The Tachikawa Ki-94-I was designed to meet a request by the Japanese Army for a heavily-armed high-altitude fighter fitted with a pressure cabin and capable of reaching a top speed of 800 km/h (497 mph), with a maximum range of 3000 km (1,864 miles). The unconventional design that resulted was a large twin-boom monoplane powered by two 2,200 hp Mitsubishi Ha-211 Ru eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial engines that were mounted fore and aft of the pilot's cockpit and drove four-blade tractor and pusher propellors. Proposed armament included two 37mm Ho-203 cannon and two 30mm Ho-105 cannon. A maximum speed of 485 mph was anticipated. A full-size wooden mock-up was completed late in 1943, but development of the aircraft was discontinued when it was judged that the project was too complex and its calculated performance unduly optimistic.
At least that was the official view. Unsuspected by the allies Tachikawa had acquired several uprated Ishikawajima Ne-20 Turbojets built from the BMW and Junkers Jumo engines loaned to them by their Axis partners. The new Tachikawa Ki-94-Ia exceeded the expected top speed by some 150 miles an hour. Despite having the two 30mm cannon removed to save weight the new Raiju (Thunder Beast) also carried two upgraded Ke-Go IR Guidance Air to Surface Missile suitable adapted for Air to Air interception use.
Early versions using a wooden tailplane did struggle with the heat of the thrust but the later Tachikawa Ki-94-Ib Raiju-kai proved to be a winner with it's all metal airframe and reformed nose intake (later used on the F-86 Sabre).
(Source: Francillion and my own feeble imagination)
:o Wow! :bow:
Nice looking there Bungle. Kinda like the DeHavilland Vampire. I think in the Vampire's case, the jet thrust line and the tailplane were just a little farther apart, but still, the tailplane must have gotten "warm" on occasion.
Top looking Japanese-Jet Bungle, up there with the Vampire & FW TL-Jager Flitzer :tornado: :thumbsup:
Very cool looking - first thought to my mind was "it's a Jet version of the J8M, in IJA service!"
Logical progresion from the origional design - nice. :thumbsup:
Is it the AV Models kit modified ?
Quote from: NARSES2 on February 26, 2009, 02:18:12 AM
Logical progresion from the origional design - nice. :thumbsup:
Is it the AV Models kit modified ?
It is indeed ! (with an f-86 intake cowling, F-100 exhaust jet and everything else from the spares box.
Looks absolutely superb.
Wierd and wonderful ! Kinda got a Caproni thing going on there......looks great !
:cheers:
Too Cool :ph34r:
I can go with that :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :cheers:
Neato :thumbsup: :party: