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The Kawasaki Type 88 Light Bomber was based on the Type 88-II Reconnaissance Biplane, but with the ability to carry a 200kg (441lb) bomb load.
The Type 88 Reconnaissance Biplane was based on the KDA-2, designed by Dr Richard Vogt, later the chief designer for Blohm und Voss. He first worked with Kawasaki in 1925, produced the Dornier Do-N, which was co-produced by Dornier and Kawasaki as the Type 87 Night Bomber.
The Type 88 was an unequal span biplane, with a slim fuselage and a conventional cross-axle landing gear. It evolved into the Type 88-II, which had an improved engine cowling and a new tail fin. The Type 88-II Reconnaissance Biplane then became the basis of the Type 88 Light Bomber. Like the reconnaissance aircraft this was armed with one fixed and one manually operated 7.7mm machine gun, and was powered by a water-cooled inverted V inline BMW VI engine driving a two-bladed propeller and with the radiator under the nose. The Type 88 Light Bomber could carry up to 441lb/ 200kg of bombs, and saw service in Manchuria. A total of 407 were produced between 1929 and 1932, and some were still in service as late as the Shanghai conflict of 1937.