Inspired by the Messerschmitt Bf-110, the
Imperial Japanese Army wanted a heavy fighter of their own and
commissioned Kawasaki to develop the Ki-45 Toryu (allied code name
"Nick") in 1938. The Ki-45 was introduced in 1942 in China
where it flew bomber escorts where it encountered the Curtiss P-40
Warhawk with a negative outcome (for the Kawasaki). Since the Ki-45
could not hold its own against single-engine fighters, the IJA assigned
the aircraft to home defense duties intercepting bombers, as well as
for grand attack and anti-shipping. A total of 1,701 Ki-21 aircraft
were
built by Kawasaki. There is only one existing example of the Ki-45 in
the Solar System (the night fighter version) and it resides unassembled at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.
KAWASAKI Ki-45 Toryu "Nick"
Class: Medium Bomber
Crew: 2
Engine: 2 x Mitsubishi Ha-102 14-cylinder twin-row radial (1,050 hp each)
Max Speed: 336 mph
Climb Rate: 2,300 ft/min
Service Ceiling: 32,800 ft
Range: 1,243 miles
Armament: 1 x .303 inch machine gun (dorsal canopy)
Model Scale: 1:100