Nakajima Ki-8
{{Short description|Japanese fighter prototype}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name= Ki-8
|image= Nakajima Ki-8.jpg
|caption= Nakajima Ki-8
|type= prototype fighter aircraft
|manufacturer= Nakajima Aircraft Company
|designer=
|first_flight= 1934
|introduction=
|retired=
|status=
|primary_user= Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
|more_users=
|produced=
|number_built= 5
|variants=
}}
The {{nihongo|Nakajima Ki-8|キ8|Ki-hachi}} was an unsuccessful attempt by the Nakajima Aircraft Company to interest the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in a two-seat modern monoplane fighter.{{Harvnb|Mikesh|Abe|1990|pp=217–218.}}
Design & Development
Development of the Ki-8, (a.k.a. Nakajima DF), began in 1933, based on an all-metal two-seat aircraft, featuring low inverted gull wings, with fixed and spatted landing gear, powered by a single {{convert|410|kW|hp|-1|abbr=on}} Nakajima Kotobuki Ha-1-3 radial engine. Proposed armament consisted of twin 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns firing from between the engine cylinders and a third 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine gun on a flexible mount on the back of the rear cockpit.
In initial testing, the aircraft proved unpopular with test pilots, who raised concerns about the design's aerodynamic stability . The initial prototypes were also plagued with a variety of manufacturing defects and malfunctions. Though corrections were made to improve initial design and stability problems, the performance of the aircraft was considered no better than the existing Nakajima Type 91 fighter, and as the Japanese Army Air Force had no use for two-seat fighters,{{Harvnb|Mikesh|Abe|1990|p=218.}} the project was cancelled in 1934, after five prototype aircraft had been produced, and before the start of full production.
Variants
- Nakajima Ki-8 : initial prototype (five built)
Operators
;{{flag|Japan}}
Specifications (Ki-8)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Famous Airplanes of the World, first series, #76: Army Experimental Fighters (1){{Harvnb|FAOW|1976|p=2.}}
|prime units? = met
|crew= two
|length m= 8.17
|length ft= 26
|length in= 9.6
|span m= 12.88
|span ft= 42
|span in= 3.1
|height m= 3.57
|height ft= 11
|height in= 8.5
|wing area sqm= 28.5
|wing area sqft= 306.78
|empty weight kg= 1,525
|empty weight lb= 3,362
|gross weight kg= 2,111
|gross weight lb= 4,654
|eng1 number= 1
|eng1 name= Nakajima Ha-1 Kotobuki air-cooled radial engine
|eng1 kw= 410
|eng1 hp= 550
|max speed kmh= 328
|max speed mph= 204
|range km= 1,000
|range miles= 621
|ceiling m= 8760
|ceiling ft= 28,740
|armament = * 2× 7.7 mm (.303 in) forward-firing machine guns
- 1× 7.7 mm (.303 in) dorsal flexible machine gun
}}
{{aircontent
|related=
|similar aircraft=
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References
{{commons category}}
=Citations=
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last1=Mikesh|first1=Robert C.|first2=Shorzoe |last2=Abe|title=Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941|year=1990|publisher= Putnam & Company Ltd.|location=London|isbn= 0-85177-840-2}}
- {{cite magazine |author= |magazine=Famous Airplanes of the World, first series, #76 |title=Army Experimental Fighters (1) |location=Tokyo |publisher=Bunrin-Do |date=August 1976 |ref={{harvid|FAOW|1976}}}}
- {{cite magazine | author= |magazine=Famous Airplanes of the World, second series, #24 |title=Army Experimental Fighters |location=Tokyo |publisher=Bunrin-Do |date= September 1990}}
{{refend}}
{{Nakajima aircraft}}
{{Japanese Army Aircraft Designation System}}
Category:Inverted gull-wing aircraft
Category:1930s Japanese experimental aircraft