Aichi E10A
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
| name=E10A | image=Aichi E10A - Type 96.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Night reconnaissance flying boat | national origin=Japan | manufacturer=Aichi Kokuki | designer= | first flight=1934 | introduced=1936 | retired=1941 | status= | primary user=Imperial Japanese Navy | number built=15 | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Aichi E10A was a Japanese night reconnaissance flying boat of the 1930s. A single-engined biplane, 15 were built for the Imperial Japanese Navy as the Type 96 Night Reconnaissance Seaplane, serving from 1936 but were retired in 1941 before the Attack on Pearl Harbor.
Development and design
In 1934, based on experience of testing the Experimental 6-Shi Night Reconnaissance Flying boat, the Imperial Japanese Navy drew up a specification for a new night reconnaissance aircraft, intended to shadow enemy fleets during the cover of darkness, with orders being placed with Aichi and with Kawanishi.Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 76.
Aichi's design, with the company designation AB-12, was a single-engined biplane flying boat of all-metal construction. Its two-bay wings folded rearwards to save space on board ship, while its crew of three were accommodated in an enclosed cabin. It was powered by a pusher water-cooled Aichi Type 91 engine, driving a four-blade wooden propeller.Mikesh and Abe 1990, pp. 76–77.
The first prototype flew in December 1934, and when tested proved to have superior stability to the competing Kawanishi E10K,Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 139. and so was ordered into production.
Operational history
The AB-12 entered service in August 1936 with the Japanese Navy as the Type 96 Night Reconnaissance Seaplane, with the short designation E10A. Fifteen aircraft were built, remaining in service until 1941, being phased out before the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite this, it was assigned the Allied code name Hank.Francillon 1970, p.567.
Specifications (E10A)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941 Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 77.
|prime units?=met
|crew=3
|length m=11.219
|length note=
|span m=15.5
|span note=
|height m=4.5
|height note=
|wing area sqm=52.1
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=2100
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=3300
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
|eng1 number=
|eng1 name=Aichi Type 91
|eng1 type=W-12 water-cooled piston engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=500
|eng1 note= to {{cvt|650|hp|order=flip}}
|prop blade number=4
|prop name=wooden fixed-pitch pusher propeller
|prop dia m=
|prop dia note=
|max speed kmh=206
|max speed note=at sea level
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=106
|cruise speed note=at {{cvt|1000|m}}
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=1852
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=4120
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|3000|m}} in 17 minutes 42 seconds
|wing loading kg/m2=63.2
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.069|hp/lb|order=flip}}
|more performance=
|guns=1× 7.7 mm machine gun flexibly mounted in nose
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
- Francillon, R.J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London:Putnam, 1970. {{ISBN|0-370-00033-1}}.
- Mikesh, Robert and Abe, Shorzoe. Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941. London:Putnam, 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-840-2}}.
{{refend}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110717122410/http://www.hikotai.net/datasheets/e10a.htm Aichi E10A]
{{Aichi Aircraft}}
{{Japanese Navy short aircraft designations}}
{{Allied reporting names}}
Category:1930s Japanese military reconnaissance aircraft