Japanese Fighter Performance

[Zipper730]

I'm curious if anybody has some technical and performance data various Japanese fighters, even WWII Aircraft Performance is kind of light on this area. Also, it's all too common to see the most popular variant listed in performance, but not all of them (and the most numerous variant wasn't always in all the decisive battles).

What I'm particularly interested in are the following

1. Mitsubishi A5M Claude
   • How much difference is there in speed between the variants?
   • Is there any significant difference in engine-power settings, critical-altitudes, or service-ceilings?
2. Kawasaki Ki-10 Perry
   • How much difference is there in speed between the variants? 12.5 mph seems a number commonly cited, but I'm not sure if the early models did 236, or 248.5 with the later versions doing 248.5 or 261 mph. Admittedly 261 seems a bit high for a biplane, but the F3F could do around 264 mph.
   • Is there any significance critical altitudes, or service ceilings between variants?
3. Nakajima Ki-27 Nate/Abdul
   • The service ceiling data seems a bit bizarre: 10040 meters was one figure I saw, which comes out to 32940', and the other was around 12150 or 12250 which is in the ball park of 40,000 feet.
   • Most figures list a top-speed of around 292 mph, though others seem to include around 270 mph: Is this a discrepancy due to variants, power-settings, or other?
   • Does anything have anything on engine power & critical altitudes with variants?
4. Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
   • Does anybody have any rate-of-climb and critical altitude figures for the Ki-43-I?
   • I've heard some discrepancies in climb-rates for the Ki-43-II. Some sources list around 3900 fpm, other data sources seem to indicate around 3600-3750

I know that's a lot of stuff to request, and while I'm at it, I'm also curious if there's any websites that have access to this data. As a general rule I would go to the World War II Aircraft Performance site, but there's very little information available on some of the early variants.

 

[GrauGeist]

This is a good place to find details on IJA and IJN aircraft.

J-aircraft.com Main Page

 

[CORSNING]

I'm curious if anybody has some technical and performance data various Japanese fighters, even WWII Aircraft Performance is kind of light on this area. Also, it's all too common to see the most popular variant listed in performance, but not all of them (and the most numerous variant wasn't always in all the decisive battles).

What I'm particularly interested in are the following

1. Mitsubishi A5M Claude
   • How much difference is there in speed between the variants?
   • 252 mph (A5M1) - 270 mph (A5M4) Published.
   • Is there any significant difference in engine-power settings, critical-altitudes, or service-ceilings? You betcha: 630 hp./1,500 m (A5M1) - 785 hp./3,000 m (A5M4)
2. Kawasaki Ki-10 Perry
   • How much difference is there in speed between the variants? 12.5 mph seems a number commonly cited, but I'm not sure if the early models did 236, or 248.5 with the later versions doing 248.5 or 261 mph. Admittedly 261 seems a bit high for a biplane, but the F3F could do around 264 mph. Ki.10-I: 248.5 mph. - Ki.10-I Kai: 261 mph.
   • Is there any significance critical altitudes, or service ceilings between variants?
   • Ki.10-I & Ki.10-Kai: 32,810 ft. Ki.10-II: 37,730 ft.
   • Russian tests according to their graphs give a top speed of 233 mph./4,375 m.
3. Nakajima Ki-27 Nate/Abdul
   • The service ceiling data seems a bit bizarre: 10040 meters was one figure I saw, which comes out to 32940', and the other was around 12150 or 12250 which is in the ball park of 40,000 feet. Odd, neither William Greene nor Rene Francillon wish to commit here...???
   • 
     
   • Most figures list a top-speed of around 292 mph, though others seem to include around 270 mph: Is this a discrepancy due to variants, power-settings, or other?
   • Does anything have anything on engine power & critical altitudes with variants?
   • I used to be anything so: 710 hp./T.O., 780 hp./2,900 m.
4. Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar
   • Does anybody have any rate-of-climb and critical altitude figures for the Ki-43-I?
   • Sorry, not at this time.
   • I've heard some discrepancies in climb-rates for the Ki-43-II. Some sources list around 3900 fpm, other data sources seem to indicate around 3600-3750
   • I'm going with the TAIC reports: In the 1944 report they calculated the maximum
   • climb rate at 3,590 fpm./2,439 m. In the revised 1945 report they stated maximum
   • climb to be 3,365 fpm./2,895 m.

I know that's a lot of stuff to request,
Yep, but it was fun.
and while I'm at it, I'm also curious if there's any websites that have access to this data.
Yusta could (warbirdsforum).
As a general rule I would go to the World War II Aircraft Performance site,
Excellent move, those gentlemen are superlative.
but there's very little information available on some of the early variants.

I have a $100 dollar bill that says they (or I) are working on it.

 

[Graeme]

Odd, neither William Greene nor Rene Francillon wish to commit here...???

Agreed, it is odd. Some time ago I saw that 40,000 ft figure and tried to establish where it came from. Sources that I have from the late 50's through to the 60's simply state for the Nate's ceiling - "not available" or "not recorded".
Just a theory of mine, but somewhere around the mid 70's Bill (William) Gunston in one of his many encyclopedias said "not recorded, but about 34,400 ft (10,500 m)". Then in 1977 William Green comes up with 40,190 ft in his WW2 Aircraft Fact Files series when in the past he never printed a figure. Authors outdoing each other? Or did Japanese resources become available around this time?

 

[taly01]

The service ceiling data seems a bit bizarre: 10040 meters was one figure I saw, which comes out to 32940', and the other was around 12150 or 12250 which is in the ball park of 40,000 feet. Odd,

Generic answer - we are looking at conversions from metres to feet, then confusion as to what the original data was in, then some old fashion errors or misprinted or damaged numbers on pages, in many cases these errors have been repeated numerous times by many authors over the last 70 years!

Actual answer the Ki-27 has an extremely low wing loading which would help it get to high altitude.

Does anybody have any rate-of-climb and critical altitude figures for the Ki-43-I?

Ki-43-I US TAIC
2920 fpm/SL
2690 fpm/14500ft

Ki-43-I uses Sakae engine, here is a nice simplified table The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Sakae Aircraft Engine. PRO TIP - I have noticed almost all planes peak speeds are just above supercharger rated heights (optimisation of engine power vs air density), if any planes given data does not show that its *probably* wrong.

I've heard some discrepancies in climb-rates for the Ki-43-II. Some sources list around 3900 fpm, other data sources seem to indicate around 3600-3750

Most data for Ki-43-II you'll find is from a test of the early Ki-43-IIa version without armour for pilot, but 3900fpm seems too high for any combat loaded Ki-43.

Ki-43-IIb US TAIC (has pilot armour and leak proofed fuel tanks)
3290 fpm/SL
2850 fpm/17500ft

Ki-43-III US TAIC (has pilot armour and leak proofed fuel tanks)
3430 fpm/SL
2620 fpm/20400ft

The US TAIC are not definitive but in this case I think they are pretty good. Even the US TAIC shows that to outclimb the Ki-43-III at sea level they need 1945 P-38 and P-51 with the super boosted engines!

 

[Micdrow]

There is lots of info on this stuff just got to dig through the threads and download the pdfs. Just a few links posted on this web site.

Japanese Aircraft Performance
TAIC Summary Reports Japanese Aircraft
TAIC 1 Report Japanese Aircraft

 

[CORSNING]

Great information taly01. Is there anyway to get the full TAIC reports
on the Ki.43-I and Ki.43-III?
Very excited, Jeff

 

[Micdrow]

Want to learn Japanese part of the manual on the Ki-43

Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar Type 1 Fighter

 

[Micdrow]

This page will give you direct links to a multitude of Japanese aircraft manuals. Warning all in Japanese. Though some have nice pictures and others not so much

Manual Index - Japan

 

[taly01]

Great information taly01. Is there anyway to get the full TAIC reports on the Ki.43-I and Ki.43-III?

I've only found the summary graphs or data pages for them,

The Ki-43-I was in Researcher@Large - 1943 Air Information Summary 12

Ki-43-III is in TAIC Manual No.2, 3rd Edition, June 1945.

Even the US TAIC (1945) shows that to outclimb the Ki-43-III at sea level they need 1945 P-38 and P-51 with the super boosted engines!

Ooops I forget to look at USN planes, have to add Wildcat FM-2 (better than Hellcat -5 and Corsair F4U-4 at sea level)

 

[Zipper730]

This is a good place to find details on IJA and IJN aircraft.

J-aircraft.com Main Page

It appears they don't plan to approve my membership request (I haven't gotten anything back)