Nakajima Ki-63

[windswords]

Does anyone have an image of this project? It was radial engine version of the Ki-62 project which would have used the Ha-40 inline engine, a copy of the German DB-601. Instead of Nakajima making the Ki-62, Kawasaki built the Ki-60 and Ki-61 prototypes with the same engine and the Ki-61 Hien went into production. The Ki-63 which like the Ki-62 was never built was to have used a radial engine instead, the Mitsubishi Ha-102 of 1050 hp.

Most of you have seen drawings of the Ki-62, and it has been covered in this forum before (see http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=17017.0;all )

But I cannot find any drawings speculative or otherwise of the Ki-63. I was hoping that there may be some drawings from non english speaking websites that I have not been able to search.

 

[blackkite]

There are some informations aboit Ki-63 and Ki-62 in Japanese sources.
I will inform you these informations. Give me time.
Unfortunately I can't find any drawings of Ki-63 and Ki-62 in Japanese soursec still now.

 

[blackkite]

The Ki-63 heavy single seat fighter is a single seat fighter plane produced by the line of investigation formulated by the Japanese army in 1940, and was due to be ordered from the Nakajima airplane.
However, since the Nakajima airplane was devoted to the trial production of Ki-44 heavy fighter, development of Ki-63 fighter did not progress at all those days.
The engine with which Ki-63 fighter should be equipped is not in prospect, either, and research was started as the Ha 45 engine for the second performance gain proposal of Ki-44 fighter. Ha-44 engine had only the possibility of equipment in Ki-63. Therefore, the shadow of Ki-63 fighter became increasingly thin, and became a nominal existence in the autumn of 1941.
Then, development of Ki-63 fighter was canceled by interpreting the second performance gain proposal of Ki-44 as Ki-63.
Ki-63 was a mother of Ki-84.

Source : The IJA aircrafts, Gakken, 15/2/2011, ISBN978-4-05-606220-5

 

[blackkite]

Ki-63 was a heavy fighter plane which main purpose was bomber interception, and according to the design basic outline of Japanese army creation, the following engines were mentioned to the candidate as an equipment engine.
(1) Nakajima HA103 engine (air cooling 18 cylinders, take-off power : 1870 hp)
(2) Nakajima HA107 (HA47) engine (air cooling 18 cylinders, take-off power : 2200～2400 hp)
(3) Mitsubishi HA 203 engine (liquid cooling H24 cylinder, take-off power : 2600hp)
(4) Nakajima HA39 engine (liquid cooling inverse W18 cylinder, take-off power : 1900 hp)
The demanded maximam speed was 700 km/h or more, and armaments were two sets 7.7mm machine gun on the body and two sets 20mm machine gun at wings.
Combat radius : 400～600km+1hour

Source : All the Experimental Aircraft in Japanese Army, KANTOSHA MOOK, ISBN978-4-87357-233-8

 

[melwalker1186]

There are some informations aboit Ki-63 and Ki-62 in Japanese sources.
I will send you the information. I will research this and let you know soon. Give me time.
Unfortunately I can't find any drawings of Ki-63 and Ki-62 in Japanese soursec still now.

Are there any drawings really still in existence? Tried searching the web but no luck. Probably in libraries? Most likely Japanese libraries ?

 

[windswords]

Thank you for the information Blackkite. My sources said it was the Ha-102 radial engine that would have been used if a prototype of the Ki-63 had been built. The english language entry in Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Zuisei
says " The Mitsubishi Zuisei (瑞星 Holy Star?) was a 14-cylinder, supercharged, air-cooled, two-row radial engine used in a variety of early World War II Japanese aircraft. It was one of the smallest 14-cyl. engines in the world and the smallest diameter Japanese engine."

The diameter was 1,118 mm (44.0 in). If this was to be the original engine for a prototype it would have had very clean lines unlike the conversion of the Ki-61 to the Ki-100.

That's why I was hoping to find a drawing of the Ki-63. I think it would have been a good looking airplane. The Ki-84 also had a small diameter radial engine but of course it was a much larger and more powerful engine than the Zuisei.

Blackkite, did you see any reference to the Ha-102 Zuisei in your search for information about the Ki-63?

 

[blackkite]

Blackkite, did you see any reference to the Ha-102 Zuisei in your search for information about the Ki-63?

No windswords san.
I feel that Zuisei was small for Ki-63.
According to "the research schedule on the kind of next airplane" created by the Japanese army in June, 1940
(1) The target date of No. 1 completion of ki-63 heavy fighter : March, 1942
(2) The target date of the completion of examination of ki-63 heavy fighter : It had become December, 1942.
However, the target date of the completion of examination of ki-63 heavy fighter was changed in January, 1944 in October, 1941.
Source : All the Experimental Aircraft in Japanese Army

 

[blackkite]

Hi! My image for Nakajima Ki-63 heavy fighter with liquid cooling engine(HA40,DB601).
But Mitsubishi HA 203 engine (liquid cooling H24 cylinder, take-off power : 2600hp) and Nakajima HA39 engine (liquid cooling inverse W18 cylinder, take-off power : 1900 hp) were more large. ;D

 

[windswords]

Blackkite,

Thanks for looking. Here are my english sources for the Ki-63:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakajima_Ki-62 (mentions the Ki-63 as a variant)

http://www.daveswarbirds.com/Nippon/aircraft/Ki-62.htm (same mention as a variant)

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_nakajima_ki-63.html

All of these mention the Ha-102 as the engine for the Ki-63. This could be a case of one website repeating what another says.

I also found a Russian site that says the same thing. Here is the link to Translate it into english:

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aviarmor.net%2Faww2%2Fprojects%2Fjap%2Fnakajima_ki62.htm&edit-text=

 

[blackkite]

Thanks. Very beautiful shape!

 

[VictorXL188]

See post https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/nakajima-ki-62-light-fighter.22843/ for drawings of Ki-63