Ki-10-II
Contents
This page is about the aircraft Ki-10-II. For other uses, see Ki-10 (Disambiguation) |
Description
The Ki-10-II is a Rank I reserve Japanese biplane
with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.29.
The Ki-10-II is a reserve biplane fighter for Rank 1 Japan. Like most biplanes, the KI-10-II has a low top speed, good turn rate, good-to-fair climbing ability, nearly no armor and in realistic and simulator battles, a ridiculously short take-off length. Compared to other biplanes, the Ki-10-II is faster and climbs far better which partly has to do with the lack of weight going without armor protective plates.
General info
Ingame Description
Kawasaki Ki-10-II (Type 95-II, Allied reporting name: Perry) single-engine army fighter
The first Ki-10 production fighters began to enter service in December 1935. Military pilots highly appreciated the new fighter's speed and rate of climb. However, Kawasaki soon began to get non-stop requests from troops asking them to improve the machine's horizontal manoeuvrability The predominant opinion in the Japanese aviation industry of that time period was that fighters should first of all meet the requirements of high manoeuvrability for the close-range combats (""dog fights"") of World War I. In addition, the Ki-10 was noted to have inadequate longitudinal stability that made accurate aiming and firing more difficult.
In response to these complaints, Takeo Doi presented a new version of the fighter, designated the Ki-10-II, in October 1937.
The new plane had its upper wing span increased to improve manoeuvrability, which resulted in decreased wing load. Also, the tail section of the fuselage was lengthened to extend the empennage, which made the plane more stable.
The designers managed to compensate completely for the increased drag after the plane's production standards were raised and, in particular, the airframe's surface was given a smoother finish. As a result, the Ki-10's manoeuvrability and takeoff/landing characteristics were noticeably improved, even though the plane retained the same engine and other flight performance parameters remained unchanged.
290 Ki-10-II fighters left the Kawasaki factory floor (located in the city of Gifu) during production, up until December 1938, when the machine's production ceased.
The Ki-10-I and the Ki-10-II became the most advanced biplane fighters in Japanese aviation. They took active part in combat operations in the Sino-Japanese War and in the Khalkhyn Gol conflict. Ki-10 aircraft became obsolete by the beginning of the Pacific War, and were mainly used as training machines.
In 1939, a practically undamaged Ki-10-II fighter was captured by the Chinese. This aircraft later appeared in the USSR. The machine was thoroughly studied there, and flight tests were even conducted at the Air Force Research Institute.
Soviet test pilots noted that the Japanese fighter had high production standards and was easy to operate and maintain. It was not difficult to pilot, but its stability was considered inadequate, and its spin characteristics were believed to be poor.
But in general, despite a number of disadvantages, the Ki-10-II was regarded as a very strong air-combat opponent which could fight Soviet I-15 fighters on an equal footing.
Flight Performance
Characteristics | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stock | |||||||
Max Speed (km/h at 4,000 m) |
Max altitude (meters) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (meters/second) |
Take-off run (meters) | |||
AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | ||
386 | 375 | 8100 | 16.6 | 17.2 | 8.6 | 11.0 | 232 |
Upgraded | |||||||
Max Speed (km/h at 4,000 m) |
Max altitude (meters) | Turn time (seconds) | Rate of climb (meters/second) |
Take-off run (meters) | |||
AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | ||
420 | 402 | 8100 | 15.7 | 16.0 | 26.2 | 15.7 | 232 |
Details
Features | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Combat flap | Take-off flap | Landing flap | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
X | X | X | X | X |
Limits | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Wing-break speed (km/h) |
Gear limit (km/h) |
Max Static G | ||
+ | - | |||
600 | 560 | ~14 | ~7 |
Optimal velocities | |||
---|---|---|---|
Ailerons (km/h) |
Rudder (km/h) |
Elevators (km/h) |
Radiator (km/h) |
< 320 | < 320 | < 320 | > 200 |
Compressor (RB/SB) | ||
---|---|---|
Setting 1 | ||
Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
3,500 m | 800 hp | 944 hp |
Survivability and armour
- No armour plating
- No armour glazing
- Critical components located at front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
- More fuel tanks located in wings near fuselage
Armaments
Offensive armament
The Ki-10-II is armed with:
- 2 x 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns, nose mounted (450 rpg = 900 total)
Usage in the battles
The Ki-10-II's low speed and tight turning ability makes it a great turn-fighter, like most Japanese light fighters. The Ki-10-II excels at low and slow turn fighting at very low altitudes where enemies cannot out-dive it. Additionally, it has the climb rate to climb away from enemy biplanes. Very fast dives should be avoided, as the wings will shear off at very high speeds. Similarly, turning stalls should be avoided, as the Ki-10-I has a tendency to enter uncontrollable spins.
It's twin 7.7 mm armament is the weakest in the game, as it has a lower fire rate than its contemporaries, the ShKas, Browning, and MG-17. The belts are poor as well; stealth is most recommended, as it has the most AP-derivative shells. Strafing attacks on all but the least armored targets are not recommended; Artillery, Vehicles, and Landing Craft are good and soft targets, while the Ki-10-I's weak construction makes attacking AAA and bombers risky. All bombers are pretty much invulnerable to the Ki-10-I (Beaufort, A-26, etc.), unless you are extremely good at making consistent pilot shots. Cargo Ships, Tanks and pillboxes are also invulnerable to the Ki-10-II. Instead, the best Ki-10-II targets are other biplanes or slow monoplanes, such as P-26s, Fury Mk Is or Nimrod Mk Is. Best practice is to aim for the wings! The fuselage's of all planes will absorb your shells like a sponge. Like most other planes, the Ki-10-II works best in numbers. Ki-10 pilots should focus primary on sticking together and working as a team.
Manual Engine Control
MEC elements | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
Oil | Water | Type | ||||
Controllable | Not controllable | Not controllable | Not controllable | Separate | Not ontrollable | Not controllable |
Modules
Tier | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | |
---|---|---|---|---|
I | Fuselage Repair | Radiator | Offensive 7 mm | |
II | Compressor | Airframe | ||
III | Wings Repair | Engine | New 7 mm MGs | |
IV | Engine Injection | Cover |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good maneuverability
- Low stall speed
- Decent top speed
- Great climb rate
- Great roll rate
Cons:
- Weak armour
- Poor diving ability
- Poor spin characteristics
- Poor high-alt performance
- Abysmal armament
- Wings are terribly weak
History
The Kawasaki Ki-10 was the last Biplane fighter used by the Japanese Army. Introduced in 1935, it beat the competing Nakijima K-11 (which would later be refined as the Ki-27) as the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force placed more priority on maneuverability than speed. Its excellent maneuverability made it extremely popular with Japanese pilots, who demanded similar high maneuverability from newer aircraft. Over the course of its service the fighter would be refined several times with the ultimate version, the Ki-10-II, appearing in 1937.
The K-10 saw service against Chinese air forces in the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War and against Soviet air forces during the battles of Khalkhin Gol (where it historically outperformed the Soviet I-15). It formed the backbone of the IJAAF fighter forces until 1940, but it was considered obsolete by Western military experts as early as 1938. By the start of the Pacific War, the Ki-10 had been regulated to training and courier roles, and received the Allied reporting name "Perry".
There are no known incidents where the Ki-10 engaged American- or British-crewed aircraft, though the Japanese fighter did fight Chinese National P-26s, and may have engaged British-built Gladiators, Italian CR.32s (predecessor of the CR.42), and Soviet I-15's, all crewed by Chinese pilots, during the early battles of the war.
Media
An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.
Read also
- HistoryOfWar.org's page of the "Kawasaki Ki-10 'Perry'"
- "Håkans aviation page" - Ki-10
- Wikipedia Article on Ki-10
Sources
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- page on aircraft encyclopedia;
- other literature.
Japan fighters | |
---|---|
Navy | |
Carrier-based fighter | |
A5M | A5M4 · Hagiri's A5M4 |
A6M | A6M2 mod. 11 · A6M2 · A6M3 · A6M3 mod. 22 · A6M3 mod. 22Ko · A6M5 · A6M5 Ko · A6M5 otsu · A6M5 Hei · A6M6c |
A7He | A7He1* |
A7M | A7M1 (NK9H) · A7M2 |
Land-based Fighter | |
J2M | J2M2 · J2M3 · J2M4 Kai · J2M5 · J2M5 (30 mm) |
J6K | J6K1 |
J7W | J7W1 |
N1K-J | N1K1-Ja · N1K2-J · N1K2-Ja |
Fighter seaplane | |
N1K | N1K1 |
A6M-N | A6M2-N |
Army | |
Ki-10 | Ki-10-I · Ki-10-I C · Ki-10-II · Ki-10-II C |
Ki-27 | Ki-27 otsu · Ki-27 otsu Tachiarai |
Ki-43 | Ki-43-I · Ki-43-II · Ki-43-III otsu |
Ki-44 | Ki-44-I · Ki-44-I 34 · Ki-44-II otsu · Ki-44-II hei |
Ki-61 | Ki-61-I ko · Ki-61-I otsu · Ki-61-I hei · Tada's Ki-61-I hei · Ki-61-I tei · Ki-61-II Otsu Kai |
Ki-84 | Ki-84 ko · Ki-84 otsu · Ki-84 hei |
Ki-87 | Ki-87 |
Ki-94 | Ki-94-II |
Ki-100 | Ki-100 · Ki-100-II |
Other countries | ▅F4U-1A · ▅P-51C-11-NT · ▅Bf 109 E-7 · ▅Fw 190 A-5 |
*Imported designation of the He 112 (A6M was in development - A7M would take A7 designation after the cancelation of the A7He) |