Kawanishi H6K

The Kawanishi H6K was an Imperial Japanese Navy flying boat used during World War II for maritime patrol duties. The Allied reporting name for the type was "Mavis"; the Navy designation was Template:Nihongo.

Design and development

The aircraft was designed in response to a Navy requirement of 1934 for a long range flying boat and incorporated knowledge gleaned by a Kawanishi team that had visited the Short Brothers factory in the UK, at that time one of the world's leading producers of flying boats, and from building the Kawanishi H3K, a license-built, enlarged version of the Short Rangoon. The Type S, as Kawanishi called it, was a large, four-engine monoplane with twin tails, and a hull suspended beneath the parasol wing by a network of struts. Three prototypes were constructed, each one making gradual refinements to the machine's handling both in the water and in the air, and finally fitting more powerful engines. The first of these flew on 14 July 1936 and was originally designated Navy Type 97 Flying Boat, later H6K. Eventually, 217 would be built.

Operational history

H6Ks were deployed from 1938 onwards, first seeing service in the Sino-Japanese War and in widespread use by the time full-scale war erupted in the Pacific (66 examples in four Kokutais). At first stages poses some success during Southeast Asia and Southwest Pacific campaigns, during bombing and long-range recon missions. It had excellent endurance, able to undertake 24-hour patrols, and was even used for long-range raids on Rabaul and the Dutch East Indies.

The aircraft became quickly vulnerable to the new generation of fighters then appearing, but continued in service throughout the war in areas where the risk of interception was low. In front-line service, it was replaced by the Kawanishi H8K.

Variants

H6K1

Evaluation prototypes with four Nakajima Hikari 2 engines, 4 built.

H6K1 (Navy Flying Boat Type 97 Model 1)

Prototypes with 746 kW 1,000 hp Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 Engines, 3 built.

H6K2 Model 11

First production model. Includes two H6K2-L officer transport modification, 10 built.

H6K2-L (Navy Transport Flying Boat Type 97)

Unarmed transport version of H6K2 powered by Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 engines, 16 built.

H6K3 Model 21

Modified transport version of H6K2 for VIPs and high ranking officers, 2 built.

H6K4 Model 22

Major production version, modified H6K2 with revised weapons, some with 694 kW (930 hp) Mitsubishi Kinsei 46 engines. Fuel capacity increased from 7,764 L (1,708 Imp gal) to 13,410 L (2,950 Imp gal). Includes two H6K4-L transport versions, 10 (100+? 124 if other numbers are all correct) built.

H6K4-L

Transport version of H6K4, similar to H6K2-L, but with Mitsubishi Kinsei 46 engines, including two modifications of the H6K4, 20 built.

H6K5 Model 23

Fitted with 969 kW (1,300 hp) Mitsubishi Kinsei 51 or 53 engines and new upper turret replacing the open position, 36 built.

Operators

Template:IDN

• Ex-Japanese Aircraft was operated by Indonesian guerilla forces.

Template:JPN

• Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
• Imperial Japanese Airways

Used airway to Timor and Koror.

Specifications (H6K4)

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: nine
• Length: 25.63 m (84 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 40.00 m (131 ft 2 in)
• Height: 6.27 m (20 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 170 m² (1,830 ft²)
• Empty weight: 11,707 kg (25,755 lb)
• Loaded weight: 17,000 kg (37,400 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 21,500 kg (47,300 lb)
• Powerplant: 4× Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 or 46 14-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engines, 746 kW (1,000 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 331 km/h (211 mph)
• Cruise speed: 138 mph
• Range: 6,580 km (4,112 mi)
• Service ceiling: 9,610 m (31,520 ft)
• Rate of climb: 370 m/min (1,213 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 100 kg/m² (20 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.17 kW/kg (0.11 hp/lb)

Armament

• 1 × Template:Mm to in Type 97 machine gun in nose
• 1 × Type 97 machine gun in spine
• 2 × Type 97 machine guns in waist blisters
• 1 × 20 mm Type 99 cannon in tail turret
• 2 × Template:Kg to lb torpedoes or Template:Kg to lb of bombs

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Kawanishi H6K

Comparable aircraft

• Dornier Do 24
• PBY Catalina

Related lists
List of military aircraft of Japan - List of seaplanes and flying boats

References

Bibliography

• Doubilet, David. "The Flying Boat". Sport Diver Magazine. Volume 15, Number 8, September 2007.
• Francillon, René J.. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 1995.
• Green, William. Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five: Flying Boats. London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers)Ltd., 1962. ISBN 0-356-01449-5.
• "Kawanishi's Parasol Patroller". Air International, December 1985, Volume 29, No. 6.Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll. pp. 293-298, 304-305.
• 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.
• Van der Klaauw, Bart. Water- en Transportvliegtuigen Wereldoorlog II (in Dutch). Alkmaar, the Netherlands: Uitgeverij de Alk. ISBN 90-6013-6772.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kawanishi H6K".