The 1910 Kolbanyi I biplane was designed and built by Geza Kolbanyi in Hungary, who together with Sylvester Golcsek designed and built an innovative 6 cylinder engine producing 60 HP and weighing only 230 lb.
It took to the air, but crashed due to the inexperienced pilot
Span: 33’5″
Length: 26’3″
Take-off Weight: 880 lb
In 1940, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force ordered the Nippon Kokusai Koku Kogyo to produce an artillery spotting and liaison aircraft. The resulting Ki-76, or Liaison Aircraft Type 3 (in Japanese: 三式指揮連絡機), was inspired by, and similar to, the German Fieseler Fi 156 “Storch”, although not a direct copy. A high-winged monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage, the Ki-76 used Fowler flaps, and was powered by Hitachi Ha-42 radial engine.
First flying in May 1941, the Ki-76 proved successful when evaluated against an example of the Fi-156, and was ordered into production as the Army Type 3 Command Liaison Plane in November 1942. 937 including a single prototype were built.
The Ki-76 remained in service as an artillery spotter and liaison aircraft until the end of the war. Ki-76s were also used as anti-submarine aircraft, operating from the Japanese Army’s escort carrier, the Akitsu Maru, being fitted with an arrestor hook and carrying two 60 kg (132 lb) depth charges.
The Allied reporting name was “Stella”.
Some were used by the Royal Thai Air Force.
Ki-76
Engine: 1 × Hitachi Ha42, 231 kW (310 hp)
Propeller: 2-bladed fixed-pitch
Wingspan: 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 29.4 m2 (316 sq ft)
Length: 9.65 m (31 ft 8 in)
Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
Empty weight: 1,110 kg (2,447 lb)
Gross weight: 1,530 kg (3,373 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 1,623 kg (3,578 lb)
Maximum speed: 178 km/h (111 mph, 96 kn) at sea level
Range: 750 km (470 mi, 400 nmi)
Service ceiling: 5,630 m (18,470 ft)
Guns: 1× 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun in rear cockpit
Bombs: 2× 60 kg (132 lb) depth charges (some variants)
Crew: 2
Near the end of 1941 one Ki-59 was modified into a glider with the removal of the engines and the landing gear replaced by under-fuselage skids. It was designated the Ku-8-I or Army Experimental Glider. This was further developed as the Ku-8-II or Army Type 4 Large Transport Glider which became the only operationally-used Japanese assault glider. It was named ‘Goose’ by the Allies but subsequently changed to ‘Gander’.
Carrying a crew of two and 15-20 armed troops, the Ku-8 jettisoned its main undercarriage after take-off, landing on fixed under-fuselage skids. The tail wheel was also fixed. Small vehicles or artillery pieces, when carried, were loaded from the front, the whole nose section hinging to starboard. Troop entry was via the outward opening door in the fuselage side.
Variants:
Ku-8-I (Army Experimental Glider)
Experimental conversion to glider configuration.
Ku-8-II (Army Type 4 Large Transport Glider) (“Gander”)
Assault-glider variant.
Span: 75 ft 0 in
Crew: 2
Payload: 15-20 troops
The Ki-105 Ohtori, (‘Phoenix’, allied codename Crane) was a project in the last months of the Pacific War. With Allied attacks on ports and shipping, Japan’s sources of oil to fuel its defensive fighters were drying up. To meet the demand for aviation fuel, the experimental Kokusai Ku-7 transport glider was developed into a powered version for use in transporting fuel from the oilfields still held in Sumatra to Japan.
This required a range of 2500km, and to achieve this the Ki-105’s engines drew on the transported fuel, and used 80% of it to reach Japan (plus what it used to reach Sumatra unloaded). Japan developed a process to make gasoline from pine tree oil, which saw whole forests destroyed to fill the tanks of a few fighter aircraft.
The Ku-7 Manazuru were modified by fitting them with engines, which were designated the Ki-105 Otori (鳳 “Phoenix”). Ku-7-II was the original designation for the Ki-105. Intended for use as fuel transports, only nine, of 300 ordered, were produced before development priorities were shifted elsewhere.
Engines: 2 x Mitsubishi Ha-26-Il, 940 hp (700 kW)
Wingspan: 35.00 m / 115 ft 10 in
Length: 19.92 m / 65 ft 4 in
Height: 5.56 m / 18 ft 3 in
Max take-off weight: 12,500 kg / 27,558 lb
Normal payload: 3,300 kg / 7,300 lb
Cruising speed: 220 km/h / 137 mph / 120 kn
Maximum range: 2,500 km / 1,600 mi / 1,300 nmi
Crew: 3
The Kokusai Ku-7 Manazuru (真鶴 “white-naped crane”; Allied code-name Buzzard) was a large experimental twin boom Japanese military glider.
An enlarged version of the earlier Maeda Ku-1 glider, it was developed during 1942. The use of a twin boom design allowed for a large square cargo door, which meant that the aircraft was capable of carrying either 32 soldiers, 7600 kg of cargo or even a light tank.
First flown on 15 August 1944, it required a powerful towing aircraft, either the Nakajima Ki-49 or the Mitsubishi Ki-67, which were in short supply. As a result, the aircraft were modified by fitting them with engines, which were designated the Ki-105 Otori (鳳 “Phoenix”). Ku-7-II was the original designation for the Ki-105.
Only two Ku-7 Manazuru were built.
Ku-7
Wingspan: 34.75 m (114 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 119.7 m2 (1,288 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 10.8
Length: 19.5 m (64 ft 0 in)
Empty weight: 4,536 kg (10,000 lb)
Gross weight: 12,000 kg (26,455 lb)
Never exceed speed: 354 km/h (220 mph, 191 kn)
Maximum towing speed: 201 km/h (125 mph; 109 kn)
Crew: 2
Capacity: 32 troops, equipped / 8 short tons (7,300 kg) tank / 75 mm (3.0 in) howitzer with 4 short tons (3,600 kg) tractor / 7,464 kg (16,455 lb)
In 1968 the Kokkola Brothers, Kalevi and Seppo, designed the KO-04 Super Upstart autogiro or gyrocopter with rotor-tip thrusters for increased take-off performance. The plane was registered OH-XYY (Serial number 1) during 1969 – 1976, and after that it came in airworthy condition to the Finnish Aviation Museum. The plane was donated to the museum’s collection in the end of the 1990’s.
Classed as a microlight under the FAI definition, the all carbonfibre Ultima two seater was at the point of being marketed in 1998.
Koenig Engineering offers kit to construct AK.09 Faucon two-seat composites monoplane, also available from Germany as Junkers Ultima.
Engine: Rotax 912, 80 hp
Wing span: 8.20 m
Wing area: 10.5 sq.m
MAUW: 450 kg
Empty weight: 250 kg
Fuel capacity: 90 lt
Max speed: 260 kph
Cruise speed: 230 kph
Minimum speed: 65 kph
Climb rate: 6.2 m/s
Seats: 2
Fuel consumption: 12 lt/hr
Price (1998): 98 000 DM
Kit price (1998): 52 270 DM
France
Offers kit to construct AK.09 Faucon light sport two-seat composites monoplane, also available from Germany as Junkers Ultima.
Owner-builder Harold Koehler started his Goodyear racer only to have the engine develop serious trouble on take off during the 1947 race. Pilot Bob Gaffney was not injured.
In France in 1907, Paul Koechling designed and built the Koechling No. 1 biplane.
