Yokosuka MXY-8
The Yokosuka MXY-8 Akigusa (秋草 - Japanese for autumn grass ) was a Japanese training aircraft from the Second World War , which was specially designed for the training of pilots of the Mitsubishi J8M Shusui or Ki-200 (copy of the German rocket-propelled interceptor Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet ), but in contrast to this was not motorized, but was used as a glider . The designation "MXY-8" was given by the Imperial Japanese Navy for this aircraft, while the Air Force of the Imperial Japanese Army used the designation "Ku-13".
Note: Many sources, especially US sources, incorrectly use the designation MXY-8 for the rocket-propelled kamikaze aircraft Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
history
The Mitsubishi J8M Shusui was supposed to be a copy of the German rocket-propelled interceptor Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet , built under license in Japan , but due to problems with the transport of documents and material from the German Reich towards the end of the Second World War (some submarines loaded with it were en route sunk or did not arrive in Japan for other reasons), however, a large part of the aircraft had to be redesigned based on a few documents. The MXY-8 was built parallel to the J8M in order to test the design and to be able to train the J8M pilots during the development phase.
In order to save strategically important materials, the MXY-8 was built entirely of wood and equipped with water-filled ballast tanks to simulate the flight weight and flight characteristics of a fully equipped J8M. By the end of the war, a total of between 50 and 60 aircraft of this type were built near Yokosuka , Yokoi and Maeda .
Another training aircraft with a simple Tsu-11 - Thermojet -Strahltriebwerk - the Yokosuka Mxy9 Shuka - was indeed planned, but was not built.
commitment
The approximately 60 aircraft built before the end of the war were still used for training purposes, albeit by a long way not to the extent originally intended due to the near end of the war - especially since the J8M itself was briefly tested, but was no longer used in the war. Just as it was a remarkable achievement of the Japanese designers to recreate the rocket- propelled J8M with just a few documents, it was no less astonishing how the MXY-8, a completely wooden and thus simplified aircraft, managed to keep the flight characteristics of the J8M in To imitate gliding. Contemporary reports speak of good-natured, unproblematic flight characteristics.
Technical data (MXY-8)
- Crew: 1
- Length: 6.05 m
- Span: 9.50 m
- Height: 2.70 m
- Area: 17.7 m²
