There were three production variants of the Ki-9 series. The base Ki-9 was formally recognized by the Army as the "Army Type 95-1 Medium Grade Trainer Model A" and became the initially manufactured form. This aircraft had a length of 26 feet with a wingspan of 34 feet and a height of 10 feet. Empty weight was 2,500lb against an MTOW of 3,500lb. Power was from a Hitachi Ha-13a air-cooled radial piston engine developing 350 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller at the nose. Performance included a maximum speed of 150 miles per hour, a cruise speed of 95 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 19,050 feet. The aircraft held an endurance window of some 3.5 hours.
In practice, the Ki-9 was a well-liked machine. The type was useful in allowing students to "fly blind" to get a better handling of their aircraft without complete reliance on the instrument panel or out-of-cockpit-vision. Some models had the rear cockpit faired over with a canopy to serve as a VIP transport serving high-ranking staff members of the IJAAF. Towards the end of the war, when desperation had truly set in for the Japanese, the aircraft was modified for the Kamikaze role and carried a oil-filled drum at the rear cockpit for the suicide mission. During the war, some Ki-9 aircraft fell to the enemy Chinese and were placed back into service under their new owners.
An improved wartime version, with better handling and performance, followed as the Ki-9-ko and this was known officially as the "Army Type 95-1 Medium Grade Trainer Model B". However the definitive standardized production version became the Ki-9-otsu or "Army Type 95-1 Medium Grade Trainer Model C".
Wartime users (beyond the IJAAF) were China-Nanjing, Manchukuo and the Royal Thai Air Force. Post-war users of the Ki-9 became the Indonesian Air Force, the Republic of China Air Force and the Republic of Korea Air Force.
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