Nakajima Ki-82

The Nakajima Ki-82 was a design for a new aircraft to replace the disappointing Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu, but the success of the Mitsubishi Ki-67 meant that the design was never completed.

During the 1930s Mitsubishi had produced most Japanese heavy bombers, but in 1938 they lost out to the Nakajima Type 100 Heavy Bomber Donryu (Ki-49). This was meant to replace the Mitsubishi Ki-21 Type 97 Bomber, but the new aircraft didn't live up to expectations and never fully replaced the older aircraft.

At the start of 1941 the Japanese Army asked Mitsubishi to begin work on a new bomber to replace the Mitsubishi Ki-49. Mitsubishi were able to reply very quickly and their draft outline was approved on 17 February 1941. This design would become the Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryu, the Japanese Army's best bomber of the Second World War.

Nakajima wasn't asked to produce its own design for a new bomber until later in 1941. The new aircraft was to be a smaller and lighter version of the Ki-49. Work began at Nakajima's Mitake Research Division, but by the middle of 1942 it was clear that the design wouldn't be competitive and work on the Ki-82 was abandoned.

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (19 September 2013), Nakajima Ki-82 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_nakajima_ki-82.html

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