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Imperial Japanese Army Air Force - Kitai Airframe Number

The Japanese Army Air Force used three aircraft designation systems - the Kitai, or airframe number, allocated while a project was under development, the Type number, derived from the year the aircraft was accepted for service, and a series of popular names adopted soon after the start of the Pacific War. A fourth name system was adopted by the Allies, with each aircraft was given an easy to remember code name.

• The Kitai (airframe) system of 1932 was used for every aircraft developed for the Japanese Army. The airframe, or Ki numbers, was allocated in sequence until 1944, and randomly after that.
• The Type Number system, adopted in 1927, was based on the year in which the design was accepted by the Japanese Army Air Force. In the Japanese calendar 1927 was 2587, and so aircraft accepted in that year were given the designation Type 87 (the Japanese New Year had been moved to 1 January). In 1940 (Japanese 2600) the Army used the designation Type 100 (while the Navy used Type 0). From 1941 only the last digit was used, starting with Type 1.
• The Kitai and Type number systems remained in use until the end of the Second World War, but soon after the start of the Pacific War the Japanese Army realised that it needed shorter, easier to remember and more dramatic names for use in public announcements.

While Type designations were only given to aircraft that were accepted for service, the Kitai (airframe) system of 1932 was used for every aircraft developed for the Japanese Army. The airframe, or Ki numbers, was allocated in sequence until 1944, and randomly after that.