The was a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

light bomber of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. It was a single-engine,

mid-wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...

monoplane of Stressed skin, stressed-skin construction with a fixed Conventional landing gear, tailwheel undercarriage and a long transparent cockpit Aircraft canopy, canopy. The type had significance in being the first Japanese aircraft to be powered by a modern two-row radial engine. During the war, it was known by the Allies of World War II, Allies by World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft, the name Ann.

Design and development

The Ki-30 was developed in response to a May 1936 Imperial Japanese Army specification to replace the Kawasaki Ki-3 light bomber with a completely indigenously designed and built aircraft. Mitsubishi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Aerospace Company, Kawasaki were requested to build two prototypes each by December 1936. The specification called for a top speed of at 3,000 m (9,840 ft); normal operating altitude from 2,000 m (6,560 ft) to 4,000 m (13,130 ft), the ability to climb to 3,000 m (9,840 ft) within eight minutes and an engine to be selected from the Mitsubishi Ha-6 radial, Nakajima Ha-5 radial, or Kawasaki Ha-9-IIb liquid-cooled inline engines, a normal bomb load of and a maximum of , one forward-firing machine gun and one flexible rearward-firing machine gun, the ability to perform 60° dives for Dive bomber, dive bombing, and a loaded weight less than . The first Mitsubishi prototype flew on 28 February 1937 powered by a Mitsubishi Ha-6 radial. Originally, designed with a retractable main landing gear, wind tunnel tests indicated that the gain in speed was minimal due to the landing gear's extra weight and complexity and a fixed arrangement with "Aircraft fairing, spatted" main wheels was chosen instead. The wing was mounted at a point above the line of the aircraft's belly in order to fully enclose the bomb bay within the fuselage. The pilot sat just above the leading edge of the wing, and the rear-gunner/radio-operator just behind the wing trailing edge, in a long "greenhouse" Aircraft canopy, canopy which gave both crewmen excellent all-around vision. The Ha-6 engine drove a three-blade variable-pitch propeller (aircraft), propeller. A second prototype, fitted with the slightly more powerful Nakajima Ha-5 engine, was completed the same month. Although two months behind schedule and overweight, both prototypes met or exceeded every other requirement. The second prototype's top speed of at 4,000 m (13,130 ft) led the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force to place an order for 16 service trials machines. These were delivered in January 1938 and the result of the trials was that the Army ordered the Ki-30 into production in March under the designation Army Type 97 Light bomber. Mitsubishi built 618 production machines through April 1940, and the 1st Army Air Arsenal (Tachikawa Dai-Ichi Rikugun Kokusho) built 68 more by the time production ceased in September 1941. Including prototypes, a total of 704 Ki-30s were built.

Operational history

The Ki-30s were first used in combat in Second Sino-Japanese War from spring 1938. It proved to be reliable in rough field operations, and highly effective while operating with Fighter aircraft, fighter escort. This success continued in the early stages of the Pacific War, and the Ki-30s participated extensively in operations in the Philippines. However, once unescorted Ki-30s met Allies of World War II, Allied fighters, losses mounted rapidly and the type was soon withdrawn to second-line duties. By the end of 1942, most Ki-30s were relegated to a Flight training, training role. Many aircraft were expended in ''kamikaze'' attacks towards the end of the war. From late 1940, the Ki-30 was in service with the Royal Thai Air Force, and saw combat in January 1941 against the France, French in French Indochina in the French-Thai War. 24 aircraft were delivered, and were nicknamed ''Nagoya'' by the crews.Garlicki, Jarosław (2001). ''Historia lotnictwa wojskowego Królestwa Tajlandii w latach 1912 – 1945. Część 3. Wojna tajsko-francuska.'' "Militaria i Fakty". 4/2001, p. 37 Additional Ki-30s were transferred from Japan in 1942.

Operators

World War II

; *Imperial Japanese Army Air Force **No. 82 Dokuritsu Hikō Chutai IJAAF **No. 87 Dokuritsu Hikō Chutai IJAAF **No. 6 Hikō Sentai IJAAF **No. 16 Hikō Sentai IJAAF **No. 31 Hikō Sentai IJAAF **No. 32 Hikō Sentai IJAAF **No. 35 Hikō Sentai IJAAF **No. 90 Hikō Sentai IJAAF ; *Royal Thai Air Force

Post-war

; *Chinese Communist Air Force – Operated three captured Ki-30s used as trainers until the early 1950s. ; *Indonesian Air Force

Specifications (Ki-30)

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links

Ki-30 on www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org

A photograph of Ki-30 in Royal Thai Air Force service
{{Thai attack aircraft designations Mitsubishi aircraft, Ki-030 1930s Japanese bomber aircraft, Ki-30, Mitsubishi Single-engined tractor aircraft World War II Japanese bombers, Ki-30, Mitsubishi Aircraft first flown in 1937 Mid-wing aircraft