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| Encouraged by enthusiastic reports of
the German Messerschmitt Me 262
from the Japanese air attache in Berlin,
the Japanese naval staff instructed
Nakajima to develop a single-seat
attack bomber based on the Me 262,
capable of a speed of 690km/h and able to carry a small
bombload. Design started in September
1944 under the direction of Kazuo
Ohno and Kenichi Matsumur, and the
resulting aircraft resembled the German
design although somewhat smaller
owing to the very low power available
from the early Japanese jet engines.
Initially the first prototype Nakajima
Kikka (orange blossom) was fitted
with a pair of 200kg thrust
Tsu-11 ducted-flow engines, but these
were quickly replaced by 340kg thrust Ne-12 turbojets. These also
proved inadequate and for the first
flight two 475kg thrust Ne-20
axial-flow turbojets were fitted;
however, it was still necessary to employ
an auxiliary rocket for assisted
take-off. The Kikka was first flown on 7
August 1945 at Kisarazu Naval Air Base
by Lieutenant Commander Sasumu
Tanaoka; the second flight ended in
damage when Tanaoka abandoned
the take-off owing to the ATO rockets
being incorrectly mounted. A second
prototype was then nearing completion
and manufacture of 18 further aircraft
had started when, on 15 August,
the entire programme was abandoned.
Production, which included
versions for training, reconnaissance
and air combat, had also been planned.
| MODEL | "Kikka" |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 2 x He-20 turbojets, 475kg |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 3500-4080 kg | 7716 - 8995 lb |
| Empty weight | 2300 kg | 5071 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 10 m | 33 ft 10 in |
| Length | 8.13 m | 27 ft 8 in |
| Height | 2.95 m | 10 ft 8 in |
| Wing area | 13.2 m2 | 142.08 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 700 km/h | 435 mph |
| Ceiling | 12000 m | 39350 ft |
| Range | 940 km | 584 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 1 x 800-kg bomb |
 | A three-view drawing (752 x 1141) |
| Sgt.KAR98, 26.03.2008 18:44 Was?
But the airframe is almost the same of the 262! reply |
| Cardinal Sin, 21.02.2008 02:55 you have to note however, that this plane was more maneuverable than me 262 reply | | Cardinal Sin, 21.02.2008 02:53 It would have beaten the hell ot of gloster meteor, but Shooting star would have been a bit too hard job... reply |
| calum morris, e-mail, 16.02.2008 22:56 Not well!
it was like a 262 gone wrong,
and if a ordinary hurricane can down a 262 then what would happen if a plane better fought one 10 times worse
no question really reply |
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| | Jack Brown, e-mail, 05.10.2007 21:25 How would this aircraft have performed in combat against, let's say--the P-80 Shooting Star or the Gloster Meteor? reply |
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Cardinal Sin
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