Nakajima A1N
A1N | |
---|---|
Role | Fighter |
Manufacturer | Nakajima |
Designer | H. P. Folland (Gloster Aircraft Company) |
First flight | 12 December 1927 |
Introduction | 1929 |
Retired | 1935 |
Primary user | IJN Air Service |
Number built | 151 |
Developed from | Gloster Gambet |
The Nakajima A1N, or Navy Type 3
Development
By 1926, the
Nakajima purchased a licence from the British Gloster Aircraft Company for production of the Gloster Gambet. It was a private venture design for a carrier-based derivative of their earlier Gloster Gamecock fighter. The prototype Gambet was built by Gloster and first flew on 12 December 1927.[2]
The prototype Gambet was shipped to Japan early in 1928. After modifications were made and it was fitted with a Nakajima-built Bristol Jupiter engine, the Gambet was evaluated by the Japanese navy against competitors from Aichi and Mitsubishi. It proved to be more manoeuvrable while still being a stable gun platform[1] and was selected in April 1929 for production as the Navy Type 3 Carrier Fighter, with the short designation A1N1.[3] 50 A1N1s were built.
The A1N2 used the 336 kW (450 hp) Nakajima Kotobuki 2 engine, and was introduced in 1930. Production of approximately 100 was completed by 1932.
Design
The Gambet was a single-seat, single-bay biplane, of all-wooden construction and powered by an air-cooled Bristol Jupiter radial engine. While similar to the Gamecock, it was fitted with longer-span wings, internal flotation bags and arrestor hooks for carrier operations.
Operational history
The A1N1 entered service in 1929, replacing the Mitsubishi 1-MF. It served on the carriers Hōshō, Akagi, Kaga and Ryūjō.[4] The improved A1N2 entered service in 1930, with production continuing until 1932.[1]
The A1N flew from the carriers Hōshō and Kaga during the
A1Ns continued in service until 1935,[6] being replaced in service by the Nakajima A2N or Navy Type 90 Carrier Fighter.
Variants
- Gloster Gambet
- Prototype carrier-based fighter designed and built by Gloster Aircraft Company in the United Kingdom. Powered by one 313 kW (420 hp) Bristol Jupiter VI radial engine, one built.
- Nakajima A1N1
- Initial licensed production version. Powered by Nakajima built Jupiter VI engine, 50 built between 1928 and 1930.
- Nakajima A1N2
- Improved production version, powered by 336 kW (450 hp) Nakajima Kotobuki 2 engine. Approximately 100 built between 1930 and 1932.
Operators
Specifications (A1N2)
Data from Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941 [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 9.7 m (31 ft 10 in)
- Height: 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 26.3 m2 (283 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 882 kg (1,944 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 1,375 kg (3,031 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima Kotobuki 29-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 336 kW (451 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 241 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn)
- Cruise speed: 148 km/h (92 mph, 80 kn)
- Range: 370 km (230 mi, 200 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 7,000 m (23,000 ft)
- Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 6 minutes 10 seconds
- Wing loading: 3.05 kg/m2 (0.62 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.24 kW/kg (0 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: 2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns
- Bombs: 2 × 30 kg (66 lb) bombs
See also
Related development
References
- ^ ISBN 0-85177-840-2.
- ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
- ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
- ^ a b Nakajima (A1N) Type 3 "Håkans Aviation page - Nakajima (A1N) Type 3". Retrieved 2007-07-10.
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value (help) - ^ 澎湃号, 媒体 (2020-09-03). "从陈应明航空画中忆英雄风采! 抗战胜利75周年,我们从未忘记". ThePaper.cn.
容克斯K-47首战上海: 1932年"1·28"事变爆发后,中国派出9架各型军机调往上海虹桥机场增援, 并与当日与日本发生空战, 但战斗双方都无损失. 2月26日集中在杭州附近乔司机场待命的我国25架战机突遭日军"中岛"3式战斗机和"中岛"13式攻击机组成的15机编队偷袭, 第2队队长石邦藩、射击手沈延世驾驶P-7号容克斯K-47双座战斗机率先起飞应敌, 淞沪之战以来最激烈的一场空战由此展开.
- ISBN 1-85605-375-X.