Misplaced Pages

The Kawanishi K-11 was a 1920s Japanese single-seat carrier fighter designed and built by the Kawanishi Aircraft Company to meet an Imperial Japanese Navy requirement. The type did not enter service and only two prototypes were built.

Development and design

The K-11 was a private venture programme designed to meet a 1926 Imperial Japanese Navy requirement for a single-seat carrier fighter to replace the Mitsubishi 1MF, competing against officially sponsored designs from Aichi (the Aichi Type H), Mitsubishi (the 1MF9) and Nakajima. The K-11 Experimental Carrier Fighter was an equal-span biplane with a conventional landing gear and powered by 500 hp (373 kW) BMW inline engine. It had a metal fuselage with fabric covering and wooden wings.

The first prototype made its maiden flight in July 1927, with a second prototype, with a modified fuselage and tail, being built in 1928. The type was not accepted by the Navy, however, with the Nakajima design being selected, entering production as the A1N. The two K-11s were used by Kawanishi as communications and liaison aircraft.

Specifications

Data from Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 7.88 m (25 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 10.80 m (35 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.28 m (10 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 33.8 m (364 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,170 kg (2,579 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,750 kg (3,858 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI water-cooled V12 engine, 370 kW (500 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 260 km/h (160 mph, 140 kn)
• Endurance: 3.5 hours
• Service ceiling: 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
• Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 5 min 30 s

Armament

• Guns: 2× 7.7mm machine guns

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Aichi Type H
• Mitsubishi 1MF9
• Nakajima A1N

References

Notes

1. ^ Orbis 1985, p. 2236
2. ^ Mikesh and Abe 1990, pp. 133–134.
3. Mikesh and Abe 1990, pp. 65, 165, 224.

Bibliography

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
• Mikesh, Robert; Abe, Shorzoe (1990). Japanese Aircraft 1910–41. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-840-2.

• 1920s Japanese fighter aircraft
• Kawanishi aircraft
• Biplanes
• Single-engined tractor aircraft
• Aircraft first flown in 1927