Tachikawa Ki-54
1940 trainer aircraft family by Tachikawa; later adapted to other military roles
The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a twin-engine advanced trainer designed and produced by the Japanese aviation manufacturer Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd. Principally operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) during World War II, the aircraft was named Hickory by the Allies.
The Ki-54 was developed by Tachikawa between 1939 and 1940 as a twin-engine multirole aircraft that was optimised for the advanced trainer role. The prototype made its maiden flight in the summer of 1940; after completing service trials, the type entered production in 1941 as the Army Type 1 Advanced Trainer Model A (Ki-54a). This initial model was promptly followed by the Ki-54b as the Army Type 1 Operations Trainer Model B and Ki-54c as the Army Type 1 Transport Model C. Several other variants, such as the all-wooden Ki-110 and the Ki-54D Army Type 1 Patrol Bomber Model D were also produced in limited numbers, while further models were proposed. The type was used extensively and in various capacities throughout World War II by the IJAAS. Both production and IJAAS use of the Ki-54 was terminated in 1945. Following the Surrender of Japan, several abandoned and captured aircraft were flown in limited numbers by various operators, including the People's Liberation Army Air Force and Armée de l'Air.
Design and development
The origins of the Ki-54 can be traced back to late 1939, when the Koku Hombu requested the Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd to produce a new twin-engined aircraft suitable for both the trainer role and multiple other purposes. One of the requirements of this new aircraft was for its handling to accurately replicate that of contemporary twin-engined bombers then in service with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS); it was to be suitable for the training of various bomber crew positions, including those of the pilot, bombardier, navigator, gunner, and radio operator. The company's design team, headed by Ryokichi Endo, opted for a low-mounted wing configuration paired with a retractable undercarriage and a pair of Hitachi Ha13a radial engines fitted with variable-pitch propellers.
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