Ki-76
The Kokusai Ki-76, or Liaison Aircraft Type 3 (in Japanese: 三式指揮連絡機), was a high-wing monoplane designed and produced by the Japanese aircraft manufacturer Kokusai. The Allied reporting name was Stella.
Design works on the Ki-76 commenced in 1940 in response to an Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAF) request; while often contrasted against the German Fieseler Fi 156, it was not a reverse engineered copy of this aircraft and several distinct differences are present between the two. The Ki 76 performed its maiden flight in May 1941, and entered quantity production during November 1942. Operated by the IJAAF, the type flew active combat missions during World War II, typically being used to conduct artillery spotting and liaison missions up until the conflict's end. Several aircraft were modified for shipborne operations and flew from the escort carrier Akitsu Maru in an armed anti-submarine aircraft configuration, however, the Ki-76 was not particularly effective in this capacity.
Design works on the Ki-76 commenced in 1940 in response to an Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAF) request; while often contrasted against the German Fieseler Fi 156, it was not a reverse engineered copy of this aircraft and several distinct differences are present between the two. The Ki 76 performed its maiden flight in May 1941, and entered quantity production during November 1942. Operated by the IJAAF, the type flew active combat missions during World War II, typically being used to conduct artillery spotting and liaison missions up until the conflict's end. Several aircraft were modified for shipborne operations and flew from the escort carrier Akitsu Maru in an armed anti-submarine aircraft configuration, however, the Ki-76 was not particularly effective in this capacity.
