FeurerKrieg
Posts: 3397
Joined: 6/15/2005 From: Denver, CO Status: offline
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December brings us two new planes: Ki-45 KAIb - The first production type [the Ki-45 KAIa] was armed with two 12.7 mm gun in the nose, a single 20 mm in the belly, and a movable 7.92 in the rear cabin, and this was followed with the Otsu with the lower 20 mm cannon replaced by a 37 mm tank gun, to counter B-17 bombers. While the firepower was devastating, manual reloading meant that only two rounds could be fired per minute. The next type (Hei) restored the 20 mm cannon, and this time placed an automatic 37 mm gun in the nose. A later addition was twin obliquely-firing 20 mm cannon behind the cockpit and removal of the underside 20 mm guns. Kawanishi N1K Kyofu (Rex) This was a seaplane fighter, which the N1K1-J Shinden was developed. The Kyofu (Powerful Wind) was fast, and powerfully armed. By the time this plane made it to the field in 1943, Japans offensive capabilities turned to defense and only 97 were built. The Japanese Navy initiated a seaplane project, out of which came the A6M2 Reisen seaplane and the N1K1, which first flew in May of 1942. It was a mid-wing monoplane with large floats, powered by a 1460 hp Mitsubishi MK4D Kasei 14 radial engine driving a pair of counter-rotating two-bladed propellers. The production version started in spring of 1943 and ceased production in March of 1944. A Mitsubishi MK4E Kasei 15, 14-cylinder radial air-cooled engine, creating 1530 h.p, powered it.. Max speed 304 mph at 18,700 ft., ceiling 34,645 ft., range 1,036 miles. Armament was 2 20-mm cannon, 2 machine guns and up to 132 lbs. of bombs.
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