# Tachikawa Ki-54

The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a Japanese, twin-engine advanced trainer used during World War II. The aircraft was named Hickory by the Allies.

## History

The Ki-54 was developed in response to an Imperial Japanese Army requirement for a twin-engine advanced trainer, principally for crew training. The prototype first flew in the summer of 1940 and, on completing trials, entered production in 1941 as Army Type 1 Advanced Trainer Model A (Ki-54a). The Ki-54a was soon followed by the Ki-54b as Army Type 1 Operations Trainer Model B and Ki-54c as Army Type 1 Transport Model C. The Ki-54b and -c enjoyed successful careers until the end of the war. A few captured aircraft were flown after the war by various users.

## Operators
### Japan

* Imperial Japanese Army Air Force used them for training as per their design.

### Manchukuo

* Manchukuo Air Force Three were provided by Japan as VIP transports.

### China-Nanjing

* Nanjing air force

### China

* Republic of China Air Force Nationalist Chinese (captured).

### China

* People's Liberation Army Air Force Communist Chinese (captured): Four captured Ki-54s were used, including in 1951 to train the first class of female pilots in China. They were retired in 1952.

### French Indochina

* Armée de l'Air At least seven Ki-54 were recovered by the French in French Indochina between 1945 and 1947, after the Japanese surrender.

### United Kingdom

* One aircraft operated briefly by No. 273 Squadron RAF during September and October 1945 in French Indochina.

## Variants

* Ki-54a - unarmed pilot trainer
* Ki-54b - armed crew trainer
* Ki-54c - eight-passenger light transport, communications aircraft. Civil designation Y-59.
* Ki-54d - maritime reconnaissance/ASW, carried 8x 60-kg (132-lb) depth charges
* Ki-110 - one prototype Ki-54c of all-wood construction, destroyed in US bombing attack
* Ki-111 - projected fuel tanker (none built)
* Ki-114 - projected fuel tanker of all-wood construction (none built)

## Surviving aircraft

* A Ki-54 fuselage is in Australia in storage at the Australian War Museum Annex. It was previously part of a playground at the RAAF Fairbairn base kindergarten.
* Another Ki-54 fuselage is stored in China at the Chinese Aviation Museum.
* A nearly intact Ki-54 is proposed to be restored by Tachichi Holdings [ja], the successor to the aircraft's manufacturer. It was found at the bottom of Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture on 13 August 2010 and recovered on 5 September 2012. It was preserved for display at the Misawa Aviation & Science Museum in the damaged state it was found. It remained at that museum until 2020 when it was given to Tachichi Holdings for a proposed restoration. The aircraft was briefly on display in 2022 in Tokyo in the same condition as it was in Misawa.

## Specifications (Ki-54c light transport)

Data from The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II; Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War
General characteristics
* Crew: 2
* Capacity: 8
* Length: 11.94 m (39 ft 2 in)
* Wingspan: 17.9 m (58 ft 9 in)
* Height: 3.58 m (11 ft 9 in)
* Wing area: 40 m$^2$ (430 sq ft)
* Empty weight: 2,954 kg (6,512 lb)
* Gross weight: 3,897 kg (8,591 lb)
* Powerplant: 2 × Hitachi Ha13a (Army Type 98 450hp Air Cooled Radial) 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 380 kW (510 hp) each for take-off
             350 kW (470 hp) at 1,700 m (5,600 ft)
* Propellers: 2-bladed metal propeller
Performance
* Maximum speed: 375 km/h (233 mph, 202 kn)
* Cruise speed: 240 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn)
* Range: 960 km (600 mi, 520 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 7,180 m (23,560 ft)
* Wing loading: 97.4 kg/m$^2$ (19.9 lb/sq ft)
* Power/mass: 0.195 kW/kg (0.119 hp/lb)