Kawasaki Ki-10

Infobox Aircraft
name = Ki-10
type = Biplane fighter
manufacturer = Kawasaki Heavy Industries

---

caption = Ki-10 Model 1
designer =
first flight =
introduced = 1935
retired = 1942
status =
primary user = IJA Air Force
more users =
produced =
number built = 588
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =The nihongo|Kawasaki Ki-10|九五式戦闘機|Kyūgo-shiki sentōki was the last biplane fighter plane used by the Imperial Japanese Army, entering service in 1935. Built by Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō KK for the Imperial Japanese Army, it saw combat service in Manchukuo and in north China during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Its reporting name given by the Allies was "Perry".

Design & Development

The Ki-10 was designed by Japanese aeronautical engineer Takeo Doi, who had succeeded Richart Vogt as chief designer for Kawasaki. The design was in response to a requirement issued by the Imperial Japanese Army for a new fighter plane, and was the winner of a competition against Nakajima's Ki-11. Although the low-wing monoplane offered by Nakajima was more advanced, the Army preferred the more maneuverable biplane offered by Kawasaki.

The Kawasaki design had unequal span wings, braced by struts, and with upper-wing ailerons. The structure was of all-metal construction, which was then fabric-covered. Armament consisted of two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns, synchronized to fire through the propellers. The initial production version was powered by a liquid-cooled Convert|633|kW|hp|-1|abbr=on Kawasaki Ha-9-IIa V engine.

Operations

The Ki-10 was deployed in Manchuria and in the initial campaigns of the Second Sino-Japanese War in northern China. It proved an excellent dogfighter against the Chinese air force, including at the Battle of Wuhan. However, by the time of the Nomonhan Incident in 1939, against the forces of Soviet Russia, it was largely obsolete.

At the beginning of the Pacific War, the Ki-10 was retired to training and secondary missions, but later returned to front-line service, performing short-range patrol and reconnaissance missions in Japan proper and China in January-February, 1942.

Variants

* Ki-10 : Prototype for Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (4 built in early 1935).
* Ki-10 I (Army Fighter Type 95-I): Initial production version (300 built December 1935 - October 1937)
* Ki-10 II : Prototype of modified Mark I, increased in length (1 built May 1936)
* Ki-10 II (Army Fighter Type 95-2): Improved production version (280 built June 1937-December 1938)
* Ki-10 I kai : Prototype Ki-10-I with modifications to engine and radiator (1 built October 1936)
* Ki-10 II kai : Prototype - Aerodynamic modification of Ki-10-II, now designated Ki-10-I-kai, with Convert|850|hp|kW|-1|abbr=on Kawasaki Ha-9-IIb engine (2 built November 1937)

Total production: 588 units

Operators

Military operators

;flag|Japan
* Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

pecifications (Ki-10-I)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=one, pilot
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 7.55 m
length alt= 24 ft 9 in
span main= 10.02 m
span alt= 32 ft 10 in
height main= 3 m
height alt= 9 ft 10 in
area main= 20 m2
area alt= 215.3 ft2
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,300 kg
empty weight alt= 2,866 lb
loaded weight main= 1,650 kg
loaded weight alt= 3,638 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Kawasaki Ha-9-IIa
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main= 634 kW
power alt= 850 hp
power original=
max speed main=400 km/h at 3000 m
max speed alt= 250 mph at 9,840 ft
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 1,100 km
range alt=688 miles
ceiling main= 11,500 m
ceiling alt= 37,720 ft
climb rate main= 1,000 m/min
climb rate alt= 3,280 ft/min
loading main= 82.5 kg/m²
loading alt= 16.9 lb/sq ft
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* 2 × fixed forward-firing 7.7 mm caliber Type 89 machine guns
avionics=

References

*cite book
last = Francillon
first = Rene
year = 1979
title = Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War
publisher = Putnam
location =
id = AISN B000OK9ETY
*cite book
last = Green
first = William
year = 1990
coauthor= Gordon Swanborough
title = The Complete Book of Fighters
publisher = Greenwich Editions
location = London
id = ISBN 0-86288-220-6
*cite book
last = Mikesh
first = Robert
year = 1990
title = Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 1557505632

External links

* [http://www.aviastar.org/air/japan/a_kawasaki.html Virtual Aircraft Museum]

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
Gloster Gauntlet - Hawker Fury - Heinkel He 51
lists=
see also=