Mitsubishi Ki-15

Mitsubishi · Japan · first flew 1936 · fighter

The Mitsubishi Ki-15 (Allied code name 'Babs') was an Imperial Japanese Army Air Force two-seat reconnaissance aircraft that was, at the time of its introduction, one of the fastest aircraft in Asia. A civil version, the Karigane, made a celebrated long-distance flight to Europe in 1937.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Slender tapered wings and elongated fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Japanese Army reconnaissance monoplane of the late 1930s
Fixed but faired spatted undercarriage
Slender tapered wings and elongated fuselage

Its long, slender fuselage, tapered low wing with distinctive spatted fixed undercarriage, and tandem glazed cockpit give the Ki-15 an aerodynamically refined appearance unusual for its era.

Specifications

The Mitsubishi Ki-15 has a length of 8.7 m (29 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12 m (39 ft).
Its maximum speed is 480 km/h (298 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

First flown in 1936, the Ki-15 demonstrated remarkable speed for its era and served as a frontline reconnaissance type in China before and during the early Pacific War. By 1942 it was obsolete in the reconnaissance role but continued in secondary duties.

Variants

The Ki-15-I had a radial engine; the Ki-15-II used a more powerful radial; the civilian Karigane I and II variants were used for record-breaking flights.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force over China and in the early Pacific War; not used in significant numbers by other nations.

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