Kayaba Ka-1
| Kayaba Ka-1 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Gyroplane for artillery observation and anti-submarine combat |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
May 26, 1941 |
| Number of pieces: |
240 |
The Kayaba Ka-1 was a Japanese gyroplane . As the only representative of its genre, it was built in significant numbers during the Second World War and used for military purposes.
history
The attempts by the Spaniard Juan de la Cierva with gyrocopes, carried out since the late 1920s, prompted the Imperial Japanese Army to examine their suitability for possible military use. For this purpose, a KD-1A was bought in 1939 and shipped to Japan. During the subsequent tests by the army, the gyroplane was irreparably damaged. The wreckage was then handed over to the Kayaba company , which carried out tests of the same type, with the order to construct a similar aircraft.
On this basis, Kayaba developed the Ka-1, which was adapted to the production methods of Japanese industry. A 179 kW V-engine Argus As 10C was used to drive the towing propeller. The rotor with a diameter of 12.2 meters was not self-propelled, but was set in motion by the air flow. The first flight took place on May 26, 1941. The flight tests were completed without problems and the model went into production. The 240 Ka-1s produced were assigned to the Japanese artillery units for fire control and liaison flights. Some machines were later converted to single-seaters and, equipped with two 60 kilogram depth charges , were used against US submarines. The freighter Akitsu Maru, converted into a light aircraft carrier, served as the base ship .
For test purposes, a Ka-1 received a 176 kW radial engine Jacobs L-4MA-7 and the designation Ka-2 . Another was equipped and tested as Ka-1KAI with powder rockets on the rotor blade ends to increase the load-bearing capacity.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 (pilot / observer) |
| Rotor circle diameter | 12.2 m |
| length | 9.2 m |
| Empty mass | 775 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 1170 kg |
| drive | an 8-cylinder V-engine Argus As 10C |
| Starting power | 176.5 kW (240 PS) |
| Top speed | 165 km / h |
| Marching speed | 115 km / h |
| Rise time | 3 min, 20 s at 1000 m 7 min, 30 s at 2000 m |
| Summit height | 3500 m |
| Takeoff route | 30 m |
See also
literature
- Peter Alles-Fernandez (Ed.): Aircraft from A to Z. Vol . 2 . Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1988, ISBN 3-7637-5905-0 , p. 424 .
- Fliegerrevue : Who? When? What? No. 06/87 , p. 189 .
