Mitsubishi Ki-83

[saturncanuck]

Does anyone have any good views of this twin-engined fighter? The only ones I have seen are blurred and usually in US markings.

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Enjoy. Ki-83 marked 762km/h in post war American test in Matsumoto airport Japan.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/airplane/museum/cl-pln10/2002cl/Ki83.html
http://www.horae.dti.ne.jp/~foxone/194.htm
http://military.sakura.ne.jp/ac/ki83.htm
http://www.geocities.jp/skatan2/ki_83.htm
http://pixiv.cc/damarin/archives/cat_35798.html
http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/takeo.n/riku-19.htm
http://kantan-search.org/image/%E8%A9%A6%E4%BD%9C%E9%81%A0%E8%B7%9D%E9%9B%A2%E6%88%A6%E9%97%98%E6%A9%9F/?safety=off
http://www.geocities.jp/shifunku/aircraft/idx_ki-83_proto.htm

 

[ChuckAnderson]

Hi saturncanuck!

I have a good 3-view line drawing that I can send you.

Just let me know and I'll send it right away!

Chuck Anderson
cbakiteskites@yahoo.com

 

[Bailey]

Will this help ?

http://www.grumlinas.lt/lektuvai/Mitsubishi_Ki-83.png

Regards Bailey.

 

[blackkite]

Hi Ki-83 pictures.

 

[shaba]

is this intended to be an advanced development of the ki-83 note the nacale is very different.http://pixiv.blogimg.jp/damarin/imgs/7/d/7de688aa.jpg

 

[saturncanuck]

Hi Ki-83 pictures.

Nice ones.

I had never seen the one of her flying before.

Where did you get these?

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Please check the site which I posted and you can find them.
Background was Mt.Fuji.(富士山）

 

[saturncanuck]

Hi! Please check the site which I posted and you can find them.
Background was Mt.Fuji.(富士山）

Thanks

But was it taken with Fuji film?

(giggles)

 

[blackkite]

HaHaHa Kodak film ;D

is this intended to be an advanced development of the ki-83 note the nacale is very different.http://pixiv.blogimg.jp/damarin/imgs/7/d/7de688aa.jpg

Inter cooler air outlet?

 

[Antonio]

From Koku-fan Illustrated: Imperial Japanese Army Aircraft

1. 3 view drawing

2. Ki-83 in flight (sorry, in US markings but I think it's a nice shot anyway)

 

[blackkite]

Thanks for good picture. It was very dangerous to fly with Rising-Sun at post war. ;D
This picture represent her beauty and power very much.
Ki-83 was as fast as Grumman F7F.
Both fighters are also good looking.

 

[T-50]

I go for the Mitsubishi Ki-83,because it was planned with cannons and the F7F has only machineguns.
The Ki-83 has better aerodynamics,better visibility for the pilot.
And it was equipped with armor plates for pilot,engines and fueltanks,that early designs from Japan sadly not possed

 

[Justo Miranda]

From
WWII Illustrated -1945 Japan Project Aircraft
Koei Co.LTD.
1997

 

[windswords]

On some of the drawings it looks like their is a set of 3 or so small windows on the fuselage between the canopy and the Hinomaru (national marking - red "meatball"). Does anyone know it is in fact windows and what its purpose is?

 

[gral_rj]

On some of the drawings it looks like their is a set of 3 or so small windows on the fuselage between the canopy and the Hinomaru (national marking - red "meatball"). Does anyone know it is in fact windows and what its purpose is?

They're windows indeed. It's the second crewman's station.

 

[windswords]

What did this second crewman do? It looks like you better not have claustraphobia if you were assigned that position!

 

[Jemiba]

"What did this second crewman do?"

Radio operator/ navigator ? The position may have been not worse, than in the
"coal hole" in a SeaVixen or a Canberra B(I).8.

 

[blackkite]

Hi! It's not meatball. It's Rising-Sun. ;D
Development of Ki-83 began in May 1941. Meiden flight was November 1944. Chief designer was Tomio Kubo(久保富夫，Ki-46 designer).
Ki-83 was a long range escort fighter and a ground attacker. Basically it's a single seater but commander plane had a unlucky navigator/radio operater seat.
Overall length:12.5m, wing span:15.5m, Height:4.6m, Wing Area:33.71m2, Empty weight:5,910kg, MTOW:8,930kg, Seavice ceiling:12,600m,
Range:2,800km, Max speed:704.5km/h(9,000m), Engine:Mitsubishi HA-211 RU 18 Cylinder Turbo Charged engine(Take off power:2,200HP),
Armament:30mm canon;2, 20mm canon;2.

 

[redstar72]

Hi all!
Some info on this beautiful aircraft from this book:

 

[redstar72]

And some more...

 

[windswords]

redstar72,

Thanks for these great diagrams! It seems from looking at them that the only way for the 2nd crewmen to enter or leave the aircraft was through a hatch in the bottom of the plane just in front of his seat. Hmmm, that might be a problem during a belly landing! If anyone else knows for sure what his duties were please let us know.

 

[Kugelblitz]

"Hi! Enjoy. Ki-83 marked 762km/h in post war American test in Matsumoto airport Japan."

Thank you very much Blackkite!

I´ve been looking for confirmation of this fact, since stumpling upon the number 762 in connection with the Ki-83 on a polish site years ago.

It´s interesting how Japanese fighters performed better in allied post war tests, than the textbook figures tell. Do you know if there´s any single accesible source to the measured performances in allied post war tests?

 

[T-50]

I'm curious if there was an radar equipped Ki-83,if so which radar or antennae type was planned for this beautiful aircraft.

 

[Artie Bob]

Just a thought, If post WWII tests by the US used american fuel, then performance might be significantly improved. I am not knowledgeable concerning Japanese ratings, but my intuition says the american fuel might allow engine operation at significantly higher manifold pressure.

Best Regards,

Artie Bob

 

[saturncanuck]

I realize that this is probably a question for the "designations" section, but, speculating, being as the JNAF was supposed to get some of the Ki-83s, any thoughts on what the designation might have been.

(Andreas, please dont move this.... David)

 

[redstar72]

as the JNAF was supposed to get some of the Ki-83s, any thoughts on what the designation might have been.

J5M1, maybe?...

 

[saturncanuck]

as the JNAF was supposed to get some of the Ki-83s, any thoughts on what the designation might have been.

J5M1, maybe?...

The number "5" was allocated to the J5N1 Nakajima Tenrai twin-engined fighter. So, I was thinking J9M1.

 

[redstar72]

Yes, I know about Tenrai, and this is the main reason for number "5" as for me! Ki 83 was twin-engined fighter conceptually similar to the Tenrai, while the last was rather unsuccessful (only 597 km/h maximum speed, instead of 660 km/h required by specification, etc.); so, it could seem logical if the Navy would decide to cancel Tenrai and replace it with Ki 83 - in this case, naturally, Ki 83 would become J5M1... And I think, "8" and "9" numbers were allocated to rocket and jet projects / prototypes. In some sources, the Kikka is mentioned as J9N1.

 

[saturncanuck]

Yes, I know about Tenrai, and this is the main reason for number "5" as for me! Ki 83 was twin-engined fighter conceptually similar to the Tenrai, while the last was rather unsuccessful (only 597 km/h maximum speed, instead of 660 km/h required by specification, etc.); so, it could seem logical if the Navy would decide to cancel Tenrai and replace it with Ki 83 - in this case, naturally, Ki 83 would become J5M1... And I think, "8" and "9" numbers were allocated to rocket and jet projects / prototypes. In some sources, the Kikka is mentioned as J9N1.

J6K was the Kawanishi Jinpu (but was not proceeded with)
J7W was the Kyushu Shinden
J8M was the Mitsubishi Shusui (sort of a Japanese Me 163)

So, being as the designations were used and never cancelled, that leaves J9N1. However, if the Kikka was allocated a short designation, then the Ki-83 would have predated it, so the Kikka would have been J10N.

That's my take on it, but I want to hear other opinions..........

 

[elmayerle]

I'm curious if there was an radar equipped Ki-83,if so which radar or antennae type was planned for this beautiful aircraft.

Perhaps the nicely streamlined installation, with wooden radome, of the Aichi S1A1?

 

[DWG]

Yes, I know about Tenrai, and this is the main reason for number "5" as for me! [snip]

[snip]
So, being as the designations were used and never cancelled, that leaves J9N1. However, if the Kikka was allocated a short designation, then the Ki-83 would have predated it, so the Kikka would have been J10N.

That's my take on it, but I want to hear other opinions..........

There's precedent for duplication of the ordinal number where the aircraft were developed to the same requirement or were otherwise related:

Mitsubishi A1M
Nakajima A1N

Aichi D3A
Nakajima D3N
Yokosuka/Kugisho D3Y

So if the Ki-83 was procured to the same requirement as the Tenrai it would be the J5M, the J6M if it was to the requirement that led to the J6K and so on.