The Other Japanese Fighters

[jcf]

Another thought here - what if the radial engine of the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa was replaced with an inline Kawasaki Ha-40 (licence-built DB 601):


Regards,

Greg

Its an intriguing notion Greg, it would require extensive redesign as the Hayabusa was even more lightly built than the Reisen.

Nakajima did build the inline engined Ki 12 prototype prior to the Ki 27.

[GTX]

Further to the Mistel idea, maybe a Mitsubishi J2M on top of a Mitsubishi G4M

To illustrate:



Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

However, working kind of along those lines, how about turning the B7A into a single-seater ala the Firebrand, Skyraider or Mauler? - I know, not a fighter. Smiley

Better late than never:



Regards,

Greg

[r16]

many sources define the B7A as maneouvrable as the Zero and it was definitely as fast.

[sotoolslinger]

Painted American but this fuselage is pure J2M Raiden

[GTX]

pure J2M Raiden

Pure evil you mean!

regards,

Greg

[dy031101]

For the longest time I've been wondering if Battleships Ise and Hyuga as well as Cruiser Mogami would have been more useful if IJN produced enough of a version of Kawanishi N1K floatplane fighters for catapult rail launch and/or Aichi E16A for air defense, anti-submarine, and/or scouting......

Oh and, how does Aichi M6A perform?  I know that it's originally an attack aircraft, but man it looks sleek......

[jcf]

For the longest time I've been wondering if Battleships Ise and Hyuga as well as Cruiser Mogami would have been more useful if IJN produced enough of a version of Kawanishi N1K floatplane fighters for catapult rail launch and/or Aichi E16A for air defense, anti-submarine, and/or scouting......

Oh and, how does Aichi M6A perform?  I know that it's originally an attack aircraft, but man it looks sleek......

The biggest limitation on aircraft use by the hybrids was the recovery process, the aircraft had to be hoisted aboard after landing in the sea. This is not conducive to quick turnarounds in combat conditions.
Ise conversion completed October 8, 1943; Hyuga November 30, 1943. Theoretically they could each carry 22 bomber-seaplanes, the intended aircraft design was never built.

Mogami converted and returned to service  May 1943.

E16A1 recce aircraft with secondary dive-bombing capability, production was approved August, 1943. Aichi built 194 before transferring production towards the end of 1944 to Nippon Hikoki K.K. who only completed another 59 aircraft by the end of the war. Aichi had to cease production due to demand for the land-based D4Y Suisei.

N1K1 accepted for production in December 1942, production gradually increased through June 1943, high rate of fifteen aircraft per month not reached until December of that year for a yearly total of 89 aircraft. Production tapered off in early 1944 to allow production of (the much more useful) N1K1-J land-based fighters.

Japan simply could not build aircraft fast enough or in enough quantity and no matter how many of them you used the hybrid-carriers would not have been any more effective as mainstream combat vessels, building them was very much a desperation move, they may have made excellent commerce raiders if not for IJN philosophy and US domination of the air and sea... above and below the surface.

In comparison, Grumman delivered 2,545 F6F Hellcats in 1943; 6,139 in 1944 and 3,578 in 1945 for a total of 12,272 aircraft... that's  ust one company and one aircraft type.

M6A1 max speed 295mph at 17,060 '.

Jon

[gooberliberation]

If you're wondering what the wheeled M6A performed like, it probably was much like the liquid cooled variants of the Yokosuka D4Y "Judy," with a top speed of about 340mph,or perhaps a little better. I guestimate this since the two planes have the same motor and about the same weight(well, the land based M6A almost certainly lighter) and well... they even look alike.

(are the two designs related?)

[dy031101]

Japan simply could not build aircraft fast enough or in enough quantity and no matter how many of them you used the hybrid-carriers would not have been any more effective as mainstream combat vessels, building them was very much a desperation move, they may have made excellent commerce raiders if not for IJN philosophy and US domination of the air and sea... above and below the surface.

I was thinking that the Kyofu might focus on dive/torpedo bombers, leaving Zeros from real carriers to take on Wildcats/Hellcats/Corsairs, or drop depth charges in support of surface ASW combatants...... that is of course easier said than done.

Yes, the US industrial capability far outmatched the Japanese, so I agree that US domination in the air was very much inevitable...... but there might have been twists in the process......

[jcf]

If you're wondering what the wheeled M6A performed like, it probably was much like the liquid cooled variants of the Yokosuka D4Y "Judy," with a top speed of about 340mph,or perhaps a little better. I guestimate this since the two planes have the same motor and about the same weight(well, the land based M6A almost certainly lighter) and well... they even look alike.

(are the two designs related?)

The wheeled Nanzan was the Seiran with retractable gear in place of floats.
It was used to train the Seiran pilots.

Jon

[gooberliberation]

Whoops, I meant the D4Y and M6A being possibly related. Makes some sense, since they both come from manufacturers of IJN a/c.

[jcf]

Whoops, I meant the D4Y and M6A being possibly related. Makes some sense, since they both come from manufacturers of IJN a/c.

Both were in fact manufactured by Aichi.

Yokosuka was not a manufacturing concern, rather it was a Naval Arsenal, design and flight test center that had a limited production capability. The bulk of Yokosuka aircraft were built by other manufacturers.


The D4Y project originated out of experience with the Heinkel He 118V4, the IJN had planned to produce a modified version but the aircraft disintegrated in flight, by late 1938 the project to produce a better aircraft using the 118 as the basis was assigned to the Dai-Ichi Kaigun Koku Gijitsusho at Yokosuka, the team was led by Chief Eng Masao Yamana . The first of five D4Y prototypes built by the Dai-Ichi Kaigun Koku Gijitsusho was completed in November 1940 and made its first flight the following month. Serial production was assigned to Aichi (1,818 produced) and the Dai-Ichi Kaigun Kokusho (11th Naval Air Arsenal) at Hiro (215 produced).

Based on the timelines for development and the fact that Aichi was the major producer of the D4Y, it is very likely that the D4Y influenced the design of the M6A.

Jon

[jcf]

Here is an interesting project, the inverted V-12 powered Nakajima Ki-62.

Cheers,
jon

[gooberliberation]

That's a damn good looking plane.  I wonder how easy it'd be to stick DB onto a Ki-84. The Frank looks like it has a really really fat cross section up front but hey, don't know for sure till I try