Kyushu J7W Shinden

1945

Back to the Virtual Aircraft Museum
  INTERCEPTORVirtual Aircraft Museum / Japan / Kyushu  

Kyushu J7W Shinden

The first flight of the unique Kyushu J7W Shinden (magnificent lightning), a canard-configuration single-seat fighter, was made on 3 August 1945, but the end of World War II later that month brought an end to development and production plans. Designed by a team under the leadership of Captain Masaoki Tsuruno of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the configuration of this aircraft had been effectively confirmed by the flight testing of three specially designed and built MXY6 gliders. The construction of two J7W1 prototypes followed, these each having a slender fuselage and mounting in a mid-position on the nose a short-span foreplane incorporating elevators at the trailing edge. The rear-mounted cantilever monoplane wing was set low on the fuselage, had moderately swept leading edges and conventional ailerons with, just inboard of these on each wing, a fin and rudder extending above and below the trailing edge. The landing gear was of retractable tricycle type; the pilot was accommodated in an enclosed cockpit, directly above the leading edge of the wing; and power was provided by a 1588kW Mitsubishi MK9D radial engine, mounted in the rear fuselage to drive a six-blade pusher propeller. By the end of the war the second prototype had been completed but not flown.

The J7W1 spanned 11.11m, had a maximum take-off weight of 5288kg, and was estimated to have a maximum speed of 750km/h. Armament was four nose-mounted 30mm Type 5 cannon. In the planning stage was the J7W2 version to be powered by a 900kg thrust Ne-130 turbojet.

Kyushu J7W Shinden

Specification 
 MODELJ7W1
 CREW1
 ENGINE1 x Mitsubishi Ha-43, 1600kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight4928 kg10864 lb
  Empty weight3645 kg8036 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan11.1 m36 ft 5 in
  Length9.66 m32 ft 8 in
  Height3.92 m13 ft 10 in
  Wing area20.5 m2220.66 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed750 km/h466 mph
  Cruise speed420 km/h261 mph
  Ceiling12000 m39350 ft
  Range850 km528 miles
 ARMAMENT4 x 30mm cannons

3-View 
Kyushu J7W ShindenA three-view drawing (752 x 1204)

Comments1-20 21-40
Orion, e-mail, 14.05.2009 03:08

Only two Shinden prototypes were completed before the surrender; only one of those flew. As mentioned below one is stored at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum; I'm not sure what happened to the 2nd prototype though it was likely scrapped.

reply

Hiroyuki Takeuchi, e-mail, 30.01.2009 04:47

This plane is stored at the Smithonian NASM, but is in storage and not on regular display.

reply

kt, e-mail, 24.07.2008 18:40

Hi the J7W Looks to be a great design, Does anyone have this plane and if so where could you see this Plane?

reply

Kevin A. Lawton, e-mail, 24.09.2007 05:27

Have not seen any R /C plans for the J7W1. However I am building one using a 1 /24th scale rubber band model from Diel Engineering as the base. I am using the kit parts as templates that I then increase 200% to get a 1 /12th scale. If this model works I then plan to increase the size another 200% to 1 /6th scale. I am using a brushless outrunner, and Li-poly batteries for the 1 /12th model. Don't know yet about power for the 1 /6th size, but I hope to use an electric motor there as well.
Very interesting airplane, if it came into production earlier it would have meant alot of trouble for US B-29's over Japan.

reply

Faustin Fenton USA, e-mail, 06.02.2007 21:16

Are There R /C Model Plans For The J7W1 or J7W2 Available ?
If So By Who and Where Can I get them ? Looking to do one,
in electric, but glow would be ok. Thanks Frostman...

reply

Frostman, e-mail, 03.03.2007 23:48

Are there any R /C plans avalable for the Shinden?
If so by who and how can I get them? Thanks for any help!!

reply

1-20 21-40

Do you have any comments?

Name    E-mail


All the World's Rotorcraft

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