When is Ki-100 out.

[Squire]

*Normal loaded weight for a Ki-100 was 7705 lbs, which is 55 lbs heavier than the Ki-61.

*Top speed 360 mph, practically identical.

*Climb rate perhaps is slightly better.

*Armament is the same as a Ki-61 with nose mounted 20mm and wing mounted 12.7s.

"Ki-100 could dive with P-51 Mustangs unlike most Japanese fighters and hold the speed on pullout"

So could the Ki-84, Ki-61 and N1K2. Its not unique. What, you think because a Ki-61 had an inline engine means it couldn't dive???

"In one encounter over Okinawa, one Ki-100-equipped unit destroyed 14 Hellcats without losses to themselves"

Claimed, *not* confirmed, and this "encounter" I have seen in every single post about it, which tries to make it sound "uber". Everybody quotes it.

The best Japanese fighter of WW2 was the IJAAF Ki-84 with the N1K2-J of the IJN being a close 2nd.

[Treize69]

Copied from Wikipedia-

Ki-100

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 8.82 m (28 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 10.48 m (34 ft 4 in)
Height: 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 20 m² (215 ft²)
Empty weight: 2,525 kg (5,567 lb)
Loaded weight: 3,495 kg (7,705 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Mitsubishi Ha 112-II radial engine, 1,119 kW (1,500 hp) at 6,000 m (19,685 ft)

Performance
Maximum speed: 580 km/h (360 mph)
Range: 2,200 km (1,367 mi)
Service ceiling: 36,090 feet (11,000 m)
Rate of climb: 16.8 m/s (3,300 ft/min)
Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
Power/mass: kW/kg (hp/lb)
Maximum dive speed: 850 km/h (528 mph)

Armament
2x 20 mm wing-mounted Ho-5 cannons, 250 20x94 mm rounds/gun
2x 12.7 mm fuselage-mounted Ho-103 machine guns, 250 12.7x81 mm rounds/gun

Ki-61

General characteristics
Crew: One
Length: 8.94 m (29 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4 in)
Height: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 20.00 m² (215.28 ft²)
Airfoil: NACA 2R 16 wing root, NACA 24009 tip
Internal fuel capacity: 550 L (145.2 US gal)
External fuel capacity: 2x 200 L (53.8 US gal) drop tanks
Empty weight: 2,630 kg (5,800 lb)
Loaded weight: 3,470 kg (7,650 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Kawasaki Ha-40 liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 875 kW (1,175 hp)

Performance
Maximum speed: 580 km/h (360 mph) at 5,000 m (16,405 ft)
Range: 580 km (360 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,600 m (38,100 ft)
Rate of climb: 15.2 m/s (2,983 ft/min)
Wing loading: 173.5 kg/m² (35.5 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.25 kW/kg (0.15 hp/lb)
Time to altitude: 7.0 min to 5,000 m (16,405 ft)

Armament
2x 20 mm Ho-5 cannon, 120 rounds/gun
2x 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Ho-103 machine guns, 200 rounds/gun

Same speed between the two, Ki-100 has a greater rate of climb and longer range; but the Ki-61 has a slightly higher ceiling, and its lighter, so probably turns better.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Bombardy
the Ki-100 was not just a marginal improvement over the ki-61 airframe it used (which by the way is a honey of a plane)

Here's the Ki-100 in a nutshell

1)  Ki-100 could dive with P-51 Mustangs unlike most Japanese fighters and hold the speed on pullout

2) Ki-100 had double the 20mm rounds with the cannons mounted in the wings

3) Ki-100 had an initial climb of 3,300 ft/min

4) Ki-100's radial engine (about 1,500hp) proved far more reliable than the ki-61's v12 (rated at 1,175)

5) Ki-100 was lighter than the ki-61 - and this weight reduction with an increase in HP would lead to faster acceleration performance

6) In one encounter over Okinawa, one Ki-100-equipped unit destroyed 14 Hellcats without losses to themselves

7) empty weight is lighter than the La-7

Overall a really great airplane
 

Item 1) There were few instances where the Ki-100 wasn't dodging Mustangs.

Item 2) Moving the cannon to the wing increased roll rate via added mass far off centerline and created convergence issues.

Item 3) Initial climb is not sustained climb. My understanding is that the climb rate deteriorated rapidly with altitude.

Item 4) More hp was accompanied by increased drag. No gain in speed over the Ki-61, and it was notably slower than later Ki-61s. Reliability was improved, but that does not add to combat capability, only availability.

Item 5) Added drag likely offset weight savings.

Item 6) Myth...Never happened. Navy records show no such event. This is a well circulated hoax.

Item 7) So what? At 6,000 meters, the La-7 was 62 mph faster than the Ki-100. The Ki-100 would have been a good fighter in 1941. By 1945, it was obsolecent.

You need a better source than wikipedia....

Seriously, the aircraft's performance does not remotely elevate it to the  notion that it was a competitive fighter. It most certainly was not. It will suffer the same fate as the Ki-61 in AH2, sparse use and generally outclassed.

My regards,

Widewing

[Bombardy]

well, with such a low production fighter (what less that 100?) it's probably going to remain an enigma

Don't knock wikipedia, you know it the truth, just like the enquirer!

got any problems with the Mitsubishi J2M "Raiden" widewing???????

you're not part of the "don't add it to the planeset unless it's competetive with late war planes" gang are you?

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Bombardy
well, with such a low production fighter (what less that 100?) it's probably going to remain an enigma

Don't knock wikipedia, you know it the truth, just like the enquirer!

got any problems with the Mitsubishi J2M "Raiden" widewing???????

you're not part of the "don't add it to the planeset unless it's competetive with late war planes" gang are you?

I have no objection to the Ki-100 or the J2M3 being added. However, the Ki-44 was built in much greater numbers as was the Ki-43 (another useless plane for the MA, I'm afraid). A total of 389 Ki-100s were manufactured. We currently have the two most competitive Japanese fighters. Additional Japanese fighters would get little use in MA, but would be very useful for scenarios or AvA arena.  

My regards,

Widewing

[Treize69]

Funny how two people can look at the same source and draw opposite conclusions from them...

He uses wiki to say the Ki100 was a superfighter, I use it to show its really just a Ki61 with a different engine.

[Squire]

Dug out my book "IJAAF Aces of WW2" by Henry Sakaida on the Ki-100 vs F6F fight, which was over the Japanese Home Islands, not Okinawa.

It took place between the IJAAFs 244th Sentai and USN VF-31 F6Fs on 25 July 1945.

"The 244th claimed 12 Hellcats destroyed for the loss of two pilots, while VF-31 counter claimed with 8 kills for the loss of two".

So in reality it was a draw, both sides losing 2, with both sides over claiming in that encounter, and in the hectic air combats of WW2 such things were not uncommon.

[Krusty]

For all those saying "Well it had a climb rate of 2900 fpm!" or "It had a top speed of 360!!"

Here is a little perspective:

HTC's as-is Ki61 flight envelope

What you see is what we got. It would be nearly identical in almost every way to the way the Ki61 flies. Considering that it is basically a Ki61, and we already have such a plane, I don't want to see it in AH. I'd rather see a Ki43, or a better (I don't personally think we need a Ki44, but that's pure opinion), and other planes.

Especially Judy!! Inline engines rule! (*ducks from all the stones being thrown*)

[Bombardy]

My attempts to hijack this thread and turn it into a PRO-Mitsubishi JM2 Raiden thread are not working out like I planned...........

LOOK, get on the farking bandwagon and GIVE IT UP for the J2M Raiden!!!

seriously, here are just some of the cool features of this amazing aircraft:

1) 2x 20 mm Type 99-II Mk 4 cannon in each wing. Ammo: 200 rpg approx
A 3rd oblique mounted cannon in some interceptors could fire upward as it passed underneath a bomber.

ohhh yea baby!!!

2) or 4x20mm with 200 rounds per gun mounted in the wings

3) 1,820 hp engine.......in a "uglier than thou" nose!

4) 3,838 ft/min climb......woo hoo!!!! bring on those high alt bombers!!!

5) Top speed in excess of 382 mph (could be as high as 400+ if based on US Army tests!

6) A good example of a dedicated interceptor of japanese origin




 

[Kweassa]

I'm all for more Japanese and Russian fighters. I think they should be given top priority over any other German, British, and US planes.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by Kweassa
I'm all for more Japanese and Russian fighters. I think they should be given top priority over any other German, British, and US FIGHTERS.

I'm sorry, I almost agreed with you. I made one change (in caps). Now I agree with you. Those countries mentioned all have at least 1 type of bomber I'd like to see.

[Mathman]

Bring both the Ki 100 and J2M to AH.  My Hellcat needs more targets.

[Sikboy]

What was the other plane that was converted from the DB V12 knockoff to a big fat radial?

That's the plane we should add.

-Sik

[Charge]

"3) 1,820 hp engine.......in a "uglier than thou" nose!"

Well, ugly or not, it certainly is more streamlined than the cowling on some US radial engined fighters...

-C+

[Krusty]

And it paid for it, big time. It had horrible problems with the shaft going from the engine to the prop, as well as other issues.