Kawanishi E7K

In 1932 the Imperial Japanese Navy requested the Kawanishi Aircraft Company produce a replacement for the company's Kawanishi E5K as part of the 7-Shi program, which also produced the Hiro G2H. The resulting design, designated the Kawanishi E7K1, was an equal span biplane powered by a 462 kW (620 hp) Hiro Type 91 W-12 liquid-cooled inline engine.{{Cite web|url=https://pacificeagles.net/kawanishi-e7k-type-94-alf/|title=Kawanishi E7K Type 94 "Alf"|first=P. E.|last=Matt|date=April 14, 2015}} The first aircraft flew on 6 February 1933 and was handed over to the navy for trials three months later. It was flown in competition with the Aichi AB-6 which was designed to meet the same 7-Shi requirement.{{Harvnb|Green|1962|p=121.}} The E7K1 was ordered into production as the Navy Type 94 Reconnaissance Seaplane ({{lang|ja|九四式水上偵察機}}) and entered service in early 1935. It became a popular aircraft, but was hindered by the unreliability of the Hiro engine.{{Cite web|url=https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history/today-in-aviation-history-first-flight-of-the-kawanishi-e7k.html|title=Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the Kawanishi E7K - Vintage Aviation News|date=February 6, 2025}} Later production E7K1s were fitted with a more powerful version of the Hiro 91, but this did not improve the reliability.{{Cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/e7k.htm|title=Kawanishi E7K|website=www.combinedfleet.com}} In 1938 Kawanishi developed an improved E7K2 with a Mitsubishi Zuisei 11 radial engine, it first flew in August 1938 and was ordered by the Navy as the Navy Type 94 Reconnaissance Seaplane Model 2. The earlier E7K1 was renamed to Navy Type 94 Reconnaissance Seaplane Model 1.{{Cite web|url=https://naval-encyclopedia.com/naval-aviation/ww2/japan/kawanishi-e7k.php|title=Kawanishi E7K "Alf" (1933)|first=naval|last=encyclopedia|date=October 22, 2022|website=naval encyclopedia}}

File:Abukuma cl1941.jpg, 1941.]]

The type was used extensively by the Japanese Navy from 1938 until the beginning of the Pacific War, when E7K1 were relegated to second-line duties and training. The E7K2 continued in front-line service until 1943 and both versions were used in kamikaze operations during the closing stages of the war.

; E7K1

:Production version with a Hiro Type 91 520 hp water-cooled W-12 engine, 183 built (including 57 built by Nippon Hikoki K.K.)

; E7K2

:Re-engined version with a Mitsubishi Zuisei 11 radial engine, about 350 built (including 60 built by Nippon Hikoki K.K.)

;{{JPN}}

• Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

File:Kawanishi E7K 3-view line drawing.png

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War,{{Harvnb|Francillon|1979|p=300}}{{Harvnb|Green|1962|p=123}}

|prime units?=met

|crew=3

|length m=10.41

|length note=

|span m=14

|span note=

|height m=4.85

|height note=

|wing area sqm=43.6

|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=1

|eng1 name=Mitsubishi MK2 Zuisei 11

|eng1 type=14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=870

|eng1 shp=

|eng1 kn=

|eng1 lbf=

|eng1 note=for take-off

:::*{{cvt|850|hp|order=flip}} at {{cvt|2300|m}}

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=metal propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia note=

|max speed kmh=276

|max speed note=at {{cvt|2000|m}}

|cruise speed kmh=185

|cruise speed note=at {{cvt|1000|m}}

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km=

|range note=

|combat range km=

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=11 hours 19 minutes

|ceiling m=

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude={{cvt|3000|m}} in 9 minutes 6 seconds

|wing loading kg/m2=75.7

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|power/mass={{cvt|0.119|hp/lb|order=flip}}

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|guns= 1× fixed Type 97 aircraft machine gun (Vickers) and 2× trainable {{cvt|7.7|mm|3}} Type 92 machine guns (Lewis gun), one dorsal, one ventral

|bombs= {{cvt|120|kg|1}} of bombs

}}

{{aircontent|

|related=

|similar aircraft=

• Aichi AB-6

|sequence=

|lists=

• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of military aircraft of Japan
• List of seaplanes and flying boats

|see also=

}}

{{commons category|Kawanishi E7K}}

;Notes

{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite book|last=Francillon|first=René J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/6124909|title=Japanese aircraft of the Pacific War|date=1979|publisher=Putnam|isbn=0-370-30251-6|location=London|oclc=6124909}} (new edition 1987 by Putnam Aeronautical Books, {{ISBN|0-85177-801-1}}.)
• {{Cite book|last=Green|first=William|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/654973389|title=War Planes of the Second World War. v. 6.|date=1962|publisher=Macdonald & Co|isbn=0-356-01450-9|oclc=654973389}}
• Unknown Author. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing, 1982–1985.

{{refend}}

{{Kawanishi aircraft}}

{{Japanese Navy short aircraft designations}}

{{Allied reporting names}}

E07K, Kawanishi

Category:Floatplanes

E07

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Biplanes

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1933