Kawasaki Ki-48

what is it?

The Kawasaki Ki-48 (Japanese: 九九式雙發輕爆擊機, romanized: kyuukyuu-shiki-souhatu-keibaku-gekki, shortened to 'Soukei', Army Type 99 Twin-engined Light Bomber), is a Japanese twin-engine light bomber that was used during World War II. Its Allied reporting name was "Lily".

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 17.5 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 505 km/htop speed
• range 2,400 kmwithout refuelling
• size 6,750 kgmax take-off weight
• built 1,977made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 87 years ago, in 1939.
• 🏎️Top speed is 3.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 17.5 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 2,400 km: 13× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.1× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1939-07

introduced

1940

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

1,977

role

light bomber

makers

Kawasaki Aerospace Systems Company

engines

2× Nakajima Ha115

crew

4

length

12.8 m

wingspan

17.5 m

height

3.8 m

max take-off weight

6,750 kg

top speed

505 km/h

range

2,400 km

ceiling

10,100 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.