Ki-71, proposed successor to Ki-51 Sonia

[windswords]

The Ki-71 was an upgraded version of the Ki-51 "Sonia". It featured retractable landing gear and an engine about 50% more powerful than the Ki-51. The project was abandoned after 3 prototypes because it was not faster than 300 mph, although it was 30 mph faster than the Ki-51.

Other than one small illustration I have not seen any pics or drawings of this plane. Does anyone have any they can post?

 

[Hardrada55]

 

[windswords]

Thanks for posting. The illustration was the one I had seen before.

Does anyone else have any 3 views, pictures, drawings, or artwork of this project?

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Enjoy. The engine mount structure was shortened to adjust the position of C.G.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

the Ki-71 artist drawing;

The Xplanes of Imperial Japanese Army & Navy 1924-1945

 

[dan_inbox]

Other than one small illustration I have not seen any pics or drawings of this plane. Does anyone have any they can post?

I have this, fwiw:

 

[blackkite]

Wow amazing one. Thanks alot. May I ask you a question? What is the meaning of "fwiw"?

 

[Stargazer]

Wow amazing one. Thanks alot. May I ask you a question? What is the meaning of "fwiw"?

"For what it's worth." It means basically that you share it the way you found it, for information purposes, with no guarantee of its value.

 

[blackkite]

Thanks a lot. So this is a surprizing real Ki-71 picture with strange shape ski undercarriage (including ski stopper?)?

 

[windswords]

Are we sure it is the Ki-71 and not a Ki-51 with skis? It looks like a Ki-71. I hope it's a Ki-71. I just want to be sure. If it is the Ki-71, many thanks to dan-inbox!

Dan, do you (or anyone else) know the source of this photo?

 

[blackkite]

Are we sure it is the Ki-71 and not a Ki-51 with skis? It looks like a Ki-71. I hope it's a Ki-71. I just want to be sure. If it is the Ki-71, many thanks to dan-inbox!

Dan, do you (or anyone else) know the source of this photo?

Hmm....Very hard to identify for me. Ki-71 with ski.....Ummm.
Honestry speaking, I have no confidence that undercarriage is ski. What is this?
Anyway no doubt it's a very rare, mysterious and interesting photo.

 

[blackkite]

Ki-51 Sonia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exl6yk-rM6c

 

[blackkite]

Mitsubishi Ki-51 “Sonia” dive bomber being tested on skis at Obihiru Airfield, Hokkaido, Japan. The aircraft was painted white, though it is not evident on this image.

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/494/Anything-But-Wheels.aspx

 

[blackkite]

Hi!
Japanese explanation for this picture says that this aircraft is a modified Ki-51 with ski.
Japanese explanation does not say that this aircraft is a Ki-71 directry.
But Ki-71 was a modified Ki-51. Hmmm...... Hard: :-[
Japanese explanation also says that Ki-71 had rounded wing root leading edge to accomodate landing gear same as Ki-43 Hayabusa and Ki44 Shoki.
How about this aircraft? Hmmm.....

Source : HAND BOOK OF JAPANESE AIRCRAFT 1910-1945. MODEL ART 31/3/1989

 

[dan_inbox]

Regarding the photo of the ｷ71 試作偵察襲撃機, I am glad it was of interest to such learned scholars. Unfortunately, as usual I have kept no more information than what is in the file's name. It is on my disk since 2012, along with some Ki-51.

This is actually one reason that make me hesitate to share photos here, even though I am eager to "repay" the enjoyment I get on this marvelous forum. Either my contribution will be uninteresting or I can expect that the resident experts will get on my case with source and reference questions. Questions that I can never answer: I am only an enthusiast, not a professional aviation historian.
- - -

Now, after 5 minutes checking the web, variants of the same photo are on 2 Japanese sites:
http://blog.hangame.co.jp/G575253133/article/31028689/cmt/0/ and http://nomura1205.sitemix.jp/rikugun_rev2/6.html
Larger and cleaner at http://files.hangame.co.jp/blog/2010/75/71c8fc9b/08/02/31028689/71c8fc9b_1280690486970.jpg
Maybe Blackkite-san or one of the Japanese-readers can find out more from there?

 

[blackkite]

Hi! I check all site.
Every site said that this photo shows retractable undercarriage.
How do you think about this?
Can you see retractable undercarriage housing at wing under surface?
I think that main feature which Ki-71 had were...
①Retractable undercarriage
②Round shape wing root leading edge
③Larger engine, Ki-71 ; Mitsubishi Kinsei HA-112, Take off power : 1300hp, Diameter : 1218mm, Length : 1675mm, Weight : 642kg
(Ki-51 ; Mitsubishi Zuisei HA-26Ⅱ, Take off power : 940hp, Diameter : 1118mm, Length : 1392mm, Weight : 526kg)
④Larger diameter propeller ; ki-71 : 3.0m, (Ki-51 : 2.9m)
If we can confirm these features in the photo clearly, no doubt it's a Ki-71 photo.
It's very hard for me to identify that this picture shows Ki-51 or Ki-71. :-[

 

[windswords]

After looking at the images provided by Blackkite-san I am leaning toward this being a Ki-51 with skis. The leading edge extension of the wing root is not there. But that is just my opinion. Do you all mind if I pose this question to the good folks over at J-Aircraft.com? They are experts over there.

Thanks!

This is actually one reason that make me hesitate to share photos here, even though I am eager to "repay" the enjoyment I get on this marvelous forum. Either my contribution will be uninteresting or I can expect that the resident experts will get on my case with source and reference questions. Questions that I can never answer: I am only an enthusiast, not a professional aviation historian.

Never be afraid or hesitant to post photos or drawings here. It's how we learn. I used copy pics from the web without noting their sources. Now I am more careful, because I want to give credit where credit is do, and it can provide more information on the subject in question.

 

[Stargazer]

Dan, do you (or anyone else) know the source of this photo?

Sites that give it as a Ki-51:
http://www.ijaafphotos.com/jbwki511.htm
http://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/1291/Micubisi-Ki-51
(and http://en.valka.cz/topic/view/1291/Micubisi-Ki-51)

Sites that give it as the Ki-71:
https://twitter.com/Rikugun_kokuki
http://nomura1205.sitemix.jp/rikugun_rev2/6.html
http://blog.hangame.co.jp/G575253133/article/31028689
http://www.geocities.jp/nomura1205/Pic_rikugunki/img79.html
http://www.kpinet.com/vodafone/word_library_detail.cfm?id=8711143

So apparently, it would seem more sites think it's a Ki-71, except it seems most are blogs that simply reposted the information they found elsewhere...
Also I find it strange that it's exactly the same picture, same size, reproduced everywhere, and no other photo turns up.
http://blog.hangame.co.jp/G575253133/article/31028689/cmt/0/

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Ki-51 three side view. Enjoy.
Source : As usual

 

[blackkite]

For Ki-71,
The first one's wing root shape is good as you already know.
The second one's engine nacelle shape seems to be good for me.
I want to call Ki-71 as Energetic Sonia or Sonia-kai. ;D

 

[hesham]

A profile

 

[airman]

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_mitsubishi_ki-71.html - found more info on historyofwar.org

during trials there was a speed of 292 mph ( 470 km/h) .

I don't know how kg of bombs Ki-71 was able to carried.

 

[windswords]

Nice profile Hesham! Do you know the source or website it came from?