Rikugun Kogiken Heavy Fighter

Justo Miranda

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In the summer 1941 the Kogiken design team, from the Army Aero-Technical Research Institute (Rikugun), under the leadership of Ando Sheigo, proposed to the IJA the construction of a heavy fighter powered by one 1,460 hp Nakajima Ha-45 air-cooled radial engine, driving a four-bladed airscrew by means of an extension shaft.

The engine was buried into the fuselage and mounted over the wing; a configuration that had been used by the Italian fighter Piaggio P.119 in 1940. Such as installation offer improved manoeuvrability and visibility from the cockpit and the possibility of mounting several heavy guns grouped in the nose. Many problems had to be solved before a suitable cooling system was obtained. For the first project, denominated Plan I Type A, Kogiken proposed using two air scoops positioned at both sides of the cockpit, but the system was found to be inefficient.

Type A would be armed with 20 mm Ho-5 cannon, firing trough the propeller hub, two 12.7 mm Ho-103 heavy machine guns mounted in the nose, and two wing mounted Ho-103. In the second configuration, Plan I Type B, the cockpit was placed behind the engine for easy cooling. In order to reduce drag, the nose was prolonged to allow a finely tapered cowling, with a narrow annular intake and cooling fan.

The Type B would be armed with a 20 mm Ho-5 cannon, firing trough the propeller hub, two 12.7 mm Ho-103 heavy machine guns mounted in the nose, two wing mounted Ho-103 and two 7.7mm Type 97 light guns in front of the windscreen. The third Plan I Type B-1 configuration had the air scoop located under the nose and one 37 mm Ho-203 cannon, through the propeller hub. The engine proposed for this version was a 1,990 hp Mitsubishi NK9H Homare 21 or a 2,000 hp Nakajima Ha-145.

Type A technical data

Wingspan: 9.35 m, length: 8.74 m, height: 3.30 m, wing area: 14.6 sq.m, max speed: 700 kph, max weight: 2,291 kg, range: 600 km.

Type B technical data

Wingspan: 9.35 m, length: 8.87 m, height: 3.70 m, wing area: 14.6 sq.m, max speed: 700 kph, max weight: 2,295 kg, range: 600 km.
 

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