KI 18

The Mitsubishi Ki-18 was a Japanese prototype monoplane fighter from the interwar period. The drive was provided by a single engine Nakajima Kotobuki 5 700 hp. The prototype flight took place in 1935. The machine never entered mass production. The deck armament consisted of two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns. The roots of the Mitsubishi Ki-18 machine go back to the competition announced by the navy command in 1932, which was to lead to the acquisition of a new on-board fighter. Mitsubishi entered the 1MF10 aircraft to this competition, and shortly thereafter the Ka-14. In 1934, the Air Force Command of the Army also announced a competition for a new fighter, and after dissatisfaction with the construction of Kawasaki and Nakajima companies, they asked Mitsubishi to adapt the Ka-14 to the Army's needs. This is how the Ki-18 aircraft was created, which differed from its predecessor with different on-board weapons, other wheel covers for the landing gear and an enlarged rudder. However, after passing a series of tests, the Mitsubishi Ki-18, despite its good performance, was not accepted by the Army due to poor maneuverability and an emergency engine. Probably only one copy of this plane was built.