Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai

This page is about the Japanese fighter Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai. For other variants, see Ki-27 (Family).

Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai

Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai

Japan

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	2.0	1.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:250

Show in game

Description

The Ki-27 otsu is of the 4th Sentai based in the Japanese Tachiarai Air Base, located in Fukuoka, Kyūshū. Established in 1919 and in 1940 as an Army Flight School, it trained all new Army pilots to be ready for aerial combat over the skies of Asia.

The Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai was introduced in Update "Starfighters". Serving as a very good example of what to expect from the Japanese air tree, the Ki-27 excels in manoeuvrability above all else, having average survivability with lacklustre firepower.

Nicknames

• IJA Pilot Abbreviation: Kyū-Nana Sen (九七戦, "9-7 Fighter").
• Allied reporting name: Nate
• CBI reporting name: Abdul

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 3 500 m495 km/h

Turn time10 s

Max altitude8 500 m

EngineNakajima Kotobuki 41

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight2 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 3,500 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	476	464	8500	10.2	10.7	8.6	8.6	180
Upgraded	517	495		9.8	10.0	18.4	12.8

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
554	550	N/A	N/A	220	~10	~7

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 350	< 350	< 350	> 296

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural554 km/h

Gear550 km/h

The Ki-27 does not have any armour or self-sealing fuel tanks. There is one fuel tank located above and behind the oil cooling system, and the rest in the wings (2 in each wing).

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB431

RB222

SB193

Crew training450

Experts3 000

Aces45

Research Aces220 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 20 / 30 / 100 %

2 × 100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Compressor Wings repair Engine Engine injection	Airframe Cover	type89_belt_pack type89_new_gun

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 7.7 mm Type 89 machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Fire rate900 shots/min

The Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai is armed with:

• 2 x 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Usage in battles

A superior dogfighter for turn-fighting, the Ki-27 is the first plane to begin showing the features typical of the Japanese "Zero" but with none of the bite. Its speed and manoeuvrability are plagued by engine problems, with no armour and a standard armament.

In battle, no Allied fighter can out-turn you, except for biplanes, but most will outgun you (and even most biplanes match the Ki-27 in armament).

Biplanes (except the I-153 Chaika) make easy prey for the Ki-27, and the Ki-27 can easily outmanoeuvre the P-36 Hawk, the F2A Brewster Buffalo and the I-16 Ishak, but their stronger armaments will knock out a Ki-27 in a single good burst. Simply outrunning any of them is an excellent evasive manoeuvre. Hurricane Mk Is can strictly complete with the Ki-27 Otsu in manoeuvrability, but the Hurricane's heavier armament (four times that of the Ki-27) can also quickly shred a Ki-27. Additionally, outrunning a Hurricane in a Ki-27 is not possible. I-15s, which the Ki-27 historically outperformed, will be the bane of a Ki-27s existence, as their excellent turn ability will force it into energy bleeding manoeuvres or Boom & Zoom style combat. Risky with competition around to abuse either state.

Despite its low battle rating, you can face some challenging foes when flying the Ki-27. Biplanes will give you a run for your money in terms of manoeuvrability, while some early monoplanes will be faster and more heavily armed than you. Therefore, it is important to judge your foes accordingly.

One of the most challenging opponents is the I-153 Chaika. It is not a mere upgraded I-15bis, but in all performance aspects equal to the Nakajima Ki-27 fighter. Also on the Soviet side, the MiG-3 is a significant threat. It is one of the fastest aircraft in its battle rating and has decent armament. In skilled hands, it can be an almost impossible opponent to combat, especially when using Boom & Zoom tactics against you. Your only defence will be to try and outmanoeuvre it or to lure it into a turn fight. The I-16 is also a familiar opponent.

From America, you will face the P-26. They are quite good divers and have a decent roll rate, but will not be able to outmanoeuvre you in a turn fight. The P-36 is more challenging. Faster and well armed, you will have to rely on your turn rate to try and outmanoeuvre them.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great manoeuvrability, on par with biplanes
• Good stability in turns
• Good speed, for its tier
• Excellent climb, can reach above 20 m/s

Cons:

• Limited firepower
• Engine overheats rapidly on hot maps
• Engine chokes in negative g dives
• No armour

History

Development

The Nakajima Ki-27 otsu began as the Ki-11, a competitor for the Kawasaki Ki-10 biplane. While faster and more modern than the Ki-10 biplane, the Ki-11 wasn't adopted because the Imperial Japanese Army valued manoeuvrability over speed. Nakajima continued development of the design before finalising the Ki-12, a modern monoplane with a liquid-cooled engine and retractable landing gear, but the Army denied it outright as too maintenance heavy for forward airbases in Manchuria and China. The redesigned plane instead featured a radial air-cooled engine, fixed landing gear and fully enclosed cockpit and received the designation Ki-27.

In 1936, the Ki-27 competed against the Kawasaki Ki-28 (a prototype design fated to never enter production) and the Mitsubishi Ki-33 (a de-navalised A5M). While the Ki-33 outperformed the Ki-27 in most regards, the Imperial Japanese Army was loath to adopt a "navy fighter", and approved the Ki-27 with minor modifications. The Ki-27 entered service as the Army Type 97 Fighter.

Service History

While the Ki-10 would not be finally phased out from front line service until 1942, by 1940, the Ki-27 was the primary army fighter on the front lines. It was unmatched by any plane in the Chinese air force inventory, and outperformed the Soviet I-15 and I-16 fighters in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, with some pilots scoring 11 kills against Soviet planes in a single day. Against Chinese Curtiss P-36 Hawks, veteran Ki-27 pilots achieved similar, but not as impressive kill rates.

Over China, the Ki-27 was unmatched until the deployment of the P-40 Warhawks with the American Volunteer Group. After America's entry into the war, the Ki-27 also fared poorly against the US Navy's F2A Brewster Buffalo and F4F Wildcat and was removed from most front line service within the first months of the war, replaced by the much-improved Ki-43. However, it remained a front line fighter in Thai service, where the Ki-27 scored recorded kills against P-51s and at least one P-38.

Because of their high production numbers and relatively few losses, Ki-27 would see a renewed role late in the war as Kamikaze planes.

Tachiarai Air Base

In 1919 the Japanese army established the Tachiarai Air Base, located in Fukuoka Prefecture on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyūshū.

The Tachiarai Army Flight School opened in 1940, where during the dire last year of the war many Japanese pilots were crash-coursed on Kamikaze operations. The flight school had a branch school in Chiran, Kagoshima Prefecture, where many Army pilots departed for Kamikaze flights towards the American fleet near Okinawa.

Operations from out Tachiarai ended once American B-29s destroyed the whole base on March 1945.

Tachiarai Peace Museum

In 1987 Tachiarai got reopened as a Peace Museum in a former Tachiarai train station, this choice was made to preserve the place where families made their final farewells to their sons departing towards the American fleets. The museum's goal is to preserve peace and maintain tranquility of the souls who departed during the war.

Many items have been gifted, from objects directly from the Air Base and personnel to personal farewell letters. The museum doesn't focus on historical summary of Kamikaze operations, but more aimed at stories of the pilots stationed there.

The Museum has a restored Ki-27 on display, which crashed in 1945 into the bay of Hakata, next to Fukuoka City, in route from Manchuria to Chiran Air Base in order for a Kamikaze depart. The pilot survived the crash landing, but later made a sortie in another Ki-27. This plane was discovered and pulled out the bay in 1996.

Next to the Ki-27, there's another plane on display outside the Museum, a T-33 training jet derived from the Lockheed F-80

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai from live.warthunder.com.
• Skins and camouflages for the Ki-27 otsu can also be used for the Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai.

See also

Related development

• Ki-27 (Family)

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance