Kawasaki Ki-28 from the front
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The Kawasaki Ki-28 was a monoplane designed in response to a Japanese Army fighter specification issued in June 1935. The Ki-28 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane, powered by an 800hp Kawasaki Ha-9-11a liquid cooled engine. It was competing against the Mitsubishi Ki-33, which was a version of the A5M naval fighter, and the Nakajima Ki-27, which won the contest, entering production as the Army Type 97 Fighter.
The three aircraft were tested against each other at the Rikugun Kokogijutsi Kenkyujo (Army Aero technical Research Institute). The Ki-28 was the fastest of the three, although was only 10mph faster than the Ki-27, which was the slowest. The Ki-28 also had the fastest rate of climb, this time by a rather wider margin. Despite this it was the Nakajima Ki-27 that would be ordered into production, as the Army Type 97 Fighter, because it was by far the most manoeuvrable of the three aircraft.
Engine: Kawasaki Ha-9-11a
Power: 800hp
Maximum Speed: 301mph at 13,125ft
Climb rate: 5 min 10 sec to 16,406ft