Ki-45 hei

This page is about the Japanese twin-engine fighter Ki-45 hei. For other versions, see Ki-45 (Family).

Ki-45 hei

Ki-45 ko

Ki-109

Ki-45 hei

Ki-45 ko

Ki-109

Japan

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.7	2.3	2.3

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:3 000

Purchase:6 300

Show in game

Description

The Ki-45 hei Toryu was the successor of the Ki-45 "otsu/乙". It featured a revised armament, mainly designed to engage light naval target. This armament consisted of one 37mm Ho-203 automatic cannon on the nose while retaining its 7.92mm MG on the back as a defensive armament. Its armament only allowed the aircraft to engage small targets like patrol boats, since it lacked racks for suspended armament like bombs or torpedoes. Further upgrades where conducted in the form of the Ki-45 "tei/丁" and the Ki-45 II later renamed to Ki-96.

It was introduced in Update 1.31. Being a classed as a heavy fighter, the Ki-45 isn't the best in the manoeuvrability category. However, for a heavy fighter, it manoeuvres very well. It is even capable of out-turning aircraft such as the P-47D-25. Unlike heavy fighters of other nations, the Ki-45 series does not feature aircraft with large amounts of heavy weaponry. This is a major downside, considering how heavy fighters traditionally give up manoeuvrability and speed for armament. Instead, the Ki-45s utilize more of an equilibrium between manoeuvrability, speed, and armament. These are what makes the Ki-45 both a capable dog-fighter, and bomber hunter.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 6 300 m570 km/h

Turn time24 s

Max altitude9 900 m

Engine2 х Mitsubishi Ha-102

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight5 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,300 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	551	533	9900	24.9	25.5	16.4	16.4	520
Upgraded	593	570		23.2	24.0	23.1	19.5

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
712.5	350	450	444	308	~11	~7

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 360	< 320	< 450	> 330

Survivability and armour

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural713 km/h

Gear350 km/h

• 16 mm Steel plates behind the pilot

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB247 → 322

RB318 → 414

SB654 → 852

Total cost of modifications5 920

4 460

Talisman cost410

Crew training1 800

Experts6 300

Aces80

Research Aces135 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

20 / 40 / 90 %

106 / 106 / 106 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 400 Cost: 300 80 Radiator Research: 400 Cost: 300 80 Compressor Research: 330 Cost: 250 65 Wings repair Research: 370 Cost: 280 75 Engine Research: 370 Cost: 280 75 Engine injection Research: 480 Cost: 360 95	Airframe Research: 330 Cost: 250 65 Cover Research: 480 Cost: 360 95	mg_turret_belt_pack Research: 400 Cost: 300 80 mg15_turret_new_gun Research: 330 Cost: 250 65 10 in (mod24) Research: 330 Cost: 250 65 ho1_belt_pack Research: 370 Cost: 280 75 12 in (mod30) Research: 370 Cost: 280 75 20mmtype97_new_gun Research: 480 Cost: 360 95 ho203_new_gun Research: 480 Cost: 360 95

• Instead of focusing on armament like other heavy fighters, the Ki-45 is more balanced between armament and flight performance.
• While the default ammunition belts for both weapons on the Ki-45 ko are workable, it can help to upgrade.
• Unlocking the flight performance modules will help drastically in dogfights and turn fights.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 137 mm Ho-203 cannon

Ammunition15 rounds

Fire rate100 shots/min

Weapon 220 mm Ho-3 cannon

Ammunition100 rounds

Fire rate400 shots/min

The Ki-45 hei is armed with:

• 1 x 37 mm Ho-203 cannon, nose-mounted (15 rpg)
• 1 x 20 mm Ho-3 cannon, belly-mounted (100 rpg)

Suspended armament

List of setups (3)

Setup 12 x 50 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bomb

Setup 22 x 100 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bomb

Setup 32 x 250 kg Army Type 92 GPHE bomb

The Ki-45 hei can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 50 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bombs (100 kg total)
• 2 x 100 kg Army Type 94 GPHE bombs (200 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg Army Type 92 GPHE bombs (500 kg total)

Defensive armament

Turret7.92 mm Type 98 machine gun

Ammunition1050 rounds

Fire rate1000 shots/min

The Ki-45 hei is defended by:

• 1 x 7.92 mm Type 98 machine gun, dorsal turret (1,050 rpg)

Usage in battles

This variant of the Ki-45, the Ki-45 hei, features virtually the same armament as the Ki-45 otsu. Wielding one Ho-3 20 mm cannon and one Ho-203 37 mm cannon, the Ki-45 hei is the pinnacle of a multi-purpose aircraft. Its 37 mm cannon allows it to take down bombers with ease, and its single 20 mm cannon allows for some flexibility in the dog-fighting department. Although deadly, the 37 mm cannon only holds 15 rounds, so shot placement is crucial. The round itself also travels fairly slowly in the air, making it hard to hit fast moving enemy fighters. The 20 mm cannon is best used in an anti-fighter role. Unfortunately, the Ki-45's ground attack role is minimal due to the inability to equip armour piercing rounds for the 37 mm cannon. The Ki-45 hei is also unable to equip bombs.

The Ki-45 hei also retains its impressive turn rate from the Ki-45 tei. Although the aircraft itself is large and presents an "easy target" in many players' minds, the Ki-45 is rather nimble. Use this to your advantage when engaging enemy aircraft. Unfortunately, the Ki-45 is a heavy fighter, meaning its turn time is still not on par with other aircraft such as the F2A-3. In certain cases, the Ki-45 pilot may have to rely on his or her tail gunner to get the job done. The "otsu" version of the Ki-45 features a 7.92 mm Type 98 machine gun with 1050 rounds. Although lacklustre, with shot placement it is possible to destroy enemies on the aircraft's tail. Aim for the pilot or the engine, as those are generally the weakest points on most aircraft. If the tailing enemy is a bi-plane, aim for the wings since they are very fragile.

The Toryu is also rather fragile for a heavy fighter. Although it does feature two engines, the Ki-45 does not have very much armour protection. Only the back of the pilot's seat has armour, leaving both the gunner and engines unprotected. This can prove costly in a fight. If one does find him or herself tailed, call upon teammates for assistance.

• In simulator, the Ki-45 has a decent frontal view with large pieces of glass in front, on top and to the sides, ensuring great visibility. The gunsight has enough room under, allowing easy tracking and leading of targets. However the side views are terrible as the wings & engines block out most of the view downwards, and a thick frame blocks out the upper area, as a result the common way of circling above an area to spot something is extremely limited. Rear visibility is almost non existent with the entire tail obstructed by the headset.

Tactics

The Ki-45 hei's armament is much more suited for bomber hunting than its earlier machine gun armed variant. With a moderate ammunition pool, it is easily possible to destroy multiple enemies with this aircraft. It is recommended to use the 20 mm cannon only when the pilot is sure he or she will hit the enemy aircraft, as it only holds 100 shells. The 37 mm cannon does impressive damage but requires a high degree of accuracy and lead. Practising with this weapon will help greatly, especially when attacking fighters.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful 37 mm cannon
• Good manoeuvrability and climb rate for a heavy fighter
• Acceptable top speed
• 16.5 mm of armour in pilot's seat and added armour in the nose around 37 mm gun
• Twin-engine design

Cons:

• Beat in turn fights by some aircraft
• Prone to fuel and engine fires
• Locks up at high speeds
• Mediocre roll rate, gets worse as speed increases
• Lack of protection around fuel tanks, engines, and gunner
• Pilot is exposed in head-ons
• Limited ammunition for all weapons
• Long cannon reload time
• Limited anti-fighter capabilities

History

Initially designed to be a bomber escort, the Ki-45 was first deployed in what is now China and Vietnam. It was found to be easily outclassed by P-40s piloted by the Flying Tigers. As a result, the Ki-45's role was changed to anti-shipping and ground attack, where it performed satisfactorily. Nonetheless, the Ki-45's greatest strength proved to be its bomber intercepting capabilities. Heavily armed with 37 mm cannon, the Toryu (Dragon Slayer) could destroy heavy bombers with ease. As the war progressed, the need for an interceptor to defend the Japanese mainland was ever present. Soon, the Ki-45 was deployed to counter B-29 Superfortress raids. Although its armament was clearly deadly enough, the Ki-45 suffered at high altitudes. Pilots soon resorted to ramming attacks against the Superfortresses. Special attack groups specifically designed for this purpose formed, but by late 1945 Imperial Japan's fate had been sealed. The Allies allocated the name "Nick" to the Ki-45.

Archive of the in-game description

Kawasaki Ki-45 KAI Hei (Model C) Type 2 Toryu (Allied reporting name: Nick) twin-engine army fighter The Ki-45 KAI Hei variant, with modified on-board armament (when compared with the Ki-45 KAI Otsu), was specially created to attack sea targets. A 37 mm Ho-203 automatic cannon with 15 rounds was mounted in the nose fairing, which had its shape modified. A 20 mm Ho-3 cannon with 100 rounds was placed in the lower section of the fuselage. The 7.92 mm Type 98 machine gun with 1,050 rounds remained in the rear defensive turret. In all other respects, the airframe was like that of the Ki-45 KAI Otsu. The Ki-45 KAI Hei was extensively used in New Guinea, particularly against American torpedo boats. One of the Ki-45 KAI Hei fighters was thoroughly tested in 1945 by US Army Technical Intelligence experts. The test results report mentioned the very good takeoff characteristics of the aircraft. Other capabilities won praise too: for example, the American pilots were struck by the machine's horizontal manoeuvrability. Stall characteristics were satisfactory, and pilots could sense when speed loss caused by flow separation was imminent. Landing performance was found to be very good, as well. Observed drawbacks included the aircraft's low taxi controllability due to poor breaks and the free-pivoting tail wheel. In addition, the aircraft's high nose-up position obscured forward visibility, so there was no choice but to taxi in a zigzag pattern. In addition to that, the report mentioned significant noise and vibration levels in the cockpit at all speeds, unsatisfactory pilot seat adjustment, and poor downward and backward visibility from the pilot's cockpit.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Ki-45 hei from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Japan twin-engine fighters and strike aircraft
Navy
Land-based Fighter
J1N	J1N1
J5N	J5N1
Army
Ki-45	Ki-45 ko · Ki-45 otsu · Ki-45 hei · Ki-45 tei
Ki-83	Ki-83
Ki-96	Ki-96
Ki-102	Ki-102 otsu
Ki-108	Ki-108 Kai
Ki-109	Ki-109