Mitsubishi Ki-20

Ki-20

The Mitsubishi Ki-20
Role	Bomber
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi
First flight	1932
Primary user	IJA Air Force
Produced	1931-1935
Number built	6

The Mitsubishi Ki-20 is a Japanese bomber variant of the Junkers G.38 airliner. Mitsubishi manufactured six aircraft under license from Junkers. These aircraft, designated Army Type 92 Heavy Bomber, served through the 1930s. During World War II, the Ki-20 served in a variety of transport and support roles.

Design and development

In the late-1920s, as Junkers developed the Junkers G.38, Mitsubishi representatives in Germany expressed an interest in a military version of this civilian transport. At the time, the G.38 was the largest landplane in the world. Junkers completed a design study for a military bomber/transport, based on the G.38, designated the K.51. This design was not accepted by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium.

The K.51 design study was, however, of interest to Japan. A licensing and manufacturing agreement was reached and in 1932 the first two Ki-20s were completed by Mitsubishi, utilizing Junkers-made parts. A prototype was successfully flown in Japan by a German test pilot in that year.^[1]

Four additional Ki-20s were built between 1933 and 1935. All of these subsequent models utilized Mitsubishi-built parts. Ongoing development focused on engine upgrades to all examples to address the persistent issue of the aircraft being underpowered. Several engine upgrades were completed during the lifetime of these aircraft. The initial Junkers L88 engines were replaced by the more powerful Jumo 204 engines, also built under license by Mitsubishi. Additionally Kawasaki Ha-9 engines were utilized for testing purposes.^[2]

Operational history

During World War II, the Japanese originally intended to utilize the Ki-20s to attack the forts at the entrance to Manila Bay in the Philippines and for deep penetration missions into Siberia. For these purposes, they were armed with six gun positions and structurally enabled to carry a 5,000 kg (11,020 lb) bomb load. These aircraft were the largest operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and their existence within it was kept secret. As a result, they were issued their out-of-sequence Kitai number '20' only when they were finally revealed in 1940.

Surviving aircraft

A single example survived to the end of hostilities as a museum piece in the Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Hall.^[3] All examples of this aircraft were either destroyed during the war or broken up for scrap during the latter portion of the 1940s.

Specifications

Data from Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: 10
Length: 23.20 m (76 ft 1½ in)
Wingspan: 44 m (144 ft 4¼ in)
Height: 7 m (22 ft 11¾ in)
Wing area: 294 m² (3,165 ft²)
Empty weight: 14,912 kg (32,875 lb)
Loaded weight: 25,448 kg (56,103 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × Junkers Jumo 204 inline-6 opposed piston diesel engine, 560 kW (750 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 201 km/h (108 kn, 125 mph)

Armament

Guns:
- 2× 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns in nose
- 1× 20 mm cannon on dorsal position
- 2× 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns in each of two upper wing turrets
- 1× 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine gun in each of one lower wing turret
Bombs: Up to 5,000 kg (11,023 lb) bombs carried externally

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mitsubishi Ki-20.

Notes

Bibliography

Mikesh, Robert C.; Shorzoe Abe (1990). Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-840-2.

Aircraft produced by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation

Company designations

Imperial Japanese Army short designations

Imperial Japanese Navy short designations

Carrier fighters	A5M A6M A7M

Carrier Torpedo Bombers	B1M B2M B4M B5M

Reconnaissance aircraft	C1M C5M

Carrier dive bombers	D3M

Observation seaplanes	F1M

Land-based Attack Bombers	G1M G3M G4M G6M G7M

Interceptors	J2M J4M J8M

Transports	L4M

Trainers	K3M K6M K7M

Patrol Aircraft	Q2M

World War II Allied reporting names

Japanese Self-Defense Force designations

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service aircraft designations

1-50	Ki-1 Ki-2 Ki-3 Ki-4 Ki-5 Ki-6 Ki-7 Ki-8 Ki-9 Ki-10 Ki-11 Ki-12 Ki-13 Ki-14 Ki-15 Ki-16 Ki-17 Ki-18 Ki-19 Ki-20 Ki-21 Ki-22 Ki-23 Ki-24 Ki-25 Ki-26 Ki-27 Ki-28 Ki-29 Ki-30 Ki-31 Ki-32 Ki-33 Ki-34 Ki-35 Ki-36 Ki-37 Ki-38 Ki-39 Ki-40 Ki-41 Ki-42 Ki-43 Ki-44 Ki-45 Ki-46 Ki-47 Ki-48 Ki-49 Ki-50

51-100	Ki-51 Ki-52 Ki-53 Ki-54 Ki-55 Ki-56 Ki-57 Ki-58 Ki-59 Ki-60 Ki-61 Ki-62 Ki-63 Ki-64 Ki-66 Ki-67 Ki-68 Ki-69 Ki-70 Ki-71 Ki-72 Ki-73 Ki-74 Ki-75 Ki-76 Ki-77 Ki-78 Ki-79 Ki-80 Ki-81 Ki-82 Ki-83 Ki-84 Ki-85 Ki-86 Ki-87 Ki-88 Ki-89 Ki-90 Ki-91 Ki-92 Ki-93 Ki-94 Ki-95 Ki-96 Ki-97 Ki-98 Ki-99 Ki-100

100-	Ki-101 Ki-102 Ki-103 Ki-105 Ki-106 Ki-107 Ki-108 Ki-109 Ki-110 Ki-111 Ki-112 Ki-113 Ki-114 Ki-115 Ki-116 Ki-117 Ki-118 Ki-119 Ki-148 Ki-167 Ki-174 Ki-200 Ki-201 Ki-202 Ki-230

Junkers aircraft

Company	J 1 J 2 J 3 J 4 J 5 J 6 J 7 J 8 J 9 J 10 J 11 J 12 F 13 J 15 K 16 K 17 J 18 T 19 A 20 H 21 / J 21 / T 21 J 22 T 23 G 23 F 24 / G 24 A 25 T 26 T 27 J 28 T 29 K 30 G 31 A 32 W 33 W 34 A 35 S 36 K 37 G 38 K 39 K 47 A 48 A 50 K 51 K 53

Idflieg	CL.I D.I E.I J.I

RLM	Ju 46 Ju 49 Ju 52 Ju 60 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ju 160 Ju 187 Ju 188 Ju 248 Ju 252 Ju 268 Ju 287 Ju 288 Ju 290 Ju 322 Ju 352 Ju 388 Ju 390 Ju 488 Ju 635

"EF" (experimental)	EF 61 EF 126 EF 127 EF 128 EF 131 EF 132 EF 140 EF 150

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