Tachikawa Ki-77
| Ki-77 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Tachikawa Ki-77 in US markings, 1945 | |
| Role | Long-range experimental aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Tachikawa Hikōki KK |
| First flight | 18 November 1942 |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Primary user | Imperial Japanese Army Air Service |
| Number built | 2 |
The Tachikawa Ki-77 was a Japanese very long-range experimental transport and communications aircraft of World War II derived from a design commissioned by a newspaper to break the flight distance record set by a rival. It was a low-wing cabin monoplane with twin piston engines and a tailwheel undercarriage.
The Ki-77 was the Japanese Army Air Force designation for the A-26, a clean, slim low wing twin engine monoplane intended for an endurance flight between New York and Tokyo. The A stood for the name of the sponsor, a newspaper Asahi Shinbun which was vying for records with a rival paper which had sponsored the Mitsubishi Ki-15 Kamikaze flight to the United Kingdom in 1937. 26 was for the 26th century of the Japanese Imperial Dynasty - 1940 was year 2600 in the Japanese calendar.
The overall design was developed under the aegis of Dr. Hidemasa Kimura of the Aeronautical Research Institute of the University of Tokyo with Tachikawa being responsible for manufacturing and detail drafting work. The layout was finalized in the Autumn of 1940 with the first flight expected in late 1941 but this was canceled with the start of the war against the United States and the reallocation of priorities. The design included a number of novel features, including a high aspect ratio laminar flow wing for reduced drag and a sealed but unpressurized cabin to reduce the need for oxygen masks at its intended operating altitude as well as special low drag cowlings.
In response to a flight made by an Italian Savoia-Marchetti S.M.75GA which flew to Japan in July 1942 with stops in Russia and China, the Japanese decided to forge a link with Europe, but wished to avoid Russian-controlled airspace and development work was restarted. The first of two prototypes flew on 18 November 1942. The Ki-77 suffered from persistent oil cooling problems which required many changes before being solved, delaying any flight into July 1943. While working on the problem, Tachikawa built a second aircraft. The easiest route was that taken by the Italians, following the great circle route, but General Tojo opposed this because it implied a violation of Soviet airspace. Japan was not at war with the Russians and Tojo wished to avoid either provoking them or asking their permission.
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