Hitachi Ki-75-II KAI Ricky

[comrade harps]

Hitachi Ki-75-II KAI Ricky
Personal mount of pilot Captain Yoshio Shinohara and radar technician Warrant Officer Gaku Muto
Nakajima Air Defence Tan'i, Imperial Home Defence Command
Matsumoto, Japan, May, 1946



The Hitachi Ki-75 was designed to be a modular family of multi-role aircraft to replace the Ki-49 to fulfill long-range escort fighter, interceptor, night fighter, bomber, torpedo bomber and photo reconnaissance roles. Although the first prototype flew in March 1942, program mismanagement (epitomised by constantly changing requirements and low priorities) meant that only 167 were produced by the time production ceased in late 1945. This small number included prototype and fighter and reconnaissance models completed by Hitachi at Pyongyang, Korea, bomber and torpedo bomber prototypes adapted and manufactured by Nakajima at Matsumoto, Japan, plus special weapon versions (including Yokosuka Ohka carriers and anti-shipping kamikaze) designed, built and converted by and at Tachikawa in Japan. Deliveries from Hitachi ceased in late August 1945 as the Red Army liberated northern Korea from Japanese occupation. The last of Nakajima-built Ki-45 IIIa bomber was completed in September and Tachikawa struggled to finish just 4 special weapon prototypes by late December when the Ki-45 program was finally cancelled.




The four completed Ki-75-II KAI aircraft began life as Ki-75-II high-altitude bomber interceptors, featuring long-span wings and armed with seven guns.  These were four 20mm Type 1 Ho-5 cannon (two obliquely angled, firing upward from the fuselage and another two in the wing roots), a single 12.7mm Ho-103 machine gun fired by the back seater and four 30mm Ho-105 cannon fired from a belly position. Seven Ki-75-IIs based at Nagoya made attempts at intercepting the USAAF's daylight B-29 bomber raids, but a combination of poor climb rate and insufficient alert times resulted just one confirmed victory over the course of several months. Further production of the Ki-75-II was terminated as a result.





With two lost due to non-combat related accidents, five Ki-75-IIs were flown back to Hitachi at Pyongyang for incorporation into company's ongoing development program. When the B-29s began their low-altitude night bombing campaign the Imperial Japanese Army recalled three of the Ki-75-IIs to serve as interim night fighters. Although lacking radar, their good speed and heavy armament saw the aircraft quickly rack up several confirmed kills. However, night landing accidents resulted in all three planes remaining airworthy for just two months. The remaining pair of Ki-75-IIs were already committed to an advanced night fighter development program, being fitted with the new Ta-Ki 5 centimetric radar plus other navaids and electronic warfare equipment. As Ki-75-II KAIs, these planes had the back seater's machine gun removed but retained the remainder of the upward and forward firing cannon. They were still undergoing tests when the Red Army stormed into Korea and were evacuated to Nakajima's Matsumoto factory.






Nakajima was allowed to establish a factory-based air defence unit as part of the military restructures that followed the August Coup of 1945. Hitachi test pilot Captain Yoshio Shinohara and radar technician Warrant Officer Gaku Muto selected the best of the two Ki-75-II KAIs to fly combat missions, the other example of the type serving as a trials testbed. Nakajima held several more Ki-75s of various models and in varying states of airworthiness that were  cannibalised for spares. Between September, 1945, and May, 1946, Shinohara and Muto claimed 14 confirmed kills:

1 x B-29A - USAAF
2 x Dakota IV - RAF
2 x Lancaster B.1 (FE) - RAF
1 x P-61C - USAAF
2 x PB4Y-2 - USN
1 x PBD-1 - RAAF
1 x PBJ-1D - USMC
1 x PBY-6A - USN
1 x PF-1C - USMC
2 x TBM-3N - USN






Shinohara and Muto sustained a sporadic combat presence until the end of war, their activities being limited by maintenance issues, a lack of fuel and Allied air attacks on their primary airfield. As a result, each mission was carefully planned and matched to known Allied patterns of operations. Both men survived the war and went on to serve with the post-war Japanese Self Defence Force Air Force. The aircraft is seen here as found by Allied occupation forces following the Japanese surrender.

The Allied code name for the Ki-75 was Ricky.

[NARSES2]

Very neat. 

Kit will like those wings 

[zenrat]

Brilliant.  Good job comrade.
The camo is awesome.

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! 

[PR19_Kit]

Very neat. 

Kit will like those wings 

You better believe it, it looks REALLY good. 

[sandiego89]

Great concept and work.   

[TheChronicOne]

 

Marvelous!!!   I'm blown away 

[philp]

That's very nice.

I really need to work on my Japanese Me-110.

Phil

[ysi_maniac]

 

[sykotik]

Love that camo job! Very eye catching 

[b29r]

Very nice, CH, love every part about it, especially that great paintwork.  And . . . . the extended wings look exceptionally well done 

Best regards,
Kem

[comrade harps]

Very nice, CH, love every part about it, especially that great paintwork.  And . . . . the extended wings look exceptionally well done 

Best regards,
Kem

The extended wings are part of the Dragon He 219B-1 kit.

[Old Wombat]

To paraphrase Toni Basil:

Oh, Ricky, you're so fine
You're so fine you blow my mind, hey Ricky,
Hey, Ricky!




Gods, I hate that song!

[comrade harps]

To paraphrase Toni Basil:

Oh, Ricky, you're so fine
You're so fine you blow my mind, hey Ricky,
Hey, Ricky!

Gods, I hate that song!

Me too!

Thank you for that horrendous flashback...

Actually, I was thinking of Ricky Bobby.

[TheChronicOne]

I thought. "Pretty Ricky" when I first saw the name. Hip hop guy.... lol