TACHIKAWA KI -77

The Tachikawa Ki-77 was a Japanese prototype low-wing transport and communication aircraft from the Second World War. The drive was provided by two Nakajima Ha-115 engines with a capacity of up to 1170 HP each. The prototype flight took place in November 1942. The machine never entered mass production. It was not planned that the machine would have permanent on-board armament. The Tachikawa Ki-77 was created in response to the demand from the Army Aviation Command for a new long-range communication and transport aircraft. The new plane was to be capable of an intercontinental flight from Tokyo to New York. A special institute at the University of Tokyo was responsible for the aerodynamic development of the aircraft, and the Tachikawa plant was responsible for production. Design work was completed at the end of 1940, but the expected outbreak of war with the United States resulted in a shift of funds to completely different projects. This meant that the first flight of the Ki-77 took place only in 1942. In the course of the first flight tests, it also turned out that the Ki-77 suffers from numerous problems due to design flaws. Ultimately, the machine did not enter mass production and most likely only two prototype units were made.