Kawanishi Baika Type III

[comrade harps]

Although it was known to have been test flown, until 1978 there was no photographic evidence of the Type III version of the Kawanishi Baika. In that year, dentist Makoto Hasebe found four photographs of this elusive aircraft among his late father's processions. Makoto knew that his dad had been an amateur photographer and had worked as an aviation mechanic, but knew little about his father's wartime experiences. Checking the aircraft books in his father's library, Makoto was unable to find a reference to one of the planes in some of the photos. After some research Makoto was startled to find that he had photos of the obscure Kawanishi Baika Type III.


The Baika started life as a powerless interceptor for the Imperial Japanese Army, being designed to be towed above an enemy bomber stream and make diving, ramming attacks. When this proved to be unfeasible, Kawanishi began exploring powered options at the request of the IJA, which was interested in producing a longer-ranged alternative to the Imperial Navy's Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka. To meet both the range and speed requirements demanded by the IJA, Kawanishi chose the Maru Ka10 pulse-jet engine to power its anti-shipping versions of the Baika. A variety of training and operational versions were proposed and built, including variants for conventional take-off (featuring jettisonable landing gear), for take-off from mobile launching rails (using a rocket powered sled), submarine launch and air-launch.

What Makoto had found were the only photographs of this last version, the Baika Type III. Unlike all other Baika, the Type III featured a ventrally mounted pulse jet. Of the 200 Type IIIs ordered, only 5 were built, this version having a low priority as the numbers of available launch platforms dwindled due to Allied air strikes. One Type III prototype made several flights attached beneath a mothership bomber, but no Type III was released for solo fight before the program was terminated in December, 1945. Of those built, all had been canibalised for parts or destroyed before Allied troops occupied the main Baika test and production facility at Motosu on Honshu.

The photos show a Kawanishi Baika Type III resting on a torpedo trolley in the underground production facility at Motosu, complete with its (probably inert) 250kg nose-mounted warhead. The number 17 is painted on the side of the nose, making it the 12th Baika completed (which would make it the second Baika Type III produced).

[DogfighterZen]

Nice work!

[Dizzyfugu]

NIce. The dolly looks menacing...

[NARSES2]

Keep the pilots feet warm  Nice, I like it 

[Tophe]

Rare and precious model...