Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily"

Kawasaki · Japan · first flew 1939 · bomber

The Kawasaki Ki-48 (Allied reporting name 'Lily') was a Japanese Army twin-engine light bomber introduced in 1940. Inspired by the Soviet Tupolev SB encountered in China, it was fast for its day but carried a relatively light bomb load.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Clean oval fuselage with twin radials
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Twin-engine light bomber with mid-mounted tapered wings
Glazed nose section for bombardier
Clean oval fuselage with twin radials

A sleek twin-engine mid-wing bomber with a glazed nose, rounded twin radial engine nacelles, and a clean oval fuselage; the mid-wing position and streamlined profile distinguish it from Japanese Army heavy bombers.

Specifications

The Kawasaki Ki-48 has a length of 12.75 m (42 ft).
It has a wingspan of 17.45 m (57 ft).
Its maximum speed is 505 km/h (314 mph).
Typical crew: 4.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in July 1939, the Ki-48 entered service in 1940 and saw widespread use over China, South-East Asia, and the Pacific. Its speed initially gave it an edge over defending fighters, but by 1943 it was outclassed and vulnerability to Allied fighters led to heavy losses.

Variants

The Ki-48-I was the original production version; the Ki-48-II introduced uprated engines and a larger bomb load; the Ki-48-IIc was adapted for high-speed dive bombing; late-war examples were modified as Ohka-style suicide bombers.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in China, Malaya, the Philippines, Burma, and the Pacific islands; never exported.

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