Ki-10-II

Ki-10-II

Ki-10-I

Ki-10-I C

Ki-10-II

Ki-10-I

Ki-10-I C

Japan

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.0	1.0	1.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:Free

Purchase:Free

Show in game

This page is about the Japanese fighter Ki-10-II. For other versions, see Ki-10 (Family).

Description

The Ki-10-II is a rank I Japanese biplane fighter with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

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 armour 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 armour protective plates.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 4,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	384	377	8100	16.4	17.1	11.1	11.1	232
Upgraded	419	402		15.8	16.0	22.0	15.7

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
600	560	N/A	N/A	N/A	~11	~6

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 280	< 350	< 320	> 190

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
• All critical components located in front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)

Like many biplanes before and contemporaries of the Ki-10-II, armour was not an option, survival was based on the pilot's grit. Armour added weight, weight the early biplanes could not afford to carry and still be a viable fighter. Flying in open cockpit and fabric-covered aircraft, the only protection the pilot had was to place his engine between him and his enemy, otherwise, the pilot was vulnerable. Typically aircraft like this have the engine at the nose of the aircraft, followed by the fuel tank and then the cockpit, all three critical components relatively crammed together. The pilot's toolbox had to contain situational awareness as he needed to know where the enemy was around him. Tracer rounds could easily ignite the fabric-covered aircraft or large fuel tanks, so it was imperative the pilot was the attacker, not the one being attacked and knowing where the enemies are at can help avoid getting shot at.

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 battles

The Ki-10-II's low speed and tight turning ability make 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 a 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-II has a tendency to enter uncontrollable spins.

Its 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 armoured targets are not recommended; Artillery, Vehicles, and Landing Craft are good and soft targets, while the Ki-10-II's weak construction makes attacking AAA and bombers risky. All bombers are pretty much invulnerable to the Ki-10-II (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. The 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 primarily on sticking together and working as a team.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Combined	Not controllable 1 gear	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 manoeuvrability
• 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 manoeuvrability than speed. Its excellent manoeuvrability made it extremely popular with Japanese pilots, who demanded similar high manoeuvrability 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, and Soviet I-15's, all crewed by Chinese pilots, during the early battles of the war.

In-game 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.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Ki-10-II from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #48 - Pages of History section at 04:36 discusses the Ki-10.

The Shooting Range #214 - Air Triathlon section at 09:59 discusses the Ki-10-II.

See also

Related development

• Ki-10-I
• Ki-10-I Commander - Command plane of the 1st Sentai
• Ki-10-II
• Ki-10-II Commander - Command plane of the 77th Sentai

Planes of comparable role, configuration and era

• I-15
• He 51
• CR.32
• D.371
• Fury

External links

• [HistoryOfWar.org] Kawasaki Ki-10 'Perry'
• [Håkans aviation page] Ki-10
• [Wikipedia] Kawasaki Ki-10