Ki-100 armament placement

[N-6]

About half the sources I have say that the Kawasaki Ki-100 had 2
cannons mounted on the fuselage and 2 heavy MGs mounted in the wings,
while the other half say that the cannon were mounted in the wings and
the MGs in the fuselage. Which is correct? If both are correct, then
why did they switch the placement of the guns?

[Yann D]

All the sources I have read it had 20mm Ho-5 cannons in the fuselage and
12.7mm Ho-103 mg in the wings.
As many japanese fighters except the very last ones, the Ki-100 was lightly
constructed. You may argue it is the LAST fighter to enter service in the
JAAF but it is a straight derivative of the Ki-61 which preliminary studies
started in 1940.
At the beginning, the armament included fuselage Ho-103 and 7.7mm type 98
wings mg (Ki-61 ko).
Very shortly, the Ki-61 otsu saw all 4 guns Ho-103. A few being equiped with
german Mauser MG151/20 in the wings also some books say it was the KAI tei
(d) version.
With the new reinforced wing, all subsequent versions allowed 30mm guns to
be carried in the wings, fuselage guns being Ho-103 in this case (KAId
version) or still 12.7mm Ho-103 in the wings and 20mm Ho-5 in the fuselage.
The unlucky Ki-61-II used this armament.
The Ki-100 being closely developped from the Ki-61-II used this
configuration.
It is believed that the virtual Ki-100-III could have been fitted with
4x20mm guns.

At the beginning of the Ki-61 history, it is very likely that only the
fuselage could (as a retrofit) accept the recoil of the 20mm guns. Then,
probably by tradition, Army fighters kept heavy fuselage guns and 'light'
wings guns : Ki-44, Ki-84 (or nothing : Ki-43).
Then, modified versions saw heavy guns appear in addition or replacement
(crazy 40mm or 30 mm wing guns on some Ki-44, 30mm guns on Ki-61 and Ki-84)
where the IJNAF did the opposite.
Remember also that in 40-41 the IJAAF had almost no 20mm guns available.

Sources : Francillon, Famous aircraft of the world Army Type 5 fighter
Ki-100, Ki-100-Ia model kit from fine molds Japan (good documentation
included)
See www.j-aircraft.com also.

Regards
Yann

> About half the sources I have say that the Kawasaki Ki-100 had 2
> cannons mounted on the fuselage and 2 heavy MGs mounted in the wings,
> while the other half say that the cannon were mounted in the wings and
> the MGs in the fuselage. Which is correct? If both are correct, then
> why did they switch the placement of the guns?

[Alan Minyard]

On 17 Oct 2003 13:16:08 -0700, (N-6)
wrote:

>About half the sources I have say that the Kawasaki Ki-100 had 2
>cannons mounted on the fuselage and 2 heavy MGs mounted in the wings,
>while the other half say that the cannon were mounted in the wings and
>the MGs in the fuselage. Which is correct? If both are correct, then
>why did they switch the placement of the guns?

My sources show tow 12.7mm machine guns in the fuse and two 20mm
canon in the wings. This did not change, but the Ki-100 was a Ki-61
with a Mitsubishi Ha-112-II radial engine stuck on the front. At the
time the Japanese had about 275 Li-61 airframes, but the Kawasaki
engine production was way behind. They had a large number of the
engines "just sitting around", and thus the Ki-100.

Al Minyard