Kawanishi H6K

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawanishi_H6K

The Kawanishi H6K was an Imperial Japanese Navy flying boat produced by the
Kawanishi Aircraft Company and used during World War II for maritime patrol
duties. The Allied reporting name for the type was Mavis; the Navy designation
was "Type 97 Large Flying Boat".

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
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.


Role
Patrol flying boat

Manufacturer
Kawanishi

First flight
14 July 1936

Introduction
January 1938

Retired
1945 (Japan)

Primary user
IJN Air Service

Number built
215

Developed from
Kawanishi H3K

H6Ks were deployed from 1938 onwards, first seeing service in the Sino-Japanese
War and were in widespread use by the time the full-scale Pacific War erupted,
in 1942. At that time of the war, four Kokutai (Air Groups) operated a total of
66 H6K4s.

The type had some success over South East Asia and the South West Pacific. H6Ks
had excellent endurance, being able to undertake 24-hour patrols, and were often
used for long-range reconnaissance and bombing missions. From bases in the Dutch
East Indies, they were able to undertake missions over a large portion of
Australia.

However, the H6K became vulnerable to a newer generation of heavier armed and
faster fighters. It 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.

Specifications (H6K4)

General characteristics
Crew: 9
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: 216 km/h (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× 7.7 mm (0.30 in) Type 92 machine gun in nose
1× Type 92 machine gun in spine
2× Type 92 machine guns in waist blisters
1× 20 mm Type 99 cannon in tail turret
2× 800 kg (1,764 lb) torpedoes or 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of bombs




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