Kawasaki Ki.56 Type 1 ("Thalia")
The Kawasaki Ki-56, known as "Thalia" to the Allies, saw service in all operational theaters as an all-around transport plane. The plane was derived from the Lockheed 14, which Kawasaki began building under license in 1939. The Ki-56 had a longer fuselage than the Lockheed, an altered wing-support system, and a lighter-weight structure. The first two prototypes appeared in November, 1940. During tests the Ki-56 proved generally superior to the Lockheed 14. Production of this plane continued until September, 1943 and a total of 121 aircraft came off the assembly lines. The Ki-56 could carry 5,280 pounds of cargo in addition to its four man crew.
Kawasaki Ki.56 Type 1
Type: Transport
Service: Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF)
Crew: crew of 4, plus 5291 lbs of freight
Armament: none
Reference: Francillon: 108
Specifications:
Length: 48' 10.6" (14.9 m)
Height: 11' 9.75" (3.6 m)
Wingspan: 65' 6" (19.964 m)
Wing area: 551.117 sq. ft (51.2 sq. m)
Empty Weight: 10791 lbs (4895 kg)
Loaded Weight: 17692 lbs (8025 kg)
Propulsion:
No. of Engines: 2
Powerplant: Nakajima Ha-25 14-cylinder radial engine
Horsepower: 970 hp each
Performance:
Range: n/a
Cruise Speed: n/a
Max Speed: 248.5 mph (400 km/h) at 11480 ft (3500 m)
Climb to/in: 9845 ft (3000 m) in 12 min 38 sec
Ceiling: 26,250 ft (8000 m)
Production: 121 Ki-56s total
Additional information on this aircraft can be
found at Wikipedia
HERE.
For a very nice scale color drawing of this aircraft, see
here.
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