Kyushu Q1W

Q1W Tokai
Role Anti-submarine bomber
Manufacturer Kyūshū Aircraft Company
First flight September 1943
Introduction January 1945
Primary user Imperial Japanese Navy
Number built 153


The Kyūshū Q1W Tokai (東海 "Eastern Sea"), was a land-based anti-submarine patrol bomber aircraft developed for the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The Allied reporting name was Lorna. Although similar in appearance to the German Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber, the Q1W was a much smaller aircraft with significantly different design details.

Design and development

Kyushu Q1W Tokai maritime reconnaissance

The Imperial Japanese Navy ordered development of the Kyūshū Q1W as the Navy Experimental 17-Shi Patrol Plane[1] in September 1942, and the first test flight took place in September 1943. It entered service in January 1945. The Q1W carried two low-power engines, allowing for long periods of low-speed flight, and was the first purpose-designed anti-submarine warfare aircraft in the world.

In same period Kyūshū built the K11W1 Shiragiku, a bomber training plane (also used in Kamikaze strikes) and the Q3W1 Nankai (South Sea), a specialized antisubmarine version of the K11W.[2] The latter was of all-wood construction and was destroyed during a landing accident on its first flight.

Another specific anti-submarine airplane was the Mitsubishi Q2M1 "Taiyō" (which was derived from Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryū "Peggy" Torpedo-bomber), but this did not progress beyond the preliminary design stage.

Variants

Specifications (Q1W1)

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War[3]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Radar equipment

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists

Footnotes

Bibliography

  • Francillon, R. J. (1979). Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-370-30251-6. 

External links

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