Tachikawa Ki-55

what is it?

The Tachikawa Ki-55 (Allied reporting name Ida) is a Japanese advanced trainer.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 11.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 349 km/htop speed
• range 1,060 kmwithout refuelling
• size 1,721 kgmax take-off weight
• built 1,389made 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 2.7× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 11.8 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,060 km: 6× Amsterdam to Brussels.

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

spec sheet

first flight

1939-09

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

1,389

role

military advanced training aircraft

makers

Tachikawa

engines

1× Hitachi Ha13a (Army Type 98 450hp Air Cooled Radial)

crew

2

length

8 m

wingspan

11.8 m

height

3.6 m

max take-off weight

1,721 kg

top speed

349 km/h

cruise speed

235 km/h

range

1,060 km

ceiling

8,200 m

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

family