Kawanishi E15K Shiun / Norm

1941

Back to the Virtual Aircraft Museum
  RECONNAISSANCE FLOAT-PLANEVirtual Aircraft Museum / Japan / Kawanishi  

Kawanishi E15K Shiun / Norm

The first prototype flew on December 5, 1941. 15 built.

Kawanishi E15K Shiun / Norm

Specification 
 MODELE15K1
 CREW2
 ENGINE1 x Mitsubishi MK4S "Kasei-24", 1390kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight4100-4900 kg9039 - 10803 lb
  Empty weight3165 kg6978 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan14 m46 ft 11 in
  Length11.59 m38 ft 0 in
  Height4.95 m16 ft 3 in
  Wing area30 m2322.92 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed460 km/h286 mph
  Cruise speed290 km/h180 mph
  Ceiling9830 m32250 ft
  Range3320 km2063 miles
 ARMAMENT21 x 7.7mm machine-guns, x 60-kg bombs

3-View 
Kawanishi E15K Shiun / NormA three-view drawing (750 x 1146)

Comments
Barry, 02.06.2016 17:26

Shiun = Violet Cloud was called "Norm" after Squadron Leader Norman O Clappison RAAF of the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit.

reply

lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 Barry

20

reply

Klaatu83, e-mail, 21.12.2014 16:10

The Japanese Navy's Shiun had no equivalent anywhere else in the world. It was intended as a high-performance reconnaissance seaplane to be deployed from cruisers or island bases. It's intended mission was to locate targets for attack by waiting submarine flotillas. The Shiun's performance was supposed to be sufficient to evade interception by enemy fighters. The wing floats were retractable and, in case of attack, the center float was designed to be jettisoned in order to increase speed to enable the plane to escape. However, in practice the plane's performance proved insufficient to escape from enemy fighters and the float jettison mechanism did not work. As a result, only 15 were built before the program was cancelled.

reply

Trervor Web, e-mail, 09.02.2012 04:18

Yes 21 guns is incorrect the aircraft had a single moveable gun in the rear cockpit and did normally carry bombs as it was puely a reconnaissance aircraft.

reply

Naga, 09.08.2011 21:14

Is the armament count of 21 machineguns accurate, or was it a mistake?

reply

Naga, 09.08.2011 21:14

Is the armament count of 21 machineguns accurate, or was it a mistake?

reply

daxiong, 21.06.2011 05:54

wing floats were to stay retracted during landing on water, and would then keep the plane afloat.

reply

Mike Dunn, e-mail, 09.05.2011 16:03

Neat design for an aircraft that first flew in 1941! Would have been a hot ship without the floats!!!

reply

Andy, 03.05.2010 05:50

Based on comments in Wiki I reckon the top speed with the float jettisoned would hve been about 340mph or thereabouts.

reply

TinyTim, e-mail, 21.06.2009 01:28

Central float was jettisonable (in order to increase speed in case of being pursued by fighters), and wing floats were retractable. In an event of jettisoning the main float, wing floats were to stay retracted during landing on water, and would then keep the plane afloat.

Is there any data anywhere about the max. speed of this interesting plane in the high speed configuration (i.e. main float jettisoned, wing floats retracted)? I'd be much obliged for seeing one.

reply

Do you have any comments?

Name    E-mail


COMPANY
PROFILE


All the World's Rotorcraft


All rhe World's Rotorcraft AVIATION TOP 100 - www.avitop.com Avitop.com