Kawasaki Ki48-I Lily (or "Type 99 Light Bomber")
Unit: 3rd Chutai, 8th Hiko Sentai. Spring 1942
Designated a light bomber by the Japanese, the Ki.48 was Japan’s answer to the Russian SB-2 bombers encountered in China, which had proven almost as fast as the Ki-27 "Nates" sent to intercept them. Kawasaki received the specification in December 1937 and a team led by Doi Takeo based the design on lessons learned from the Ki.45 "Nick". Because of the priority placed on the troubled "Nick" program, the Ki.48 prototype was not complete until July 1939. After modifications to reduce tail flutter, the first production aircraft began rolling out of the factory in July 1940. "Lily" saw its first operational use in north China, where it encountered almost no fighter opposition.
The Ki.48-I was definitely obsolete by the start of the Pacific War, being slow and lacking adequate defensive armament, armor, and self-sealing fuel tanks. It nonetheless became the most important Army light bomber in the Southwest Pacific. This is doubly ironic in that the aircraft was designed to be able to operate under the extreme conditions of cold characteristic of Manchuria.
An improved version, the Ki.48-II, was developed in late 1941. It had more powerful engines using two-stage blowers for better high altitude performance, armor protection to both fuel tanks and crew. The prototypes first flew in February 1942. But the improvements were not enough to eliminate its vulnerability to Allied fighters. As such, the Ki.48-I continued to be operated alongside the Ki.48-II through the end of the war, rather than being replaced. It was Japan's third most produced bomber.
Credits
Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, aircraft flight files, and .dp
Wolfi: Crew figures
Allen: Japanese bombs (included in zip file)
Lawdog2360: Sound
Gauges by: ACWai, Mopar Mike, FDG2 and Microsoft
Unit: 3rd Chutai, 8th Hiko Sentai. Spring 1942
Designated a light bomber by the Japanese, the Ki.48 was Japan’s answer to the Russian SB-2 bombers encountered in China, which had proven almost as fast as the Ki-27 "Nates" sent to intercept them. Kawasaki received the specification in December 1937 and a team led by Doi Takeo based the design on lessons learned from the Ki.45 "Nick". Because of the priority placed on the troubled "Nick" program, the Ki.48 prototype was not complete until July 1939. After modifications to reduce tail flutter, the first production aircraft began rolling out of the factory in July 1940. "Lily" saw its first operational use in north China, where it encountered almost no fighter opposition.
The Ki.48-I was definitely obsolete by the start of the Pacific War, being slow and lacking adequate defensive armament, armor, and self-sealing fuel tanks. It nonetheless became the most important Army light bomber in the Southwest Pacific. This is doubly ironic in that the aircraft was designed to be able to operate under the extreme conditions of cold characteristic of Manchuria.
An improved version, the Ki.48-II, was developed in late 1941. It had more powerful engines using two-stage blowers for better high altitude performance, armor protection to both fuel tanks and crew. The prototypes first flew in February 1942. But the improvements were not enough to eliminate its vulnerability to Allied fighters. As such, the Ki.48-I continued to be operated alongside the Ki.48-II through the end of the war, rather than being replaced. It was Japan's third most produced bomber.
Credits
Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, aircraft flight files, and .dp
Wolfi: Crew figures
Allen: Japanese bombs (included in zip file)
Lawdog2360: Sound
Gauges by: ACWai, Mopar Mike, FDG2 and Microsoft
