Designer: Sean Anderson
File: ki49ii_helen.zip
Date: September 2001
Rating: 9.15 -more info-
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| Ki-49-II Donryu
Designer: Sean Anderson File: ki49ii_helen.zip Date: September 2001 Rating: 9.15 -more info- |
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The Donryu (Storm Dragon) was planned from 1938 as a replacement for the Mitsubishi Ki-21 but proved so indifferent that it supplemented rather than replaced the older type. The first of three prototypes made its maiden flight in August 1939, and the evaluation of seven pre-production aircraft paved the way for the introduction from August 1941 of the Ki-49-I initial production variant, of which 129 were delivered with a powerplant of two 1250hp (932kW) Nakajima Ha-41 radial engines. There followed 667 examples of the Ki-49-II in two subvariants with an uprated and different powerplant, improved protection and heavier defensive firepower. There was also three prototypes of the Ki-58 escort derivitive with no bombs but a trainable armament of five 20mm cannon and three 12.7mm machine guns. The inabaility of the Ki-49 to fulfill its intended role meant that the aircraft was increasingly relegated to secondary duties in the later stages of the war. Variants
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