World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
9 Aug 2013 01:29:19 PM

LIGHT BOMBER TO TRAINER:

The Tachikawa Ki55 was a development of the Ki36 Army co-operations aircraft.
The (Ida) as it was code named by the allies, was a version of the Ki36 light attack bomber that was able to carry 5x12.5kg,4x15kg,or 3x50kg bombs it was also armed with 1x7.7mm machine gun in the upper cowling and 1x7.7mm machine gun in the rear cockpit.

JAPANESE HARVARD:

The Imperial Army needed an advanced trainer aircraft, the Ki55 was a de-militarized version of their Ki36, all armament, bomb racks and the lower gear spats were removed, a second set of controls installed for the student pilot.
In the training roll most Ida's were painted in a orange-yellow scheme, with black engine cowl and upper landing gear legs.
The Hinomaru markings were in six-positions w/the training school marking on the rudder. Powered by
1xHitachi 450hp air-cooled engine, driving a two-blade pitch propeller. Production ended in 1943 with 1389 aircraft built by both Tachikawa and Kawasaki.

POST-WAR:

At wars end the Allies destroyed all aircraft left in Japan in fact, the de-militarization of the Japanese War Machine continued into 1947!
However, many Japanese aircraft survived in what was once Japanese controlled areas in Southeast Asia. Post-War air forces that once used the Ida were.
Thailand, Communist and Nationalist China, Republic of Korea and Indonesia. The French also used surviving Japanese aircraft in Indo-China

SOUL SURVIVORS:

Two Ida's survive today, and are on static display, one in the Indonesian Air Force Museum and the other in the Royal Thai Air Force Museum

HARVARD/NORTH AMERICAN AT-6 TEXAN:

The AT-6 was produced during WWII as an advanced trainer, the British named the aircraft the Harvard this aircraft trained thousands of Allied pilots. Surviving aircraft still fly today owned by private pilots and museums. The Ki55, was the counter-part to the AT-6

2.  Bill says:
23 Feb 2014 05:00:20 PM

FILE PHOTO:

Ki55(Ida)was assigned to the Kumagaya Flying School. Insignia on rudder is red & white, the Ki55 was operated in the advanced trainer role
single-engine pilot trainee's received their wings flying solo in the (Ida) During the last year of the war, the Ki55 was used in the suicide roll carrying a single 250kg/551lb.or one 500kg 1,102lb.bomb.

TRAINING SCHOOLS:

During the war, the Imperial Army was able to contract civilian flying schools to train more of its pilots. Japan was never able to train the large number of pilots that the United States was able to train or match its training facilities and the flying hours of its pilots before going to front-line units.

3.  Alan Chanter says:
19 Aug 2016 11:45:52 PM

Note: The Tachikawa Hikoki K.K. should not be confused with the Tachikawa Dai-ichi Rikugun Kokusho - 1st Army Air Arsenal.