Nakajima Ki-34
Nakajima · Japan · first flew 1936 · transport aircraft
The Nakajima Ki-34 was a Japanese twin-engine light transport of the Second World War. The Allies gave it the reporting name Thora.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 15.3 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin radial engines on a low-wing monoplane
- Retractable main undercarriage with a tailwheel
- All-metal airframe with plywood flight control surfaces
A low-wing twin with tailwheel undercarriage and an all-metal multi-cell cantilever wing.
Specifications
- The Nakajima Ki-34 has a length of 15.3 m (50 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 19.916 m (65 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 360 km/h (224 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed as a civil transport, the AT-2, whose prototype flew on 12 September 1936. The Imperial Japanese Army adapted it with more powerful Nakajima Ha-1b engines as the Army Type 97 Transport.
Variants
The civil version was the AT-2, of which 32 were built. Some aircraft were transferred to the Imperial Japanese Navy as the Navy Type AT-2 Transport, also called the L1N1.
Where you'll see it
AT-2s flew for Imperial Japanese Airways and Manchukuo National Airways. The Army used the Ki-34 for liaison, paratrooper training and special forces operations; 318 were built for the Army, the last delivered in 1942.
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- Dornier Do 14
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