Mitsubishi Ki-51

Ki-51
	Mitsubishi Ki-51
Role	Light bomber/dive bomber
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Jukogyo KK
First flight	mid-1939
Primary user	Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
Number built	2,385

The Mitsubishi Ki-51 (Army designation "Type 99 Assault Plane"; Allied reporting name "Sonia") was a light bomber/dive bomber in service with the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It first flew in mid-1939. Initially deployed against Chinese forces, it proved to be too slow to hold up against the fighter aircraft of the other Allied powers. However, it performed a useful ground-attack role in the China-Burma-India theater, notably from airfields too rough for many other aircraft. As the war drew to a close, the Japanese began using them in kamikaze attacks. Total production was around 2,385 units.

On the day Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb, a single Ki-51 was responsible for the last Japanese sinking of a US warship, sinking USS Bullhead (SS-332) with all hands.

Charles Lindbergh, flying a P-38 Lightning, shot down a Ki-51.^[2]

Variants[edit]

Prototypes: two built
Service trials: 11 built
Ki-51: 2,372 built (Manufacturers: Mitsubishi (1,462), Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal (913)) until March 1944
Ki-51A: reconnaissance version.
Ki-51B: assault version with armor and bomb racks to carry 200 kg (441 lb) of bombs. It could also be fitted with an aerial camera.
Mansyu Ki-71: three prototypes built by Mansyu with retractable landing gear, did not enter production.^[3]

Operators[edit]

Japan

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

Indonesia

Indonesian Air Force Ki-51 "Guntei" at Dirgantara Mandala Museum
Indonesian Air Force - In late 1945, the Indonesian People's Security Army (TKR) captured some aircraft at Japanese bases, including Bugis Air Base in Malang. Most aircraft were destroyed during the Indonesian National Revolution of 1945–1949. Two Yokosuka K5Y "Cureng", and a Ki-51 "Guntei" carried out a bombing operation against the Dutch on July 29, 1947.

China

Communist Chinese (captured): The last 4 of around 100 Ki-51s were retired in 1953.

Republic of China
Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Following independence, transferred from the Soviet Union.

Republic of Korea

Used by South Korean Airforce during Korean War

Specifications (Ki-51)[edit]

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War^[4]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 9.21 m (30 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 12.1 m (39 ft 8 in)
Height: 2.73 m (8 ft 11 in)
Wing area: 24 m² (260 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,873 kg (4,129 lb)
Gross weight: 2,798 kg (6,169 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 2,920 kg (6,437 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Mitsubishi Ha-26-II 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 710 kW (950 hp)
Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 424 km/h (263 mph, 229 kn) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
Range: 1,060 km (660 mi, 570 nmi)
Service ceiling: 8,270 m (27,130 ft)
Time to altitude: 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in 9 minutes 55 seconds
Wing loading: 117 kg/m² (24 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.24 kW/kg (0.15 hp/lb)

Armament

Guns:
- 2× fixed, forward-firing 7.7 mm (.303 in) Type 89 machine guns (replaced with 2× 12.7 mm (.5 in) Ho-103 machine guns in later models)
- 1× 7.7 mm (.303 in) Te-4 Machine gun rearward-firing machine gun.
Bombs: 200 kg (441 lb) bombs (normal operations); 250 kg (551 lb) for suicide operations^[4]

Notes[edit]

^ Angelucci, Enzo (1988). Combat aircraft of World War II. p. 26. ISBN 0-517-64179-8.
^ "Charles Lindbergh and the 475th Fighter Group." Lightning Strikes.
^ Francillon 1979, p. 180.
^ ^a ^b Francillon 1979, p. 181.

Bibliography[edit]

Francillon, René J. (1979). Japanese aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-30251-6. OCLC 6124909. (new edition 1987 by Putnam Aeronautical Books, ISBN 0-85177-801-1.)
Green, William & Swanborough, Gordon (n.d.). "Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty-Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation". Air Enthusiast Quarterly (2): 154–162. ISSN 0143-5450.
Soumille, Jean-Claude (September 1999). "Les avions japonais aux couleurs françaises" [Japanese Aircraft in French Colors]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et Son Histoire (in French) (78): 6–17. ISSN 1243-8650.

External links[edit]

[1] Angelucci, Enzo (1988). Combat aircraft of World War II. p. 26. ISBN 0-517-64179-8.

[2] "Charles Lindbergh and the 475th Fighter Group." Lightning Strikes.

[Francillon1979p180-3] Francillon 1979, p. 180.

[Francillon1979p181-4] Francillon 1979, p. 181.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Tachikawa aircraft
Imperial Japanese Army types	Ki-9 Ki-17 Ki-24 Ki-25 Ki-26 Ki-29 Ki-36 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-70 Ki-71 Ki-72 Ki-74 Ki-77 Ki-92 Ki-94 Ki-104 Ki-106 Ki-110 Ki-111 Ki-114 SS-1 T.S. 1 R-38
World War II Allied reporting names	Cedar Clara Hickory Ida (Ki-36) Ida (Ki-55) Pat Patsy Sonia Spruce

v t e Mansyu/Manshu aircraft
Mansyu developments	Ki-71 Ki-79 Ki-98
Civil aircraft	Hayabusa
licensed production	Army Type 88 Reconnaissance Aircraft Army Type 91 Fighter Ki-6 Super Universal Ki-9 Ki-10 Ki-15 Ki-27 Ki-30 Ki-32 Ki-34 Ki-43 Ki-44 Ki-45 Ki-46 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-61 Ki-84 Ki-116

v t e Imperial Japanese Army Air Service aircraft designations
1-50	Ki-1 Ki-2 Ki-3 Ki-4 Ki-5 Ki-6 Ki-7 Ki-8 Ki-9 Ki-10 Ki-11 Ki-12 Ki-13 Ki-14 Ki-15 Ki-16 Ki-17 Ki-18 Ki-19 Ki-20 Ki-21 Ki-22 Ki-23 Ki-24 Ki-25 Ki-26 Ki-27 Ki-28 Ki-29 Ki-30 Ki-31 Ki-32 Ki-33 Ki-34 Ki-35 Ki-36 Ki-37 Ki-38 Ki-39 Ki-40 Ki-41 Ki-42 Ki-43 Ki-44 Ki-45 Ki-46 Ki-47 Ki-48 Ki-49 Ki-50
51-100	Ki-51 Ki-52 Ki-53 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-56 Ki-57 Ki-58 Ki-59 Ki-60 Ki-61 Ki-62 Ki-63 Ki-64 Ki-66 Ki-67 Ki-68 Ki-69 Ki-70 Ki-71 Ki-72 Ki-73 Ki-74 Ki-75 Ki-76 Ki-77 Ki-78 Ki-79 Ki-80 Ki-81 Ki-82 Ki-83 Ki-84 Ki-85 Ki-86 Ki-87 Ki-88 Ki-89 Ki-90 Ki-91 Ki-92 Ki-93 Ki-94 Ki-95 Ki-96 Ki-97 Ki-98 Ki-99 Ki-100
100-	Ki-101 Ki-102 Ki-103 Ki-105 Ki-106 Ki-107 Ki-108 Ki-109 Ki-110 Ki-111 Ki-112 Ki-113 Ki-114 Ki-115 Ki-116 Ki-117 Ki-118 Ki-119 Ki-147 Ki-148 Ki-167 Ki-174 Ki-200 Ki-201 Ki-202 Ki-230