Type designations of the Imperial Japanese naval aviators
With the naval aviators of the Imperial Japanese Navy there was a very special breakdown of the type designations until the end of the Second World War , from which one could easily see the type of operation of the respective aircraft, the introduced model of this type, manufacturer and other modifications.
This alphanumeric key was first introduced in 1928 and was only valid from 1942. Its structure largely corresponded to the system used by the US Navy from 1922 to 1962 . Before 1942, the Japanese naval aircraft were named after the emperor's reign , which is why the Mitsubishi A6M is also known as the "Zero" or Type "0" fighter.
In contrast to the "Ki" number of the Imperial Japanese Army Aviators , which was derived from the Japanese word for airplane, Hikō ki , letters were used for the various types of use of the naval aircraft:
This coding looked like this:
| First letter | Usage type | example |
|---|---|---|
| A. | carrier-based fighter | Mitsubishi A 6M |
| B. | carrier-based torpedo aircraft | Nakajima B 5N |
| C. | Long-range reconnaissance aircraft | Nakajima C 3N |
| D. | Dive fighter | Yokosuka D 4Y |
| E. | Maritime reconnaissance aircraft | Aichi E 16A |
| F. | Close reconnaissance aircraft | Mitsubishi F 1M |
| G | land-based bomber | Nakajima G 8N |
| H | Patrol flying boat | Kawanishi H 8K |
| J | land-based interceptor | Nakajima J 1N |
| K | Trainer aircraft | Yokosuka K 5Y |
| L. | Transport plane | Nakajima L 2D |
| M. | Special attack aircraft | Aichi M 6A |
| N | Sea fighter plane | Kawanishi N 1K |
| P | land-based, tactical bomber | Yokosuka P 1Y |
| Q | Submarine fighter plane | Watanabe Q 1W |
| R. | land-based close-up reconnaissance aircraft | Yokosuka R 2Y |
| S. | Night fighter and high altitude interceptor | Aichi S 1A |
| LX | The X stood for experimental aircraft. |
This letter was followed by a number which took into account the timing of the introduction of the aircraft type:
z. B. Mitsubishi A 5 M → Successor: A 6 M
Another letter followed: z. B. D3 A . This letter indicated the manufacturer. The manufacturers are abbreviated as follows:
| Last letter | Manufacturer | example |
|---|---|---|
| A. | Aichi Tokei Denki , subsidiary of North American Aviation | M6 A |
| B. | Boeing | AX B 1 (Boeing 100) |
| Bu | Bucker | KX Bu 1 (KXBu1 corresponds to Bü 131 ) |
| C. | Consolidated Aircraft , Curtiss-Wright | HX C (Consolidated P2Y-1) |
| D. | Douglas Aircraft Company | L2 D (DC-3) |
| F. | Fairchild | LX F (Fairchild A942) |
| G | Hitachi Hikōki , daughter of Grumman Aircraft Engineering | |
| H | Hiro Dai-Jūichi Kaigun Kōkūshō , daughter of Hawker Aircraft | H3 H |
| Hey | Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke | LX He 1 ( Heinkel He 70 ) |
| J | Nihon Kogata Hikōki , daughter of Junkers | KX J 1 (KXJ1 corresponds to German Junkers A 50) |
| K | Kawanishi Kōkūki , daughter of Kinner Airplane & Motor | N1 K |
| M. | Mitsubishi Jūkōgyō | A7 M |
| N | Nakajima Hikōki | B6 N |
| P | Nihon Hikōki | K8 P |
| S. | Sasebo Dai-Nijūichi Kaigun Kōkūshō | |
| Si | Shōwa Hikōki | |
| V | Vought-Sikorsky | AX V 1 (Vought V-143) |
| W. | Watanabe Tekkōjo (later Kyūshū Hikōki ) | E9 W |
| Y | Yokosuka Dai-Ichi Kaigun Kōkū Gijutsushō | D4 Y |
| Z | Mizuno Guraida Seisakusho |
A second number has been added after the Japanese Naval Key. An example of this: G4M 2 , this aircraft was then a land-based bomber ("G"), the fourth model ("4"), a Mitsubishi bomber ("M") manufactured with the second modification or improvement of the same type or basic design.
Of course, as everywhere, there were exceptions, such as B. the famous Mitsubishi A6M "Zero". She also had a trainer aircraft, which was designated as the A6M2-K, and a sea fighter; this type then became known as the A6M2-N.
In July 1943 a system was introduced that replaced the type number of the aircraft (e.g. Type 2 carrier-supported bomber model 11) with a name: "Kyofu" (fighter seaplane model 11). The name was given according to the following scheme:
- Fighter planes, named after meteorological phenomena
- Carrier-supported hunters and seaplanes were given names ending in "pu" or "fu" (wind)
- Single-engine interceptors, "the" (lightning)
- Multi-engine land-based hunters, "rai" (thunder)
- Night fighter, "ko" (light)
- Close support aircraft, named after Bergen
- Reconnaissance aircraft, named after clouds
- Bomber, named after stars and constellations
- Single-engine bombers, "be" (star)
- Multi-engine bombers (constellations)
- Surveillance aircraft, named after seas and oceans
- Land aircraft, including carrier-based aircraft, "kai" (sea)
- Seaplanes and flying boats, "yo" (ocean)
- Transport aircraft, named after sky names
- Training planes, named after flowers, plants and trees
- Beginner trainer, "ka" (flowers or blossoms)
- Advanced trainer, (plants and trees)
- Other aircraft, named after the characteristics of the landscape
During the Pacific War , the Americans assigned code words for Japanese aircraft , similar to the NATO names . B. Nakajima B6N "Tenzan", was performed with "Jill".
See also
literature
- Jet & Prop, January / February 1998 edition
- David & Charles (Eds.): Jane's All The World's Aircraft - 1945-46 , Sampson Low, Marston & Company Ltd., London, 1946. Reprinted 1970, p. 155c