Kawanishi H8K

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawanishi_H8K

The Kawanishi H8K (?????, Nishiki Hikotei, Type 2 Flying Boat. Commonly called
as ??????? Nishiki Ogata Hikotei, ???? Nishiki Daitei or Nishiki Taitei, Type 2
Large-sized Flying Boat) was an Imperial Japanese Navy flying boat used during
World War II for maritime patrol duties. The Allied reporting name for the type
was "Emily".

At the same time the type's predecessor, the Kawanishi H6K, was going into
service in 1938 the Navy ordered the development of a larger, longer-ranged
patrol aircraft under the designation Navy Experimental 13-Shi Large-size Flying
Boat. The result was a large, shoulder-winged design that is widely regarded as
the best flying boat of the war. Despite this, initial development was
troublesome, with the prototype displaying terrible handling on the water.
Deepening of the hull, redesigning of the planing bottom and the addition of
spray strips under the nose rectified this. Two further prototypes— actually
pre-production aircraft— joined the development program in December 1941.

The IJNAF accepted the first production version as the H8K1, Navy Type 2 Flying
Boat, Model 11, of which 14 would be built.

The improved H8K2 variant soon appeared, and its extremely heavy defensive
armament earned it deep respect among Allied aircrews. The H8K2 was an upgrade
over the H8K1, having more powerful engines, slightly revised armament, and an
increase in fuel capacity. This was to be the definitive variant, with 112
produced.


Role
Four engine long-range Flying boat

Manufacturer
Kawanishi

Designer
Shizuo Kikuhara

First flight
January 1941

Introduction
February 1942

Retired
1945

Primary user
IJN Air Service

Produced
1941-1945

Number built
167

131 of Type 2 Flying boat
36 of Seiku

The H8K entered production in 1941 and first saw operational use on the night of
4 March 1942 in a second raid on Pearl Harbor. Since the target lay out of range
for the flying boats, this audacious plan involved a refuelling by submarine at
French Frigate Shoals, some 900 km (560 mi) north-west of Hawaii, en route. Two
planes from the Yokohama Kokutai (Naval Air Corps) attempted to bomb Pearl
Harbor, but, due to poor visibility, did not accomplish any significant damage.

Six days after the second Pearl harbor raid one of the Emilys was sent on a
daylight photo-recon mission of Midway Atoll. It was intercepted by radar
directed Brewster Buffalo fighters of Marine Corps squadron VMF-221 and shot
down. All aboard were killed including Lt. Hashizume Hisao, the lead pilot of
the second Pearl Harbor raid.

H8K2s were used on a wide range of patrol, reconnaissance, bombing, and
transport missions throughout the Pacific war. The H8K2 was given the Allied
code name "Emily".

Specifications (Kawanishi H8K2)

General characteristics
Crew: 10
Length: 28.15 m (92 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 38.00 m (124 ft 8 in)
Height: 9.15 m (30 ft)
Wing area: 160 m² (1,721 ft²)
Empty weight: 18,380 kg (40,436 lb)
Loaded weight: 24,500 kg (53,900 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 32,500 kg (71,500 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × Mitsubishi Kasei 22 radial engines, 1,380 kW (1,850 hp) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 465 km/h (290 mph)
Range: 7,150 km (4,440 mi)
Service ceiling: 8,760 m (28,740 ft)
Rate of climb: 8.1 m/s (1,600 ft/min)
Wing loading: 153 kg/m² (31 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.22 kW/kg (0.14 hp/lb

Armament

Guns:
5× 20 mm Type 99 cannon (one each in bow, dorsal, and tail turrets, plus one
each in two waist blisters)
5× 7.7 mm (.303 in) Type 92 machine guns in fuselage hatches

Bombs: 2× 800 kg (1,764 lb) torpedoes or 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) of bombs or depth
charges

Avionics

Mark VI Model 1 ASV radar




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