Aichi H9A
Japanese flying boat trainer
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The Aichi H9A was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service flying boat used during the first years of World War II for crew training, receiving the designation "Type 2 Training Flying Boat" (二式練習飛行艇, Ni-shiki renshū hikō-tei). An uncommon type, it was not encountered by Allied forces until Spring 1945 and was never assigned an Allied reporting name.[1][2]
| H9A | |
|---|---|
| Aichi H9A1 Navy Type 2 Training Flying Boat | |
| General information | |
| Type | Flying boat trainer |
| Manufacturer | Aichi |
| Primary user | IJN Air Service |
| Number built | 31 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1942 |
| First flight | September 1940 |
| Retired | 1945 |
Design and development
The H9A was a twin-engined, parasol-wing flying boat, designated by Aichi as their AM-21 design.[3] It was designed in response to an Imperial Japanese Navy requirement for an advanced seaplane trainer for future crew members of the four-engined Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boat. Design work started in January 1940, and the first of three prototypes was flown in September 1940. The aircraft had a normal crew of five (pilot, co-pilot, observer, flight engineer, and a radio-operator), but seating was provided for an additional three pupil crew members.[1]
Operational history
From May – June 1942, the Aichi H9A was employed in a variety of second-line roles, including anti-submarine missions along the Japanese coasts, transport, paratroop training, and liaison.[citation needed]
Variants
- H9A Prototypes
- 3 aircraft built by Aichi.
- H9A1
- Serial version, 24 aircraft built by Aichi and an additional 4 by Nippon Hikoki.[1]
Operators
Specifications (H9A1)
Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War;[1] Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five: Flying Boats[4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 5
- Capacity: 3 pupils
- Length: 16.95 m (55 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 24 m (78 ft 9 in)
- Height: 5.25 m (17 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 63.3 m2 (681 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 4,900 kg (10,803 lb)
- Gross weight: 7,000 kg (15,432 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 7,500 kg (16,535 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Nakajima Ha-1 Kotobuki 42 or 43 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 530 kW (710 hp) each for take-off
- 450 kW (610 hp) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
- Propellers: 3-bladed propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 317 km/h (197 mph, 171 kn) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
- Cruise speed: 222 km/h (138 mph, 120 kn) at 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
- Range: 2,148 km (1,335 mi, 1,160 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 6,780 m (22,240 ft)
- Rate of climb: 4.5 m/s (890 ft/min)
- Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 11 minutes 14 seconds
- Wing loading: 110.6 kg/m2 (22.7 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.151 kW/kg (0.092 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: 1× flexible, 7.7 mm (.303 in) Type 92 machine gun in bow and dorsal hatches
- Bombs: 2× 250 kg (551 lb) bombs or depth charges
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
