NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Allied code name Tony) was the only Japanese front line fighter aircraft produced during World War II with an in-line engine. The Daimler Benz 601A engine of the aircraft was built under license.
When Allied pilots first encountered the Ki-61, they thought it was a new design of German or Italian origins. In fact, the origin of the aircraft dates back to 1923 when the Kawasaki Aircraft Engineering Company had a German, Dr. Richard Vogt, as its chief designer.
Although in line engines have been successfully used by many aircraft, the radial was preferred overall.
The primary advantage of using an in line engine in an aircraft is the ability to lessen drag by narrowing and streamlining the nose.
The radial engine was generally simpler to maintain and proved more reliable than in line engines of similar power.
A drawback of in line engines is that they are liquid cooled. That usually means additional weight and a cooling system that could be disabled by a hit during combat.
The robust crank shafts of radial engines can be made shorter than those of in line engines. The shorter crank shafts need fewer bearings than the longer ones of in line engines. Radial engines also tend to vibrate less than in line engines. This results in less overall airframe wear. Their overall length, being shorter than in line engines, results in a single engine aircraft that has a shorter nose to see over.
The more streamlined design of the Kawasaki Ki-61 enabled it to have a higher speed than aircraft equipped with radial engines with the same power output. This was particularly apparent to Allied pilots who observed the excellent zoom climb of the aircraft when it was first introduced in August of 1942. Allied pilots also found that they no longer could out dive their opposition.
However, in time, the Kawasaki Ki-61 was outclassed with the introduction of more modern Allied fighter aircraft.
1. For Sale above, RC Kawasaki Ki-61 from VQ Warbirds. It is an ARF with a wing span of 62" and a length of 49". Needs .61 two cycle, .91 four cycle engines, or KMS 4120/07 brushless motor. All up weight is about 6 1/2 lbs.
2. 52" wing span rc Kawasaki Ki-61 radio control airplane scratch built by Ivor of RC Groups. It is powered by a 400 XT motor turning a 9 x 7.5 propeller. Ivor tells us that the ready to fly weight is only 21 1/2 oz.
RCM has plans for the 61" wing span RC Kawasaki Ki-61. It will need .40 to .60 engines for power. Danny Reiss is the designer of the rc airplane.
Kit cutters has short kits, full kits, or plans for sale of two sizes of the Kawasaki Ki-61 rc airplane designed by Don Smith. Both are giant scale. The smaller has a wing span of 86" with a fuselage that is 64" long. You will need a 1.8 c.i.d. engine to power it. The larger has a wing span of 100" and is 74" long. Recommended power comes from a 2.1 c.i.d. engine.
3. RC Kawasaki Ki-61 for sale from Flying Styro. It has a wing span of 36" with a length of 27.5". Included with the rc airplane is a geared speed 300 motor spinning a 9 1/4 x 8 prop.
4. Didier Fevrier and his Kawasaki Ki-61 rc slope soarer. It has a 71" wing span and uses ailerons, rudder and elevator controls. You can find plans in the PSS Model Plans Directory.
Kawasaki Ki-61
