Aichi M6A
| Aichi M6A Seiran | |
|---|---|
 Aichi M6A1 Seiran |
|
| Type: | Dive bombers |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1943 |
| Commissioning: |
1945 |
| Production time: |
1943 to 1945 |
| Number of pieces: |
28 |
The Aichi M6A Seiran ( Japanese 晴 嵐 , German “Gebirgsdunst” with “sei” = clear sky, “ran” = storm also “storm out of the blue”) was a Japanese aircraft from the time of the Second World War . The factory name was AM-24.
development
The M6A was a low- wing aircraft with two dropable central floats under the hull as a submarine-supported dive bomber (M6A1), which could make a belly landing after dropping the float. Later, a version with a retractable landing gear was designed as a land-based training aircraft or dive bomber, which should land on land after take-off from the submarine ( M6A1-K Nanzan ("Southern Mountain")). From October 1943 to July 1945 28 M6A1s were built, two of which were M6A1-K.
The elegant, streamlined shape of the hull is striking. In order to be able to accommodate the aircraft in hangars on a submarine, the wings could be folded back laterally, the horizontal stabilizer could be folded down for the most part and the upper edge of the vertical stabilizer could be folded to the side. The floats should only be installed shortly before use. No Allied code name was given for this aircraft, as the American secret service did not know about the aircraft until the end of the war. The M6A1 was powered by a liquid-cooled V-12 aircraft engine Aichi AE1P Atsuta 30, a licensed version of the Daimler-Benz DB 601 with a take-off power of 1100 hp.
The Seiran was originally intended to be used by large Sen-Toku and AM-class submarines . So there were plans to attack the Panama Canal with the machines in order to make it impassable. However, these plans were canceled due to the war situation when the first Sen-Toku submarine was launched in 1944. An M6A1 was preserved and now belongs to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data Aichi M6A1 |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 11.64 m |
| span | 12.27 m |
| height | 4.58 m |
| Wing area | 27.0 m² |
| Empty mass | 3301 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 4445 kg |
| drive | an Aichi AE1P Atsuta 32 with 1044 kW (1400 PS) (Atsuta 30/31 in the prototypes (1100 PS)) |
| Top speed | 474 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 9900 m |
| Range | 1190 km |
| Armament | a movable 13 mm MG Type 2 in the rear cockpit two 250 kg bombs or one 800 kg or 850 kg bomb |
See also
literature
- Nipponese Canal Cracker ... Aichi's M6A1 Seiran. AIR International October 1989, p. 182ff.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ RJ Francillon: Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War . Putnam & Company, London, 1970. p. 294 (English).