Tachikawa Ki-17

Tachikawa · Japan · first flew 1935 · light aircraft

The Tachikawa Ki-17 was a basic training aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, built by Tachikawa in the 1930s. It was known to the Allies by the nickname Cedar.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Slim fuselage with a revised tailplane compared with the Ki-9
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-engine biplane with equal-span wings
Slim fuselage with a revised tailplane compared with the Ki-9
7-cylinder Hitachi Ha-12 radial engine with a two-bladed wooden propeller

It is a two-seat biplane with wings of equal span, 9.82 m across, and a 150 hp seven-cylinder radial engine in the nose.

Specifications

The Tachikawa Ki-17 has a length of 7.8 m (26 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.82 m (32 ft).
Its maximum speed is 170 km/h (106 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

The Ki-9 was originally planned in two versions with different engines, but the lower-powered form proved unsuitable because of a centre of gravity issue. A new airframe was ordered for the basic trainer, designated Ki-17, and the first prototype flew in July 1935.

Variants

Compared with the Ki-9, the Ki-17 had equal-span wings, a slimmer fuselage and a revised tailplane. The only major change on production aircraft was the deletion of the upper-wing ailerons to remove oversensitive control inputs.

Where you'll see it

Tachikawa built 560 Ki-17s between 1936 and 1943. The type served with the Army Air Academy and flight training schools, and with the Manchukuo Imperial Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force.

Related aircraft

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