Kyūshū K11W

Infobox Aircraft
name=Kyūshū K11W


caption=Kyūshū K11W in postwar markings.
type=Bomber crew trainer (K11W1)
manufacturer=Kyūshū Aircraft Company
designer=
first flight=1942
introduced=1943
retired=
status=
primary user=Japan
more users=
produced=1942 - 1945
number built=798
variants with their own articles=

The Kyūshū K11W Shiragiku (白菊, "White Chrysanthemum") made by the Kyūshū Aircraft Company, was a land-based bombing trainer aircraft which served in the Imperial Japanese Navy in the latter years of World War II. As indicated by its Japanese designation, "training aircraft for on-board work" (機上作業練習機), it was designed to train crews in operating equipment for bombing, navigation, and communication, as well as navigation techniques. A total of 798 K11Ws were manufactured, including a small number of K11W2 ASW and transport aircraft alongside the K11W1 trainer variant. These aircraft were also used in kamikaze mission during the last stages of the Pacific War.

The aircraft had a rather simple mid-wing layout. The crew consisted of a pilot and gunner/radio operator sitting in line under the canopy and the trainee bombardier, trainee navigator, and instructor in the lower fuselage beneath the wing.

The K11W served as the basis for the Q3W1 Nankai (南海, "South Sea") anti-submarine patrol aircraft, which did not progress beyond the development phase. It was enlarged, and like the K11W, had retracting landing gear.

Variants

* K11W1 : The basic bomber crew trainer, of all-metal construction with fabric-covered control surfaces.
* K11W2 : Anti-submarine warfare and transport version of all-wood construction.
* Q3W1 Nankai : Project only.

pecifications (K11W1)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=five
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 10.24m
length alt=
span main= 14.98m
span alt=
height main= 3.93m
height alt=
area main= 30.50m²
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,677 kg
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 2,800 kg
max takeoff weight alt=
more general= with fixed-pitch 2-blade wooden propeller
engine (prop)= Hitachi GK2B Amakaze 21 9-cylinder radial
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main= 384 kW
power alt= 515 hp
power original=
max speed main=230 km/h
max speed alt=
cruise speed main= 175 km/h
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 1,760km
range alt=
ceiling main= 5,620m
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* 1 × 7.7 mm rear-firing machine gun
* 2 × 30 kg bombs on training role, or 1 × 250 kg bomb on kamikaze missions
avionics=

References and external links

* Mondey, David. The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. ISBN 1 85152 966 7
* http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/k11w.htm
* http://military.sakura.ne.jp/ac/k11w.htm (Japanese)
* [http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/monuments/kochi/index.htm Kochi Naval Air Group Monument] - air base where "Shiragiku" trainer aircraft formed kamikaze squadrons in 1945