The Japanese Army Air Force Hikōtai Unit was an Imperial Japanese Army Air Service Air transport section (a Hikōtai) whose mission was to transport personnel, weapons and equipment to occupied territories or the combat front in wartime. Such units supported Army airborne forces during their missions as well.

Fleet

These service operated various types of aircraft: * Kawasaki Ki-3 (Liaison and communications) *

Nakajima Ki-4 The Nakajima Ki-4 was the last biplane reconnaissance aircraft of the Japanese Imperial Army. It saw combat service in Manchukuo and in north China during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Design and development The Ki-4 was i ...

(Liaison and communications) * Kokusai Ki-76 "Stella" (Liaison) * Kobeseiko Te-Gō (Liaison) * Mansyu Ki-97 (Communications) * Mitsubishi Ki-7 (Liaison) * Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah" (Liaison, communication and courier) * Tachikawa (Ishikawajima) Light Ambulance (Air Ambulance/liaison) *

Tachikawa Ki-9 The was an intermediate training aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force built by Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd in the 1930s. It was known to the Allies of World War II, Allies World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft, under t ...

"Spruce" (Communications) * Tachikawa Ki-17 "Cedar" (Communications) * Kayaba Ka-1 (communications helicopter) * Kawasaki Ki-56 "Thalia" (Merchant transport) * Kokusai Ki-59 "Theresa" (Light transport) * Mitsubishi Ki-1 (Heavy Bomber/Transport) * Mitsubishi Ki-7 (Light transport) * Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" (Heavy Bomber/transport) * Mitsubishi MC-20 (Transport version of Ki-21 bomber) *

Mitsubishi Ki-57 The Mitsubishi Ki-57 was a Japanese passenger transport aircraft, developed from the Ki-21 bomber, during the early 1940s. Development In 1938, when the Ki-21 heavy bomber began to enter service with the Imperial Japanese Army, its capability a ...

"Topsy" (Personnel transport) *

Nakajima Ki-34 The Nakajima Ki-34 was a Japanese light transport of World War II. It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane; the undercarriage was of tailwheel type with retractable main units. During the Pacific War, the Allies assigned the type the reporting ...

"Thora" (Personnel transport) *

Nakajima Ki-6 The was a licensed-produced version of the Fokker Super Universal transport built by Nakajima Aircraft Company in the 1930s. Initially used as an airliner, the militarized version was used by the Imperial Japanese Army in a variety of roles ...

(Light transport, version of Fokker 8 Super Universal) *

Nakajima Ki-49 The Nakajima Ki-49 ''Donryu'' (呑龍, "Storm Dragon")Francillon, 1970, p.223 was a twin-engine Japanese World War II heavy bomber. It was designed to carry out day bombing, daylight bombing missions, without the protection of escort fighters. Con ...

(Transport modification of Ki-49 bomber) *

Douglas DC-2 The Douglas DC-2 is a 14-passenger, twin-engined airliner that was produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Company starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935, Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which b ...

(Transport, 2 purchased, 6 manufactured under license) *

Douglas DC-5 The Douglas DC-5 (Douglas Commercial Model 5) was a 16-to-22-seat, twin-engine propeller aircraft intended for shorter routes than the Douglas DC-3 or Douglas DC-4. By the time it entered commercial service in 1940, many airlines were canceling ...

(Transport, 1 captured at KLM, evaluated and used for transport services) *

Tachikawa Type LO Transport Aircraft The Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra was an American civil passenger and cargo aircraft built by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation during the late 1930s. An outgrowth of the earlier Model 10 Electra, the Model 14 was also developed into larger ...

"Thelma" (Personnel transport) *

Tachikawa Ki-54 The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a Japanese twin-engine advanced trainer used during World War II. The aircraft was named Hickory by the Allies. History The Ki-54 was developed in response to an Imperial Japanese Army requirement for a twin-engine adva ...

"Hickory" (Light transport) * Kokusai Ku-8 "Gander" (Transport glider)

Manchoukuoan Air Transport Services

Within this unit in

Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of (Great) Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China, Manchuria from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 afte ...

the Manchukuo Air Transport Company developed. This unit functioned as a paramilitary transport service inside of Manchukuo Air Force for the transportation of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese and Manchu military personnel. They were equipped with Junkers Ju 86 Z-2, among other airplanes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hikotai Transport Unit Units and formations of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service