Yokosuka P1Y
| P1Y Ginga | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Attack bomber |
| National origin | Empire of Japan |
| Manufacturer | Yokosuka(3 × prototype only) Nakajima Kawanishi(P1Y2 series only) |
| First flight | August 1943 |
| Introduction | October 1944[1] |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Primary user | Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service |
| Number built | 1,102 |
TheYokosuka P1YGinga( ngân hà, "Galaxy" ) was a twin-engine, land-basedbomberdeveloped for theJapanese Imperial NavyinWorld War II.It was the successor to theMitsubishi G4Mand given theAllied reporting name"Frances".
Design and development
[edit]The P1Y was designed by theYokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenalto Navy specification 15-Shi,[2]calling for a fast bomber with speed matching theZero,range matching the G4M, a 907 kg (2,000 lb) bombload, and the ability todive-bombas well as carrytorpedoes.As the result, the construction suffered from excess complexity, difficulty of manufacture, and poor serviceability. Problems with the availability of enough reliableNakajimaHomareengines led to their replacement by theMitsubishiKaseiin the P1Y2-S night-fighter version.
The streamlined design of theGingais attributed toMiki Tadanao,an engineer who afterWorld War IIwent on to create a similaraerodynamicdesign for Japan's earliest bullet trains (Shinkansen), while working with theJapan National Railways (JNR).[3]
Operational history
[edit]
The first flight was in August 1943.Nakajimamanufactured 1,002 examples, which were operated by fiveKōkūtai(Air Groups), and acted as land-basedmediumandtorpedo bombersfrom airfields inChina,Taiwan,theMariana Islands,thePhilippines,theRyukyu Islands,Shikoku,andKyūshū.During the last stages of the war the P1Y was used as akamikazeaircraft against theUnited States Navyduring theOkinawaCampaign inOperation Tan No. 2.
Anight fighterversion, theP1Y2-SKyokko( cực quang, "Aurora" ), withMitsubishiKaseiengines, was equipped withradarandSchräge Musik-style upward-firing as well as forward-firing 20 mmcannon.A total of 96 were produced byKawanishi,[5]but due to inadequate high-altitude performance against theB-29 Superfortress,many were converted back toGingabombers.[6]
Variants
[edit]
- P1Y1Experimental Type 15 land-based bomber(15 thí lục thượng bạo kích cơ,15-Shi Rikujō Bakugekiki)
- 3 of prototypes and 9 of supplementary prototypes[9]with 1,357 kW (1,820 hp) NK9CNakajima NK9BHomare11engines. Prototype #3 was later used forIshikawajima Tsu-11testbed.
- P1Y1Ginga( "Milky Way" )Model 11( ngân hà 11 hình,Ginga 11-gata)
- First model of the series. MountedHomare11 orHomare12.
- P1Y1aGinga Model 11A( ngân hà 11 giáp hình,Ginga 11 Kō-gata)
- MountedHomare12, and fitted 1 × 13 mm (.51 in)Type 2 machine gunin the back defensive position.
- P1Y1bProvisional name Ginga Model 11B(仮 xưng ngân hà 11 Ất hình,Kashō Ginga 11 Otsu-gata)
- Converted from P1Y1a, mountedHomare12, and fitted 2 × 13 mm (.51 in) Type 2 machine guns in the back defensive position.
- P1Y1cProvisional name Ginga Model 11C(仮 xưng ngân hà 11 Bính hình,Kashō Ginga 11 Hei-gata)
- Converted from P1Y1b, mountedHomare12, and fitted 1 × 13 mm (.51 in) Type 2 machine gun in the forward position, prototype only.
- P1Y1Ginga Model 11Night-fighter variant ( ngân hà 11 hình cải tạo đêm chiến,Ginga 11-gata Kaizō yasen)
- Converted from P1Y1. Armed with 2 × 20 mmType 99 cannons.Equipped 302ndKōkūtaionly. This is not a naval regulation equipment.
- P1Y1-SProvisional name Ginga Model 21(仮 xưng ngân hà 21 hình,Kashō Ginga 21-gata)
- Night fighter variant. Armed with 4 × 20 mm Type 99 cannons firing obliquely forward, and 1 × 13 mm (.51 in)Type 2 machine gunin the back defensive position. Only a project.
- P1Y1 Ground attack variant
- Converted from P1Y1/P1Y1a, installed up to 20 × 20 mmType 99 cannonsin the bomb bay for land strikes against B-29 bases in the Marianas. Approx. 30 rebuilt.
- P1Y2-SProvisional name Ginga Model 26/Test production Kyokkō( "Aurora") (仮 xưng ngân hà 26 hình / chế tạo thử cực quang,Kashō Ginga 26-gata/Shisei Kyokkō)
- Night fighter variant. Initial namedHakkō( "Corona",Bạch quang ) in October 1943, renamedKyokkōin March 1944.[10]Converted from P1Y1/P1Y1a. Fitted Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 engines. Armed with 2 × 20 mmType 99 cannonsand 1 × 30 mmType 5 cannon.Later, almost all were converted to P1Y2. 96 or 97 produced.[11]
- P1Y2Provisional name Ginga Model 16(仮 xưng ngân hà 16 hình,Kashō Ginga 16-gata)
- Land based bomber. Converted from P1Y2-S. Mounted 1,380 kW (1,850 hp)Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 Kōengines.
- P1Y2aProvisional name Ginga Model 16A(仮 xưng ngân hà 16 giáp hình,Kashō Ginga 16 Kō-gata)
- Converted from P1Y1a. Mounted Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 Kō engines.
- P1Y2bProvisional name Ginga Model 16B(仮 xưng ngân hà 16 Ất hình,Kashō Ginga 16 Otsu-gata)
- Converted from P1Y1b. Mounted Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 Kō engines.
- P1Y2cProvisional name Ginga Model 16C(仮 xưng ngân hà 16 Bính hình,Kashō Ginga 16 Hei-gata)
- Converted from P1Y1c. Mounted Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 Kō engines.
- P1Y2Ginga Model 16Night-fighter variant ( ngân hà 16 hình cải tạo đêm chiến,Ginga 16-gata Kaizō yasen)
- Converted from P1Y2. Armed with 2 × 20 mm Type 99 machine guns or 1 × 30 mm Type 5 cannon. Equipped 302nd Kōkūtai only. This is not a naval regulation equipment.
- P1Y3Provisional name Ginga Model 13(仮 xưng ngân hà 13 hình,Kashō Ginga 13-gata)
- Converted from P1Y1. MountedHomare21 engines.
- P1Y4Provisional name Ginga Model 12(仮 xưng ngân hà 12 hình,Kashō Ginga 12-gata)
- Converted from P1Y1. MountedHomare23 engines.
- P1Y5Provisional name Ginga Model 14(仮 xưng ngân hà 14 hình,Kashō Ginga 14-gata)
- Converted from P1Y1. Mounted Mitsubishi Ha-43 engines.
- P1Y6Provisional name Ginga Model 17(仮 xưng ngân hà 17 hình,Kashō Ginga 17-gata)
- Converted from P1Y2. Mounted Mitsubishi MK4T-C Kasei 25 Hei engines.
- Provisional name Ginga Model 33(仮 xưng ngân hà 33 hình,Kashō Ginga 33-gata)
- Long-range bomber variant. Crew: 4, bombs= up to 3,000 kg. Only a project.
- Test production Tenga( chế tạo thử thiên hà,Shisei Tenga)
- Proposed jet-powered bomber variant, mountedIshikawajima Ne-30.Discontinued in 1945.
- MXY10 Yokosuka Navy BomberGinga
- Ground decoy non-flying replica of Yokosuka P1Y1.
Number built by Nakajima and Kawanishi
[edit]| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | Sub total | |
| 1943 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 25 | 45 | |||||||
| 1944 | 11 | 20 | 35 | 46 | 46 | 51 | 47 | 48 | 69 | 75 | 88 | 84 | 620 |
| 1945 | 90 | 52 | 52 | 63 | 64 | 53 | 40 | 20 | 434 | ||||
Operators
[edit]
- Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service[12][13][14][15]
- 302ndKōkūtai:Equipped night fighter variant only.
- 521st Kōkūtai
- 522nd Kōkūtai
- 523rd Kōkūtai
- 524th Kōkūtai
- 701st Kōkūtai
- 706th Kōkūtai
- 752nd Kōkūtai
- 761st Kōkūtai
- 762nd Kōkūtai
- 763rd Kōkūtai
- 765th Kōkūtai
- 1001st Kōkūtai
- 1081st Kōkūtai
- Miyazaki Kōkūtai
- Toyohashi Kōkūtai
- Yokosuka Kōkūtai
- Kogeki 262ndHikōtai
- Kogeki 401st Hikōtai
- Kogeki 405th Hikōtai
- Kogeki 406th Hikōtai
- Kogeki 501st Hikōtai
- Kogeki 708th Hikōtai
Surviving aircraft
[edit]A P1Y1 survives at theSmithsonian's Paul Garber Facilityof itsNational Air and Space Museum.While only the fuselage has been photographed several times and can be found on the internet, the wings and engines are confirmed to exist.[16]This was one of three P1Ys that were brought back to the United States after World War II for evaluation.
Specifications (P1Y1a)
[edit]
Data fromJapanese Aircraft of the Pacific War[17]
General characteristics
- Crew:3
- Length:15 m (49 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan:20 m (65 ft 7 in)
- Height:4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)
- Wing area:55 m2(590 sq ft)
- Empty weight:7,265 kg (16,017 lb)
- Gross weight:10,500 kg (23,149 lb)
- Max takeoff weight:13,500 kg (29,762 lb)
- Powerplant:2 ×Nakajima NK9C Homare 1218-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,361 kW (1,825 hp) each for take-off
Performance
- Maximum speed:547 km/h (340 mph, 295 kn) at 5,900 m (19,400 ft)
- Cruise speed:370 km/h (230 mph, 200 kn) at 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
- Range:5,370 km (3,340 mi, 2,900 nmi)
- Service ceiling:9,400 m (30,800 ft)
- Wing loading:191 kg/m2(39 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass:0.20 kW/kg (0.12 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns:
- 1× flexible, nose-mounted20 mm (0.787 in)Type 99 cannon
- 1× flexible rear-firing13 mm (0.512 in)Type 2 machine gun
- Bombs:
- up to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of bombsor1× 800 kg (1,764 lb)torpedo
See also
[edit]Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Norman Polmar, Thomas B. Allen,World War II: America at war, 1941–1945,Random House, 1991,p. 310.
- ^Francillon 1979,p. 462.
- ^Hood, Christopher P. (2007).Shinkansen – From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan.Routledge, London. pp.53.ISBN978-0-415-32052-8.
- ^USSNatoma Bay(CVE-62) Logbook Project
- ^Francillon 1979,p. 468.
- ^Francillon 1979,p. 465.
- ^The Maru Mechanic (1984), pp. 109–110.
- ^Famous Airplanes of the World (2000), pp. 29–31.
- ^Famous Airplanes of the World (2000), p. 26.
- ^Model Art (2001), p. 50–53
- ^abFamous Airplanes of the World (2000), p. 31
- ^Francillon 1979,p. 467.
- ^The Maru Mechanic (1984), p. 110
- ^Model Art (1993), p. 135
- ^Famous Airplanes of the World (2000), p. 32–38
- ^"Garber Artifacts".enginehistory.org.Retrieved2020-07-06.
- ^Francillon 1979,pp. 467–468.
Bibliography
[edit]- Francillon, René J. (1979).Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War(2nd ed.). London: Putnam & Company.ISBN0-370-30251-6.
- Huggins, Mark (January–February 2004). "Hunters over Tokyo: The JNAF's Air Defence of Japan 1944–1945".Air Enthusiast(109): 66–71.ISSN0143-5450.
Further reading
[edit]
- The Maru Mechanic No. 46Ginga and Type 1 Attack Bomber,Ushio Shobō (Japan), May 1984
- Famous Airplanes of the World, Special Edition Vol. 1Navy Bomber "Ginga" [Frances],Bunrindo (Japan), September 2000
- Model Art No. 406, Special issueCamouflage & Markings of Imperial Japanese Navy Bombers in W.W.II,Model Art Co. Ltd., April 1993
- Model Art No. 595, Special issueNight fighters of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy,Model Art Co. Ltd., October 2001
