Kawasaki Type 88

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=KDA-2 (Type 88)


caption=
type=Reconnaissance biplane and night bomber
manufacturer=Kawasaki
designer=Richard Vogt of Dornier
first flight=1927
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
more users=
produced=1929-1932
number built=1117
variants with their own articles=The Kawasaki KDA-2 was a Japanese military reconnaissance biplane designed by the German Richard Vogt for the Imperial Japanese Army.

Development

The KDA-2 was designed by Richard Vogt to meet a Japanese Army requirement for a reconnaissance biplane. Three prototypes were built by Kawasaki in 1927. Following testing the aircraft was ordered into production as the Army Type 88-1 Reconnaissance Biplane. The aircraft had unequal span wings and a slim angular fuselage, cross-axle tailwheel landing gear and was powered by a 600hp (447kW) BMW VI engine. An improved version (the Type 88-II) was developed with an improved engine cowling and a revised tail unit. By the end of 1931 a total of 707 had been built by both Kawasaki and Tachikawa (187 of the total).

Between 1929 and 1932 a bomber version was built as the Type 88 Light Bomber and 407 were produced. A transport variant was developed as the KDC-2 with room for a pilot and four passengers in an enclosed cabin. Only two KDC-2s were built and one of was tested on floats.

Operational history

Both reconnaissance and the bomber version saw action with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in Manchuria and a few were still in service in 1937 during fighting at Shanghai.

Variants

;KDA-2:Three prototypes.;Type 88-I Reconnaissance Biplane:Production reconnaissance biplane.;Type 88-II Reconnaissance Biplane:Improved version of the 88-I, 707 built of both the 88-I and 88-II.;Type 88 Light Bomber:Light bomber variant able to carry 200 kilograms (441 lb) of bombs, 407 built.;KDC-2:Transport variant, two built.

Operators

;JPN
*Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

pecifications (88-II)

aerospecs
ref=cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn= |pages= 2238

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span m=15.00
span ft=49
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gross weight kg=2850
gross weight lb=6283
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eng1 number=1
eng1 type=BMW VI
eng1 kw= 447
eng1 hp= 600
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max speed mph=137
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armament1=2 x 7.7mm (0.303in) machine-gun (one fixed and one manual)
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References

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