Tachikawa Ki-55

The Tachikawa Ki-55 was a Japanese advanced trainer.

Design and development
The excellent characteristics of the Tachikawa Ki-36 made it potentially ideal as a trainer. This led to the development of the Ki-55 with a single machine gun. After successful testing of a prototype in September 1939, the type was put into production as the Tachikawa Army Type 99 Advanced Trainer.

In all 1,389 Ki-55 were constructed before production ended in December 1943 with Tachikawa having built 1078 and Kawasaki 311.

Both the Ki-55 and the Ki-36 were given the Allied nickname 'Ida.'

Variants

 * Ki-36 : Army co-operation aircraft.
 * Ki-72 : An evolved version with a 447 kW Hitachi Ha38 engine and retractable undercarriage. Not built.

Operators

 * Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
 * Imperial Japanese Army Air Force


 * Kumagaya Army Flying School
 * Mito Army Flying School
 * Tachiarai Army Flying School
 * Utsonomiya Army Flying School


 * Manchukuo
 * Manchukuo Air Force
 * Reorganized National Government of China
 * National Government of China Air Force received several from the Japanese.
 * Republic of China Air Force operated captured aircraft.
 * People's Liberation Army Air Force operated more than 30 captured aircraft at the end of 1945. These Ki-55s were used until the last 14 retired in 1953.
 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * People's Liberation Army Air Force operated more than 30 captured aircraft at the end of 1945. These Ki-55s were used until the last 14 retired in 1953.
 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * Royal Thai Air Force

Francillon also mentions delivery to the Japanese satellite air force of Cochinchina, the southernmost third part of present Vietnam