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Kawasaki Ki-102b “Randy”
| Crew | 2 |
| Dimensions | 51’1” x 37’7” x
12’3” 15.57m by 11.45m by 3.7m |
| Wing area | 366
square feet 34 square meters |
| Weights | 10,913-16,094 lbs 4950-7300 kg |
| Maximum speed | 360 mph at 19,685 feet 580 km/h at 6000 feet |
| Climb rate | 40
feet per second 12.2 meters per second |
| Service ceiling | 32,810 feet 10,000 meters |
| Power plant |
Two 1500 hp (1118 kW) Mitsubishi Ha-112-II Ru 14-cylinder two-row radial engines driving constant speed three bladed metal propellers. |
| Armament | 57mm Ho-401
cannon in the
nose Two 20mm Ho-5 cannon fixed in the belly One manually aimed 12.7mm Ho-103 machine gun in the rear cockpit |
| External stores |
Two 250kg (551 lb) bombs or two 44 gallon (167 liter) drop tanks |
| Range | 1243 miles 2000 km |
| Production | 238 Ki-102, including 215 Ki-102b production aircraft at Kawasaki Kokuki Kogyo KK from 1944-10 to 1945-7 |
| Variants | The
Ki-102c was a night fighter
version armed with two 30mm Ho-105 cannon
in the fuselage belly and two 20mm Ho-5 cannon
mounted obliquely in the
fuselage. It carried a revolving dish radar
in a plexiglass dome on the top of the fuselage. This version could not
carry bombs. The war ended before it
came into full production. |
The Ki-102 was derived from the Ki-96 heavy
fighter, a twin-engined aircraft with a
pressurized cabin for high altitude that never went into
production. The design team, led by Doi Takeo, suggested to the
Army that a ground attack version of the Ki-96 should be developed to
replace the Ki-45 "Nick". Approval was
given in August 1943 and the first prototype flew in March 1944.
The Ki-102 added armor
and fuel tank protection and
heavier armament to the Ki-96, yielding a
capable ground attack aircraft. Its performance and handling were
considered highly satisfactory. Most were held in reserve in
Japan against a possible Allied
invasion, but a few were released for action in Okinawa.
The aircraft was also the intended platform for the Igo-1-B
air-to-surface guided missile, which was being rushed through
development for use against any Allied
invasion of the home islands.
A night-fighter version (Ki-102c) was prototyped
but never saw combat.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index
