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Tachikawa Ki-9

1935 GOLDEN AGE WORLD WAR 2

History

In the years leading up to World War II (1939-1945), Tachikawa Aircraft Co., Ltd. of Japan provided the Imperial Japanese Air Force (IJAAF) with a Ki-9 single-engine two-seat biplane for a medium-instructor role. This model was in service from 1935 until the end of the war in 1945, during which time approximately 2,618 were built (220 were built by Tokyo Gasu Denki / Gasuden until 1945).

Reliable and relatively easy to fly and maintain, the Ki-9 excelled in its role and provided the necessary "next step" for Japanese pilots looking to advance more complex fighter jets.

Tachikawa had a Ki-9 prototype ready in 1935, which made its maiden flight on January 7 of that year. A second prototype followed, mimicking much of what the first prototype had already built.

The third prototype differed by the installation of a 112 hp Nakajima NZ engine (the original two prototypes were powered by a 350 hp Hitachi Ha-13a). The downgraded engine is functional, as the third prototype aims to label a normalized form of the base trainer (the other two are intermediate types).

This basic trainer model was eventually abandoned during development due to several design flaws.

After IJAAF testing and official acceptance, the Ki-9 entered service in 1935.

The exterior design of the Ki-9 is fairly simple and uses proven engineering practices. The engines are located at the very forward end of the fuselage, with two open cockpits in the middle, and the two crew members sit side by side. As biplanes, there are upper and lower wing assemblies that are rounded at the tips and have unequal spans. An N-bracket and cable holder were used between the two appendages.

The tail uses a single circular vertical tail and a low horizontal plane. The landing gear rolls over the two main legs, and a small tail wheel sits under the tail of the aircraft.

As a training platform, the Ki-9 officially does not carry any weapons.

There are three production versions of the Ki-9 series. The Ki-9 base was officially recognized by the Army as the "Army Type 95-1 Intermediate Trainer Type A" and became the initial production form. The plane is 26 feet long, with a wingspan of 34 feet and a height of 10 feet.

Curb weight is 2,500 lbs and MTOW is 3,500 lbs. Power comes from an air-cooled Hitachi Ha-13a radial piston engine producing 350 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller in the nose. Performance includes a top speed of 150 mph, a cruising speed of 95 mph and a service ceiling of 19,050 feet.

The aircraft has an endurance window of about 3.5 hours.

Actually, the Ki-9 is a popular machine. This type helps allow students to "fly blind" to better control their aircraft without relying entirely on the outside view of the instrument panel or cockpit.

On some models, the rear cockpit is fitted with a canopy as a VIP vehicle for IJAAF senior officers. Towards the end of the war, when the Japanese were truly desperate, the plane was converted into a kamikaze and carried an oil-filled drum in the rear cockpit for suicide missions.

During the war, some Ki-9 aircraft fell into the hands of the enemy Chinese and were returned to service under new owners.

The improved wartime version with better handling and performance was known as the Ki-9-ko, and was officially known as the "Army 95-1 Intermediate Trainer Type B". However, the final standardized production version became the Ki-9-otsu or "Army 95-1 Intermediate Trainer Type C".

During the war (outside of IJAAF) users were China-Nanjing, Manchukuo and Royal Thai Air Force. Postwar users of the Ki-9 became the Indonesian Air Force, the Republic of China Air Force, and the Republic of Korea Air Force.