Ki-45 hei/tei (China)
| This page is about the premium twin-engine fighter Ki-45 hei/tei (China). For other versions, see Ki-45 (Family). |
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Contents
Description
The ␗Ki-45 hei/tei Toryu , known to the Chinese forces by the name 重战 (Heavy fighter), was the captured Ki-45 series in Northeastern China by the Communist forces by the end of WWII. IJAAF deployed some quantities of Ki-45 to Northeastern China to defend their assets in the area, most notably their steel mill; as well as the last-ditch weapon against Soviet forces near the Chinese borders. 3 of these Ki-45 in different variants were eventually rebuilt into a single aircraft for evaluation and teaching, leaving them practically useless during the later Civil War.
Introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack" as one of the GE aircraft available, the Ki-45 was classified 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 dogfighter, and bomber hunter.
This variant is a unusual hybrid between the hei and tei variants of the Ki-45. It has the fuselage mounted 20 mm Ho-3 cannon and lack of ordnance options of the former and the twin 20 mm Ho-5 cannons mounted behind the pilot in the "Schrage Musik" style of the latter. This makes it the most heavily armed Ki-45 currently available in the game, though it pays for this with a significantly higher battle rating. A great choice for bomber hunting, the low ammunition supplies make it unforgiving against fighters.
General info
Flight performance
| 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
- 16 mm steel - behind pilot
- 16 mm steel - headrest
Modifications and economy
2 × 70 / 230 / 250 % 2 × 130 / 130 / 130 % | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Offensive armament
The Ki-45 hei/tei (China) 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)
- 2 x 20 mm Ho-5 cannons, Schräge-Musik style (100 rpg = 200 total)
Defensive armament
The Ki-45 hei/tei (China) 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 tei, features the first "Schräge Musik" armament of the series. Wielding one Ho-204 37 mm cannon and two Ho-5 20 mm cannons, the Ki-45 tei is the definition of a bomber hunter. Its 37 mm cannon allows the Toryu to take down bombers with ease, and its dual 20 mm cannons allow for even more flexibility in the bomber hunting 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 cannons are best used in a secondary weapon role, as they are fixed at an upward angle. To use these weapons, one must bind a key to them via the in-game controls menu (it is on the first page that comes up, basic). Unique to the tei model, this Ki-45's ground attack role is improved due to the ability to equip bombs.
The Ki-45 tei also retains its impressive turn rate from the Ki-45 otsu. 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 "tei" 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 biplane, 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 and the nose 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 gun sight 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.
- If a bomber is flying above your level, your Schräge Musik cannons will become very handy and give them a fatal surprise. The Schräge Musik is easy to learn but takes time and practice to use it to its full potential. First, position your Ki-45 under the bomber's belly and make sure you are at least 500 m above the ground. Then, as you are about to be directly under it, switch to Schräge Musik mode and align the reticle to the centre axis of the target fuselage. Now because there is no fixed distance on how far below the target you should be, the shells might not always land at where the reticle points at, so fire a few short bursts first to see if your lead is accurate. Fix the vertical lead by pitching the plane or adjust your speed. When adjusting the pitch, you must pay constant attention to your altimeter because in Schräge Musik mode, you are staring at the blank sky above, thus you are likely to lose sense of direction and will have no idea if you are diving towards the ground or climbing to a stall. If your pitch is too important (regardless of diving or climbing), get out of Schräge Musik mode and reposition the plane. Aiming the Schräge Musik cannons sideways require a combination of elevator and rudder finesse which can be overwhelming at first, but be patient and practice. The Ki-45 is more manoeuvrable than the Do 217 N-2, making it easier to use the Schräge Musik. The 2 x 20 mm cannons deal considerable damage to most bomber's underside, however control your trigger as 100 rounds per gun is quickly spent if your shots miss.
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:
- Highly powerful cannon combinations allow it to hunt down most bombers easily
- Good manoeuvrability and climb rate for a heavy fighter; can out-turn aircraft like P-47
- Acceptable top speed
- 16.5 mm of armour in pilot's seat and added armour in the nose around cannon barrel
- Twin-engine design- can fly back to base even with one engine damaged/destroyed
Cons:
- Beat in turn fights by some aircraft like Bf 109 F-4, A6M2 / 3
- Prone to fuel and engine fires
- Locks up at high speeds
- Mediocre roll rate, gets worse as speed increases
- Limited ammunition for all weapons
- Lack of protection around fuel tanks, engines, and gunner
- Long cannon reload for arcade
- Pilot is exposed in head-ons
- Very little anti-fighter capabilities
History
The documents regarding of the service of the Ki-45 series in Mainland China are rather sparse. Some of the known records of their operation were bomber interception operations against the USAAF during their bombardment on Anshan (鞍山; for the steel mill) and during the last days of the Empire as a last ditch weapon to take down the masses of Soviet tanks assaulting Northeastern China with its 37 mm cannon.
There were records suggesting that the Chinese Red Army Air Force (before the official establishment of PLAAF on 1949/11/11) flew Ki-45; but current evidence showed another story instead: The Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army (东北民主抗日联军;东北抗联) found 3 modified Ki-45s (modified from a certain model to Tei 丁 variant) at Sunjia Airfield, Harbin in 1946, but all these 3 aircrafts were damaged and only one of them could be assembled for flight, likely never been used by the Air Force.[1]
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Related development
- Other aircraft equipped with Schräge Musik
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Kawasaki Aircraft Industries (川崎航空機工業株式会社) | |
|---|---|
| Biplane Fighters | Ki-10-I · Ki-10-I C · Ki-10-II · Ki-10-II C |
| Fighters | 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-100 · Ki-100-II | |
| Interceptors | Ki-45 ko · Ki-45 otsu · Ki-45 hei · Ki-45 tei |
| Ki-96 | |
| Ki-102 otsu | |
| Ki-108 Kai | |
| Bombers | Ki-32 |
| Ki-48-II otsu | |
| Captured | ␗Ki-45 hei/tei · ␗Ki-61-I otsu · ▃Ki-61-Ib |
| See also | Kawasaki Shipyard Co. |
| China twin-engine fighters and strike aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Twin-engine fighters | ␗Ki-45 hei/tei · ␗P-38L-1 |
| Strike aircraft | V-11 · V-12D · ␗IL-10 (1946) · Mosquito FB.Mk.26 |
| China premium aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | ␗A6M2 · D.510C · ␗F-47N-25-RE · H-81A-2 · Hawk III · ␗Ki-45 hei/tei · ␗Ki-84 ko · ␗P-51C-11-NT |
| Jet fighters | Shenyang F-5 · J-7D |
| Strike aircraft | A-5C · ␗F-84G-31-RE |
