Ki-56

The Kawasaki Ki‑56 was a twin‑engine light transport aircraft developed in the late 1930s for the Imperial Japanese Army. Based on the German Messerschmitt Bf 110, Kawasaki licensed the design and replaced the original Daimler‑Benz engines with locally produced Nakajima Ha‑5 radials, creating a distinct Japanese variant. First flown in 1939, the Ki‑56 entered service as a personnel and cargo carrier, capable of carrying up to eight troops or 1,000 kg of freight over a range of roughly 1,200 km at a cruise speed of 300 km/h. Its all‑metal stressed‑skin construction, low‑wing configuration, and retractable landing gear gave it superior durability and handling compared to earlier wooden transports. The aircraft saw extensive use in the early Pacific campaigns, providing rapid logistical support during the invasions of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies. Although quickly superseded by larger transports such as the Ki‑57, the Ki‑56 demonstrated the feasibility of modern twin‑engine transport designs for Japan and contributed to the development of later domestic airliners. Today, only a few fragments remain in museums, marking its role as a transitional stepping‑stone in Japanese aviation history significance.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries

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Design & Classification