on 27 December 1942.

ww2dbaseThe Ki-67 was a cantilever mid-wing monoplane powered by two 1,900 hp Mitsubishi Ha-104 radial piston engines. The fuselage, with accommodation for a crew of six to eight, had a large bomb bay capable of carrying up to 1,764-lbs of bombs or one 1,765-lb (or 2,359-lb) torpedo. The normal defensive armament consisted of four (later five) 12.7mm machine guns and a 20mm cannon.

ww2dbaseService tests of the prototypes proved highly successful, but this resulted in the development programme becoming extremely protracted by the Army's insistence upon developing a whole range of variants to exploit the aircraft's excellent performance and handling. Production commenced on 2 December 1943 as the Army Type 4 Heavy Bomber Model I Hiryu (flying dragon) or Ki-67-1 and deliveries to Service Squadrons began during the summer of 1944 (after it was finally decided to concentrate production only upon a single version).

ww2dbaseAlthough production was seriously impaired by Allied air attacks on the factories, production would eventually total 698 aircraft. Mitsubishi would build 606 machines (29 of which were assembled by Nippon), Kawasaki built 91 and the 1st Army Air Arsenal (Tachikawa Dai-ichi Rikugun Kokusho) built 1 and modified two others as the, Ki.104 and Ki-109 experimental interceptors. The first 160 machines had torpedo racks and these operated successfully in both the bomber and torpedo-bomber roles. Some were converted as a three seat explosive-laden kamikaze aircraft (Ki-67-I KAI) and 22 machines were built, under the designation Ki-109, as a bomber interceptor mounting a 75-mm Type 88 cannon in a solid nose. The combat début of the Ki-109 proved a dismal failure; however, as without the turbo-superchargers originally specified, they were unable to engage the high-flying B-29s.

ww2dbaseThe Ki-67 (given the codename "Peggy" by the Allies) was deployed extensively in the final stages of the Pacific War especially in operation against Allied forces on Iwo Jima, the Marianas and Okinawa. Had the KI-67 entered service earlier and not generally been flown by mainly inexperienced crews, the story of the Pacific War might well have been very different.

ww2dbaseSources:
Chris Chant, Aircraft of World War II (Dempsey-Parr, 1999)
World Aircraft Information Files (File 901) (Bright Star Publishing)
William Green and Gordon Swanborough, The Complete Book of Fighters (Salamander, 1994)
William Green, Warplanes-Fighters Vol 3 (MacDonald, 1961)

Last Major Revision: Oct 2011

Ki-67 Hiryu Timeline

27 Dec 1942 The Ki-67 medium bomber, also known as the Japanese Army Type 4 Heavy Bomber, took its maiden flight.
2 Dec 1943 Production for the Ki-67 Hiryu bomber design began.

SPECIFICATIONS

Ki-67-Ib
MachineryTwo Mitsubishi Ha-104 (Army Type 4) 18-cyl radial engines rated at 1,900hp each
Armament1x20mm Ho-5 dorsal turret cannon, 1x12.7mm nose Ho-103 Type 1 cannon, 2x12.7mm fuselage Ho-103 Type 1 cannon, 2x12.7mm tail Ho-103 Type 1 cannon, 1,600kb of bombs or one torpedo (up to 2,900kg of explosives as special attack aircraft)
Crew8
Span22.50 m
Length18.70 m
Height7.70 m
Wing Area65.85 m²
Weight, Empty8,650 kg
Weight, Maximum13,765 kg
Speed, Maximum537 km/h
Speed, Cruising400 km/h
Service Ceiling9,470 m
Range, Normal3,800 km

Photographs

Ki-67 aircraft at rest, circa 1940sKi-109 experimental interceptor aircraft in a hangar, Japan, circa 1940sAbandoned Japanese Ki-67-I Kai To-Go special attack aircraft of Fugaku Squadron at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands, circa 1945Ki-147 I-Go-1 Ko experimental anti-ship missile mounted under a Ki-67 Hiryu bomber, date unknown
See all 5 photographs of Ki-67 Hiryu Medium Bomber



Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB
Ki-67 Hiryu Medium Bomber Photo Gallery
Ki-67 aircraft at rest, circa 1940s
See all 5 photographs of Ki-67 Hiryu Medium Bomber


Famous WW2 Quote
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."

Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!