The Mitsubishi G4M (allied conename “Betty”) was the replacement for the 1930s G3M (“Nell”), as the primary land based bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Mitsubishi Navy Type 1 attack bomber nicknamed “Hamaki” as it was far more “fattier” than the nimble G3M, was also far more powerful and it boasted good performance across … Read more
Submarine-Launched Seaplane: 10 Made 1929-33. The Yokosuka E6Y (Yokosuka Navy Type 91-1 Reconnaissance Seaplane was a Japanese submarine-based reconnaissance seaplane developed by and for the Navy at the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s was looking at a specific reconnaissance model that would be very small. The prototype first … Read more
Imperial Japanese Navy ship-based reconnaissance floatplane (1927-1936) 77 manufactured. The Nakajima E2N was developed in the 1920s for the Imperial Japanese Navy, which asked for a short range reconnaissance floatplane designed for catapult launch from cruisers and battleships. This wooden, twin-float sesquiplane had a crew of two and folding wings. It replaced the 1st generation … Read more
IJN ASW aircraft (1943-1945) 153 built The Kyūshū Q1W Tōkai (“Eastern Sea”) was the first and last Imperial Japanese Navy (and world’s first) dedicated anti-submarine patrol aircraft (Allied name “Lorna”). Although superficially similar to the German Junkers Ju 88 it owe little to it in technical terms, being made deliberately slow and underpowered as well … Read more
US Navy Scout-Bomber (1936-42), 31 built The N.A.F. SBN (initially Brewster SBA-1) was the first model of the infamous company that signed the much maligned Buffalo and plain mediocre Buccaneer. This three-seat mid-wing monoplane which first flew in 1936 as XSBA-1 was designed as a scout bomber/torpedo aircraft, to be built later under license by … Read more
IJN Multirole Observation seaplane 1924-1937 The Yokosuka E1Y was an Japanese observation floatplane of the twenties. It was designed and developed by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal for the Imperial Japanese Navy and 320 were built as the Type 14 Reconnaissance Seaplane, entering service in 1925 and remaining frontline, launched by Battleships and cruisers … Read more
Naval Fighter, 150 made (1929-1932) in service until 1935. The Nakajima A1N, or Navy Type 3 Carrier Fighter (Also Type 13), was a Japanese carrier-based fighter, first Nakajima model for the IJN, and licensed copy of the British Gloster Gambet fighter built by the Nakajima. Between 1927 and 1929 the Imperial Japanese Navy to delivery … Read more
Large recce/bomber flying boat, 215 made 1938-43 The H6K was an Imperial Japanese Navy flying boat manufactured by the Kawanishi Aircraft Company in 1936, produced from 1938 to 1941. It was used during World War II for maritime patrol duties with the Allied reporting name “Mavis” and a Navy designation “Type 97 Large Flying Boat”. … Read more
IJN Observation floatplane (1942) – 15 built (incl. prototypes) 1944 Development In 1939 the Imperial Japanese Navy instructed Kawanishi (a well known lead manufacturer and designer of floatplanes and flying boats) to develop a two-seat high-speed reconnaissance floatplane. The main specifications were on one hand, having sufficient performance to escape interception from land based fighters … Read more
Observation Floatplane (1941), 1,418 made 1940-1945 The Aichi E13A (“Jake” in allied nomenclature codes) was a long-range reconnaissance seaplane used by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1941 to 1945 and numerically the most important. It proved agile and versatile as well, carrying a bomb load of 250 kg (550 lb) and able once to shoot … Read more
