Ki-44 Tojo

[Laurelix]

Ki-44-I (Introduced: Jan 1942, 40 built)
Loaded Weight: 2571kg
Wing Area: 15.00m2
Engine: Ha-41 - 1260 Horsepower
-
Max Speed: (Military Power)
493km/h at Sea Level
580km/h at 3700m
-
Rate of Climb: (Military Power)
Time to 3000m: 3:09
Time to 5000m: 5:54
-
Stall Speed: (Without Flaps)
158km/h IAS
-
Max Safe Dive Limit:
800km/h IAS
-
Firepower:
2x 7.7mm Type 89 (Total of 1000 rounds)
2x 12.7mm Ho-103 (Total of 500 rounds)

====

Ki-44-II (Introduced: Sep 1942, 1176 built)
Loaded Weight: 2764kg
Wing Area: 15.00m2
Engine: Ha-109 - 1500 Horsepower
-
Max Speed: (Military Power)
522km/h at Sea Level
605km/h at 5200m
-
Rate of Climb: (Military Power)
Time to 3000m: 2:24
Time to 5000m: 4:15
-
Stall Speed: (Without Flaps)
164km/h IAS
-
Max Safe Dive Limit:
800km/h IAS
-
Firepower:
Ki-44-II Ko
2x 7.7mm Type 89 (Total of 1000 rounds)
2x 12.7mm Ho-103 (Total of 500 rounds)

Ki-44-II Otsu
2x 12.7mm Ho-103 (Total of 400 rounds)
2x 40mm Ho-301 (Total of 20 rounds)

Ki-44-II Hei
4x 12.7mm Ho-103 (Total of 900 rounds)

 

[Laurelix]

F6F-3 (Introduced: Oct 1942, 4402 built)
Loaded Weight: 5219kg
Wing Area: 31.03m2
Engine: R-2800-10W - 2000 Horsepower
-
Max Speed: (Military Power)
502km/h at Sea Level
552km/h at 3200m
571km/h at 4900m
611km/h at 7150m
-
Rate of Climb: (Military Power)
Time to 3050m: 3:06
Time to 6100m: 7:00
-
Stall Speed: (Without Flaps)
158km/h IAS
-
Max Safe Dive Limit:
800km/h IAS
-
Firepower:
6x 12.7mm M2 Browning (Total of 2400 rounds)

 

[Laurelix]

The crazy thing about the Ki-44-II is that…
When it uses its Water-Methanol boost… it achieves 25m/s initial rate of climb at standard loaded weight.

It is estimated to reach 5000m in only 3m 50s using W-M boost

I wonder if the BF-109K-4 with DB-605DC at 1.98 ata can beat that with C3 fuel + MW50

 

[tomo pauk]

The crazy thing about the Ki-44-II is that…
When it uses its Water-Methanol boost… it achieves 25m/s initial rate of climb at standard loaded weight.

It is estimated to reach 5000m in only 3m 50s using W-M boost

Any sources that confirm the notion that Ki-44 used W-M boost in service?

 

[Laurelix]

Any sources that confirm the notion that Ki-44 used W-M boost in service?

Yes WEP speed for Ki-44-II as well on US TAIC calculations

It needs W-M boost to achieve 1500hp
It says methanol there

Ha-109 engine
According to Japanese
????hp at Sea Level (Military Power)
1500hp at Sea Level (W-M boost)
-
1440hp at 2100m (Military Power)
1220hp at 5200m (Military Power)

I would really love to know the horsepower output at sea level without take off power / WM boost

According to the Americans
Well it's just down here in the TAIC
View attachment 761280

 

[tomo pauk]

Ha-109 engine
According to Japanese
????hp at Sea Level (Military Power)
1500hp at Sea Level (W-M boost)
-
1440hp at 2100m (Military Power)
1220hp at 5200m (Military Power)

Take-off power was 1500 HP.
Japanese do not confirm that W-M was used on the Ha 109.



(kindly provided by Shinpachi)
Note that production started in 1941, it took Japanese until 1943 to start making engines with water/methanol add-on.
See also the boost, very modest when compared with engines using w/m.

Yes WEP speed for Ki-44-II as well on US TAIC calculations

According to the Americans
Well it's just down here in the TAIC
View attachment 761280

TAIC says that Ha 109 on 92 oct does not need ADI to make 1500 HP. They do estimate (note the asterisk) that 1570 HP will be made with ADI in WER. Japanese didn't get the memo that they are supposed to use American nomenclature, however.

 

[AerialTorpedoDude69]

(kindly provided by Shinpachi)
Note that production started in 1941, it took Japanese until 1943 to start making engines with water/methanol add-on.
See also the boost, very modest when compared with engines using w/m.

Shinpachi really came through with the engine documentation. And thank you to you as well for remembering the details in it.

I believe that the J2M2 was flown in a development unit in late 1942, similar to the Ki-44-I being flown in combat development units in 1941. However, the books that we have access to in the US do not state whether the J2M2 was flown in combat and they specifically mention the problems with MW50 injection.