The Japanese Army Air Force Hikōtai Unit was an

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the Military aviation, aviati ...

Air transport section (a Hikōtai) whose mission was to transport personnel, weapons and equipment to occupied territories or the combat front in wartime. Such units supported Army airborne forces during their missions as well.

Fleet

These service operated various types of aircraft: *

Kawasaki Ki-3 The was a light bomber built by Kawasaki Kōkūki Kōgyō K.K. for the Imperial Japanese Army in the 1930s. It was the last biplane bomber design to be produced for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and saw combat service in Manchukuo and in ...

(Liaison and communications) *

Nakajima Ki-4 The Nakajima Ki-4 was the last biplane reconnaissance aircraft of the Japanese Imperial Army. It saw combat service in Manchukuo and in north China during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Design and development The Ki-4 was ...

(Liaison and communications) *

Kokusai Ki-76 The Kokusai Ki-76, or Liaison Aircraft Type 3 (in ja, 三式指揮連絡機), was a Japanese high-wing monoplane artillery spotter and liaison aircraft that served in World War II. The Allied reporting name was "Stella". Design and development ...

"Stella" (Liaison) *

Kobeseiko Te-Gō The was a Japanese two-seat STOL experimental reconnaissance aircraft developed by Kobe Steel in 1942 for service in World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that las ...

(Liaison) * Mansyu Ki-97 (Communications) *

Mitsubishi Ki-7 The was a trainer built by Mitsubishi which was used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in an extremely wide variety of roles, including light transport, liaison aircraft, utility aircraft and occasionally light bomber. Its Allied reporting name ...

(Liaison) * Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah" (Liaison, communication and courier) * Tachikawa (Ishikawajima) Light Ambulance (Air Ambulance/liaison) *

Tachikawa Ki-9 The was an intermediate training aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force built by Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd in the 1930s. It was known to the Allies under the nickname of "Spruce" during World War II. Design and development T ...

"Spruce" (Communications) *

Tachikawa Ki-17 The was a basic training aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force built by Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd in the 1930s. It was known to the Allies under the nickname of ''Cedar'' during World War II. Design and development The Ki-9 ...

"Cedar" (Communications) *

Kayaba Ka-1 The Kayaba Ka-1 and Ka-2 were Japanese autogyros, seeing service during World War II for artillery spotting. Design and development The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) developed the Ka-1 autogyro for reconnaissance, artillery-spotting, and anti-s ...

(communications helicopter) * Kawasaki Ki-56 "Thalia" (Merchant transport) *

Kokusai Ki-59 The was an early 1940s light transport monoplane built by Nippon Kokusai Koku Kogyo K.K for the Imperial Japanese Army as a development of the Teradako-ken TK-3 which had first flown in 1938. Development The Teradako-ken TK-3 was a prototype ...

"Theresa" (Light transport) *

Mitsubishi Ki-1 The Mitsubishi Ki-1, also known as Mitsubishi Army Type 93 Heavy Bomber, was a bomber built by Mitsubishi for the Imperial Japanese Army in the 1930s. The Ki-1 design was heavily based on the Junkers K 37 and a mockup was ready in August 1932, wi ...

(Heavy Bomber/Transport) *

(Light transport) *

Mitsubishi Ki-21 The ( Allied reporting name: "Sally" /"Gwen") was a Japanese heavy bomber during World War II. It began operations during the Second Sino-Japanese War participating in the Nomonhan Incident, and in the first stages of the Pacific War, includ ...

"Sally" (Heavy Bomber/transport) *

Mitsubishi MC-20 The Mitsubishi Ki-57 was a Japanese passenger transport aircraft, developed from the Ki-21 bomber, during the early 1940s. Development In 1938, when the Ki-21 heavy bomber began to enter service with the Imperial Japanese Army, its capability a ...

(Transport version of Ki-21 bomber) *

Mitsubishi Ki-57 The Mitsubishi Ki-57 was a Japanese passenger transport aircraft, developed from the Ki-21 bomber, during the early 1940s. Development In 1938, when the Ki-21 heavy bomber began to enter service with the Imperial Japanese Army, its capability a ...

"Topsy" (Personnel transport) *

Nakajima Ki-34 The Nakajima Ki-34 was a Japanese light transport of World War II. It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane; the undercarriage was of tailwheel type with retractable main units. During the Pacific War, the Allies assigned the type the reporting ...

"Thora" (Personnel transport) *

Nakajima Ki-6 The was a licensed-produced version of the Fokker Super Universal transport built by Nakajima Aircraft Company in the 1930s. Initially used as an airliner, the militarized version was used by the Imperial Japanese Army in a variety of roles ...

(Light transport, version of Fokker 8 Super Universal) *

Nakajima Ki-49 The Nakajima Ki-49 ''Donryu'' (呑龍, "Storm Dragon")Francillon, 1970, p.223 was a twin-engine Japanese World War II heavy bomber. It was designed to carry out daylight bombing missions, without the protection of escort fighters. Consequently, ...

(Transport modification of Ki-49 bomber) *

Douglas DC-2 The Douglas DC-2 is a 14-passenger, twin-engined airliner that was produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Company starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935, Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which b ...

(Transport, 2 purchased, 6 manufactured under license) *

Douglas DC-5 The Douglas DC-5 (Douglas Commercial Model 5) was a 16-to-22-seat, twin-engine propeller aircraft intended for shorter routes than the Douglas DC-3 or Douglas DC-4. By the time it entered commercial service in 1940, many airlines were canceling ...

(Transport, 1 captured at KLM, evaluated and used for transport services) *

Tachikawa Type LO Transport Aircraft The Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra was an American civil passenger and cargo aircraft built by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation during the late 1930s. An outgrowth of the earlier Model 10 Electra, the Model 14 was also developed into larger ...

"Thelma" (Personnel transport) *

Tachikawa Ki-54 The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a Japanese twin-engine advanced trainer used during World War II. The aircraft was named Hickory by the Allies. History The Ki-54 was developed in response to an Imperial Japanese Army requirement for a twin-engine adva ...

"Hickory" (Light transport) *

Kokusai Ku-8 The (Kokusai Army Type 4 Special Transport Glider) was a Japanese military glider used during the Second World War. Design and development Design of the Ku-8-II began in December 1941, the glider was essentially a Kokusai Ki-59, with the engi ...

"Gander" (Transport glider)

Manchoukuoan Air Transport Services

Within this unit in

Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of (Great) Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Manchuria from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 after the Japanese in ...

the Manchukuo Air Transport Company developed. This unit functioned as a paramilitary transport service inside of

Manchukuo Air Force The Manchukuo Imperial Air Force (') ( was the air force of the Empire of Manchuria, a puppet state of Imperial Japan. The air force's predecessor was the Manchukuo Air Transport Company (later renamed the Manchukuo National Airways), a para ...

for the transportation of Japanese and Manchu military personnel. They were equipped with Junkers Ju 86 Z-2, among other airplanes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hikotai Transport Unit Units and formations of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service