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| Industry | Aircraft production |
|---|---|
| Successor | Shin Meiwa Industries |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Defunct | 1945 |
| Headquarters | Hyōgo Prefecture , Japan |
The Kawanishi Aircraft Company (川西航空機) was a Japanese aircraft manufacturer during World War II.
History
The company was founded as Kawanishi Engineering Works in 1920 in Hyōgo Prefecture as an outgrowth of the Kawanishi conglomerate, which had been funding the Nakajima Aircraft Company. Kawanishi built its first aircraft, the Kawanishi K-1 Mail-carrying Aircraft in 1921, and set up an airline, Nippon Koku K.K. (Japan Aviation Co. Ltd) in 1923, designing and building several aircraft for the airline's use. It was forced by the Japanese government to shut down Nippon Koku in 1929, however, with its routes being transferred to the government-owned Nippon Koku Yuso K.K. (Japan Air Transport Co. Ltd.) Kawanishi then split off the former Kawanishi Engineering Works, forming Kawanishi Kokuki KK in 1928, taking all of the Kawanishi Engineering Works' assets.[1][2]
While Kawanishi was best known for its seaplanes, such as the Kawanishi H6K[3] and H8K[4] flying boats, its N1K-J land-based fighter -derived from their Kawanishi N1K1 floatplane fighter[5]- was considered one of the best in the war.[6] After Japan's defeat, the company was reborn as Shin Meiwa Industries (later ShinMaywa), and continued to create flying boats such as the PS-1 and US-2.
Products
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Fighters
- K-11 carrier fighter, 1927; two built
- J3K interceptor fighter, not built
- J6K Jinpu interceptor fighter; mockup only
- N1K1 Kyofu floatplane fighter, 1942
- N1K1-J Shiden fighter, 1942
- N1K2-J Shiden-KAI fighter, 1943
Bombers
- G9K Gunzan proposed land-based heavy bomber based on the H8K, remained a project
Floatplanes
- E5K three-seat reconnaissance floatplane, 1931; 20 built
- E7K three-seat reconnaissance floatplane, 1933; 533 built
- E8K reconnaissance floatplane; cancelled in favor of the Nakajima E8N
- E10K night reconnaissance/transport flying boat, 1934; one built, but cancelled in favor of the Aichi E10A; prototype converted into a transport
- E11K night reconnaissance flying boat, 1937; two built, but cancelled in favor of the Aichi E11A
- E12K
- E13K three-seat reconnaissance floatplane, 1938; two built, but cancelled in favor of the Aichi E13A
- E15K Shiun reconnaissance floatplane, 1941; 15 built
Trainers
- K6K floatplane trainer prototype, 1938; 2 built
- K8K floatplane trainer, 1938; 15 built
Flying boats
- H3K patrol/training flying boat, 1930; 5 built
- H6K patrol flying boat, 1936; 215 built
- H8K patrol flying boat, 1941; 167 built
- H11K Soukuu transport flying boat project
- K-60
- K-200 proposed turbojet-powered long-range flying boat, not built
Suicide attack aircraft
- Baika projected suicide attack aircraft, not built
Civil aircraft
- K-1 mail plane, 1920
- K-2 single-seat racer, 1921
- K-3 multipurpose transport aircraft developed from the K-1, 1921
- K-5
- K-6 three-seat biplane airliner, 1923
- K-7A Transport Seaplane six-seat biplane floatplane airliner, 1925
- K-7B Mail-carrying Aircraft mail plane modification of K-7A
- K-8 Transport Seaplane floatplane mail plane, 1926
- K-9
- K-10 Transport mail plane/six-seat airliner, 1926
- K-12 Sakura experimental long-range record-breaking aircraft, 1928
References
Notes
- ^ Mikesh and Abe 1990, pp. 124–125.
- ^ Francillon 1979, p. 20.
- ^ Green & 1962 V5, pp. 126–129.
- ^ Green & 1962 V5, pp. 131–135.
- ^ Green & 1962 V6, pp. 123–126.
- ^ Francillon 1979, p. 323.
Bibliography
- Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6.
- Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five, Flying Boats. London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 1962. ISBN 0-356-01449-5.
- Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six, Floatplanes. London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 1962.
- Mikesh, Robert C. and Shorzoe Abe. Japanese Aircraft, 1910–1941. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1990. ISBN 0-85177-840-2.
- Richards, M.C. "Kawanishi 4-Motor Flying-Boats (H6K 'Mavis' and H8K 'Emily')". Aircraft in Profile Volume 11. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1972.