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I am not expecting four Hispano's but the Japanese weren't coming close to even two Hispano's for much of the war in their existing twins.
The Ki-45 carried an over 400 liter fuel tank between the pilot and the rear gunner/loader/radio operator. Yes you could move the fuel out into the wing and get rid of the tunnel gun to fit a bomb inside the aircraft.
Bingo.The problem starts with the Ki-45 using just one of these guns and a pair of the small 12.7mm machine guns which is a small return for the 2 engines invested in the machine.
The Ki-96 showed up near the end of the 1943 and maybe more of what Tomo had in mind.
Note that my emphasis is more on 'make the better bombers' rather than to 'fix the heavy fighters'. Don't make any bespoke 2-engined fighter for all I care.The 2 engine fighters could certainly have been improved.
But you are trying to have them take over for the 2 engine bombers which were somewhat of a sorry bunch.
Fix/replace the bombers and then fix the fighters.
Ki-48 Lily
It was produced in numbers of over 1500 too many, perhaps none should have been built. (1997 total).
It went into production in the summer of 1940. The guns (3) had 3/4 the rate of fire of Vickers K gun and about 70% of the ammo capacity in the drum. And the British were trying frantically to fit twin guns in many aircraft. Germans were also adding 2-3 more guns in their bombers in the summer of 1940.
Japanese had no protection in the early versions (until the summer of 1942).
Typical bombload was six 50 kg bombs and used a 4 man crew. Had a wing around 1/3rd larger than the Ki-45 wing. Was developed after the Ki-45.
Single 800kg bombs are good against large warships, not so good against most other Pacific targets.
The Japanese could have used bombers that could drop 1500-2000kg of 250-500kg bombs (or a crap load of 100-125kg bombs) to saturate air fields and ground positions.
Asking some modified fighters to stand in wasn't going to change the situation much.
Perhaps the KI-83 would fit the bill, Tomo?
It was fast and capable of high altitude performance along with a decent range.
It was heavily armed (two 20mm and two 30mm cannon).
And most important, it was reported to have exceptional maneuverability.
The problem for the Japanese is that they are 1-2 years late in engine development. Most of their 2 speed engines (or higher horsepower ones) show up in 1942.Japanese need something for 1942-43 to induce the probems to the 'West' (even 1944 is too late). Sorta Japanese Mosquito, obviously with radials instead of the V12s
The Ki-45 was actually rather useful in 1942, more as an attack plane or strafer rather than for air to air combat. But the Japanese didn't have much in the way of converted bombers for strafing.Note that my emphasis is more on 'make the better bombers' rather than to 'fix the heavy fighters'. Don't make any bespoke 2-engined fighter for all I care.
We are back to the engine situation (and the guns).Good - have Kawasaki make a small bomber instead of both Ki-45 and Ki-48.
For some reason the Japanese got stuck on the 1000kg bomb load (or close to it) and just tried to increase the range and speed and/or throw a few more 7.7mm mgs out the side windows.See, there is a lot to improve upon
Two 1500 HP engines and better should really be lugging the, at least 2000 kg bomb load around.
Sorry, I meant using the Ki-45 as a bomber or any competitor (ki-46).Yes, modifying the Zeros or Oscars into bombers is a worse thing than making good bombers from the get go.
Problems lay there, but also elsewhere.The problem for the Japanese is that they are 1-2 years late in engine development. Most of their 2 speed engines (or higher horsepower ones) show up in 1942.
The Ki-21II shows up early, Dec 1940 with it's 1500hp T-O engine.
The Ki-48 doesn't get the good version of the engine until April 1942. How long before it is the dominate version?
The Ki-45 doesn't get the good version of the engine until early 1942. How long before it is the dominate version?
The Ki-49 doesn't get the good version of the engine until Sept 1942. How long before it is the dominate version?
The G4M1 used two engines before they got to the G4M2. The 2nd engine in the G4M1 didn't show up until they were taking losses around Port Moresby. This engine, while rated at the same take-off power (1530hp) as the first offered 1280hp at 6000 meters instead of 1340hp at 4,000 meters.
You don't get the 1500hp small engines in 1942. You get the big 1500hp engines in 1942 and small 1100-1150hp engines that can make power in the high teens.
The Ki-46 was using and rated for 1080hp for take-off and 1055hp at 2800 meters until the end of 1942/beginning of 1943 when the 1500hp Ha 112-II stared showing up. And they kept the older engine in production into 1944, so 1943 saw both.
The Ki-45 was actually rather useful in 1942, more as an attack plane or strafer rather than for air to air combat. But the Japanese didn't have much in the way of converted bombers for strafing.
We are back to the engine situation (and the guns).
For some reason the Ki-45 could fly about 1000 miles clean (1400 miles with drop tanks) with a 2 man crew and the Ki-48 needed 4 men to fly 1200-1300miles.
Pilot, Bomb aimer/gunner, radio operator/dorsal gunner, navigator/ventral gunner?
Roger that.Sorry, I meant using the Ki-45 as a bomber or any competitor (ki-46).
We really need to figure out what the Japanese were thinking with those large crews, small bomb loads and poor gun armament.
A twin engine fighter must have the heavier structure than a 2-engined bomberA twin engine fighter can have a heavier structure weight than a bomber (twin engine dive bombers may be in anther class) and that structure weight has to come out of the bomb load or fuel load or??????
Bigger engines made things a bit easier.
they also made getting off the ground a bit easier for the bombers