Kawasaki Type 87 Night Bomber

The Kawasaki Type 87 Night Bomber was a version of the Dornier Do-N produced partly in Germany and completed in Japan. The aircraft was designed by Dr Richard Vogt, later the chief designer at Blohm & Voss, and was basically a land version of the Dornier Wal flying boat, retaining a very similar fuselage. The aircraft had a high parasol wing, with two BMW VI engines mounted in tandem in a nacelle above the wing (one pusher and one tracker engine). The fixed undercarriage had two large wheels mounted directly under the wings.

Work on the Do-N began in Germany in 1924, and the aircraft made its first flight in Japan on 19 February 1926, after Dornier sent two engineers, two foremen and a pilot to Japan. Dr Claude Dornier also made a visit to Japan to ensure the success of the project. A co-production contract was signed, with most components being built by Dornier at Mazell near Freidrichshafen, while the ribs, wing components, undercarriage, propeller, some instruments and smaller parts were built in Japan. The aircraft were then assembled at Kobe. A total of 28 were built, serving with the Japanese Army as the Type 87 Night Bomber. These aircraft saw limited service in Manchuria and Korea. Some were either re-engined or built with Rolls Royce Condor or Napier Lion engines.

Engine: Two BMW VI engines
Power: 500hp each
Wing span: 87ft 11in
Max Speed: 112mph
Climb rate: 40 minutes to 9,000ft
Service Ceiling: 9,000ft
Armament: Two 7.7mm machine guns, one each in dorsal and nose positions
Bomb-load: 2,205lb

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (1 October 2010), Kawasaki Type 87 Night Bomber , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_kawasaki_type_87_night_bomber.html

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