Watanabe K8W

Last updated
K8W
RoleFloatplane trainer
National origin Japan
ManufacturerWatanabe
First flight1938
Primary user Imperial Japanese Navy
Number built3

The Watanabe K8W was a Japanese floatplane trainer designed and built by Watanabe for the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Contents

Development and design

In 1937, the Imperial Japanese Navy drew up a specification for a 12-shi [lower-alpha 1] primary floatplane trainer to replace its Yokosuka K4Y or Navy Type 90 Primary Seaplane Trainer. The specification was issued to the established builders of aircraft for the Navy, Kawanishi and Watanabe and to the relative newcomer Nihon Hikoki (also known as "Nippi"). [2] The specification required use of the same Gasuden Jimpu radial engine used by the K4Y, and the three designs showed little changes from the aircraft they were to replace. [3]

Watanabe's design, which was given the short designation K8W1, was, like the other two designs, a single-engine biplane with a fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage and a wooden wing, with two floats. The trainee and instructor sat in individual open cockpits. [4] The first of three prototypes made its maiden flight in 1938. [4] The Watanabe design was judged inferior to that of the Kawanishi design, and thus did not enter production.

Specifications

Data from [3]

General characteristics

Performance

Related Research Articles

Nakajima E2N Japanese reconnaissance seaplane

The Nakajima E2N was a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft of the inter-war years. It was a single-engine, two-seat, sesquiplane seaplane with twin main floats.

Aichi E3A Type of aircraft

The Aichi E3A was a reconnaissance seaplane developed in Germany as the Heinkel HD 56 to operate from warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which designated it the Type 90-1 Reconnaissance Seaplane. It was a conventional single-bay biplane with staggered wings braced by N-type interplane struts. The pilot and gunner sat in tandem, open cockpits.

The Aichi AB-4 was a Japanese flying boat of the 1930s. A single engined biplane, the AB-4 was intended to carry out night reconnaissance for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Six were built and accepted into service as the Experimental 6-Shi Night Reconnaissance Flying boat, three of which were converted to civil transports.

Aichi E10A Type of aircraft

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.

The Nakajima B3N was a prototype Japanese carrier-based torpedo-bomber aircraft of the 1930s. A single-engined biplane with a crew of three, it was unsuccessful, only two being built.

Yokosuka K4Y Japanese floatplane trainer

The Yokosuka K4Y was a Japanese floatplane trainer of the 1930s. A single engined two-seat biplane, 211 K4Ys were built between 1933 and 1940, serving as the Imperial Japanese Navy's basic floatplane trainer throughout the Second World War.

Aichi AB-3 Type of aircraft

The Aichi AB-3 was a Japanese ship-board reconnaissance floatplane of the 1930s. The AB-3, a single-seat, single-engined biplane, was designed to equip a light cruiser Ning Hai being built in Japan for the Chinese navy, a single aircraft being accepted by the Chinese.

Kawanishi E11K Japanese flying boat

The Kawanishi E11K was a Japanese flying boat of the 1930s. It was designed as a night reconnaissance aircraft for the Imperial Japanese Navy, but was not accepted, the two aircraft built being used as transports as the Type 96 Transport Flying Boat during the Second World War.

Yokosuka K1Y Japanese trainer aircraft

The Yokosuka K1Y, also known as the Navy Type 13 Trainer, was a Japanese single-engined biplane trainer of the 1920s. Designed by the Japanese Navy Arsenal at Yokosuka, over 100 were built by several manufacturers, the type being used by the Imperial Japanese Navy well into the 1930s.

The Aichi AB-6, or Aichi Experimental 7-Shi Reconnaissance Seaplane, was a prototype Japanese reconnaissance floatplane. It was a single-engined, three-seat biplane intended for the Imperial Japanese Navy, but only one was built, the rival aircraft from Kawanishi, the E7K being preferred.

The Aichi F1A was a prototype Japanese floatplane of the 1930s. A single-engined biplane, the F1A was intended as a short-range observation aircraft suitable for operation off the Imperial Japanese navy's warships, but only two were built, the Mitsubishi F1M being selected instead.

Aichi E8A Type of aircraft

The Aichi E8A was a prototype Japanese reconnaissance floatplane of the 1930s. It was a two-seat single engined biplane built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Only two were built.

The Kawanishi E10K, also known as Kawanishi Type T, Kawanishi Navy Type 94 Transport Seaplane and Kawanishi Navy Experimental 9-Shi Night Reconnaissance Seaplane, was a small Japanese flying boat of the 1930s. It was a single-engined biplane intended to meet a requirement for a night reconnaissance aircraft for the Imperial Japanese Navy, but was not selected for production, the single prototype being converted to a transport and operated as the Navy Type 94 Transport.

Kawanishi K-8 Transport Seaplane Japanese mail floatplane

The Kawanishi K-8 Transport Seaplane was a Japanese single-engined floatplane of the 1920s. Seven were built in 1926 and 1927, and were used to operate airmail services.

The Tachikawa R-38 was a Japanese training aircraft of the late 1930s. It was a single-engined parasol monoplane that was intended for use by civil training schools. Two examples were built, with the Japanese Military's control of resources preventing any further production.

The Yokosuka E6Y was a Japanese submarine-based reconnaissance seaplane developed at the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the 1920s. The prototype first flew as the Yokosho 2-Go in 1929.

The Kawanishi K8K was a Japanese floatplane trainer designed and built by the Kawanishi Aircraft Company for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was selected for production, but only a small number were built before a change in the Japanese Navy's training needs led to production being stopped.

The Kawanishi E13K, company designation AM-19, was a Japanese 1930s three-seat reconnaissance floatplane.

Hitachi Jimpu

The Gasuden Jimpu or Kamikaze was a Japanese seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engine from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. It was the first aircraft engine produced by Tokyo Gas and Electric, often abbreviated to Gasuden, and the first production engine produced in Japan. It was produced in large numbers to power training and light aircraft before and during the Pacific War.

The Tokyo Koku Aiba-Tsubame or Tokyo Aviation Aiba-Swallow was a 1930s Japanese civil transport with seats for three passengers. It was intended to be cheap to produce so, although its fuselage was a new design, its wings and undercarriage were those of another Japanese aircraft. Two were built and flew taxi services and joyrides.

References

  1. In the Japanese Navy designation system, specifications were given a Shi number based on the year of the Emperor's reign it was issued. In this case 11-Shi stood for 1936, the 11th year of the Shōwa era. [1]
  1. Mikesh & Abe 1990, pp. 2, 286
  2. Mikesh & Abe 1990 , pp. 141, 240, 261
  3. 1 2 Mikesh & Abe 1990 , pp. 260–261
  4. 1 2 Mikesh & Abe 1990 , p. 141