The Nakajima Aircraft Company (中島飛行機株式会社) was a prominent Japaneseaircraft manufacturer and aviation engine manufacturer throughout World War II.It continues as the car and aircraft manufacturer Subaru.
History
The Nakajima Aircraft company was Japan's first aircraft manufacturer, and was founded in 1918 by Chikuhei Nakajima, a naval engineer, and Seibei Kawanishi, a textile manufacturer, as Nippon Aircraft.In 1919, the two founders split and Nakajima bought out Nihon Aircraft's factory with tacit help from the Imperial Japanese Army.The company was renamed Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1919.[1]
The company's manufacturing facilities were:
Tokyo plant
Musashino plant
Donryu plant
Ota plant, near Ōta Station. Visited by Emperor Shōwa on November 16, 1934. Critically damaged by American bombardment on February 10, 1945. Currently a
Koizumi plant, near Nishi-Koizumi Station. Critically damaged by American bombardment on April 3, 1945. Currently a Sanyo plant.
After World War II
After Japan's defeat in World War II, the company was forced to close, as the production and research of aircraft was prohibited by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.This had a severe impact on Nakajima as one of the two largest aircraft manufacturers in Japan; the second was Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). Unlike MHI, Nakajima did not diversify into shipbuilding and general machinery, and so was forced to dissolve into a number of spin-off companies set up by its former managers, engineers, and workers. As a result, leading aeronautical engineers from the company, such as Ryoichi Nakagawa, helped transform Japan's automobile industry.[1]
The company was reborn in 1953 as Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of Fuji Rabbit scooters and Subaru automobiles, and as Fuji Precision Industries (later renamed Prince Motor Company, which merged with Nissan in August 1966), manufacturer of Prince Skyline and Prince Gloria automobiles.Fuji began aircraft production in the mid-1950s and produced military training aircraft and helicopters for the Japan Self-Defense Forces.In 2017, it rebranded as Subaru Corporation.[2][3][4]
Products
Naval aircraft
Fighter
A1N - Type 3 carrier fighter (三式艦上戦闘機) - 1927 carrier-borne fighter; licensed copy of the Gloster Gambet
E12N - 1938 reconnaissance seaplane prototype, lost to the Kawanishi E12K
Dive bomber
D2N
D3N - 1936 carrier-based dive bomber prototype based on the C3N and B5N, lost to the Aichi D3A
Heavy bomber
G5N - Deep Mountain (深山) - 'Liz' 1941 heavy four-engine long-range heavy bomber prototype for Project Z
G8N - Mountain Range (連山) - 'Rita' 1945 heavy four-engine long-range heavy bomber
Fugaku - Mount Fuji (富嶽) - 1945 projected six-engine long-range bomber for Project Z; the G10N designation is a postwar extrapolation and was not officially used
Transport
L1N - naval version of Ki-34
L2D - Type 0 Transport (零式輸送機) -1939 Navy transport aircraft; licensed copy of Douglas DC-3
Fighter
A1N - Type 3 carrier fighter (三式艦上戦闘機) - 1927 carrier-borne fighter; licensed copy of the Gloster Gambet
E12N - 1938 reconnaissance seaplane prototype, lost to the Kawanishi E12K
Dive bomber
D2N
D3N - 1936 carrier-based dive bomber prototype based on the C3N and B5N, lost to the Aichi D3A
Heavy bomber
G5N - Deep Mountain (深山) - 'Liz' 1941 heavy four-engine long-range heavy bomber prototype for Project Z
G8N - Mountain Range (連山) - 'Rita' 1945 heavy four-engine long-range heavy bomber
Fugaku - Mount Fuji (富嶽) - 1945 projected six-engine long-range bomber for Project Z; the G10N designation is a postwar extrapolation and was not officially used
Transport
L1N - naval version of Ki-34
L2D - Type 0 Transport (零式輸送機) -1939 Navy transport aircraft; licensed copy of Douglas DC-3
Army aircraft
Fighter
Ko 3 (甲3) - fighter-trainer, license-built Nieuport 24
Ko 4 (甲4) - biplane fighter, license-built Nieuport-Delage NiD 29
Type 91 fighter (九一式戦闘機) - 1931 parasol monoplane fighter
Ki-8 - 1934 fighter prototype
Ki-11 - 1934 fighter prototype, lost to the Kawasaki Ki-10
Ki-12 - 1936 fighter prototype, lost to the Mitsubishi Ki-18
Ki-27 - Type 97 Fighter (九七式戦闘機) - late 1936 Army monoplane fighter
Ki-37 - 1937 fighter (project only)
Ki-43 - Type 1 Fighter (一式単座戦闘機) or Peregrine Falcon (隼) - 'Oscar' 1939 Army fighter
Ki-44 - Type 2 Single-seat fighter (二式単座戦闘機) or Devil-Queller (鍾馗) - 'Tojo' 1940 Army fighter
Ki-53 - multi-seat heavy fighter (project only)
Fighter
Ko 3 (甲3) - fighter-trainer, license-built Nieuport 24
Ko 4 (甲4) - biplane fighter, license-built Nieuport-Delage NiD 29
Type 91 fighter (九一式戦闘機) - 1931 parasol monoplane fighter
Ki-8 - 1934 fighter prototype
Ki-11 - 1934 fighter prototype, lost to the Kawasaki Ki-10
Ki-12 - 1936 fighter prototype, lost to the Mitsubishi Ki-18
Ki-27 - Type 97 Fighter (九七式戦闘機) - late 1936 Army monoplane fighter
Ki-37 - 1937 fighter (project only)
Ki-43 - Type 1 Fighter (一式単座戦闘機) or Peregrine Falcon (隼) - 'Oscar' 1939 Army fighter
Ki-44 - Type 2 Single-seat fighter (二式単座戦闘機) or Devil-Queller (鍾馗) - 'Tojo' 1940 Army fighter
Ki-53 - multi-seat heavy fighter (project only)
Ki-58 - escort fighter prototype based on the Ki-49
Ki-62
Bomber
B-6 - license-built Bréguet 14B.2
Ki-13 - attack aircraft (project only)
Ki-19 - 1937 Army twin-engine heavy bomber (prototypes only), lost to the Mitsubishi Ki-21
Ki-31 - two-seat light bomber (project only)
Ki-49 - Type 100 Heavy Bomber (一〇〇式重爆撃機) or Storm Dragon (呑龍) - 'Helen' 1941 Army heavy bomber
Ki-52 - dive bomber, army version of D3N (project only)
Ki-6 - Type 95 Trainer (九五式二型練習機) - 1930 transport, training aircraft; licensed copy of the Fokker Super Universal
Ki-16 - cargo transport/ground refueling aircraft based on the Douglas DC-2 (project only)
Ki-34 - Type 97 Transport (九七式輸送機) - 'Thora' 1937 Army transport aircraft version of AT-2
Ki-41 - cargo transport (project only)
Ki-50 - aerial refueling/fuel tanker version of the Ki-49
Ki-80 - formation commander version of the Ki-49
Trainer
Ko 2 (甲2) - trainer, license-built version of the Nieuport 83 trainer
Kamikaze aircraft
Ki-115 - Sword (剣) - 1945 kamikaze aircraft; in IJN service, it was called Wisteria Blossom (藤花)
Ki-230 - projected kamikaze aircraft
Jet prototypes
Orange Blossom (橘花) - 1945 Navy experimental land-based ground attack/ASW jet influenced by the Messerschmitt Me 262, two prototypes built; first Japanese jet aircraft
Civil aircraft
Nakajima-Douglas DC-2 - license-built Douglas DC-2
Super Universal - 1930 airliner; license-built Fokker Super Universal
AN-1 - a Ki-11 prototype converted to a liaison/courier aircraft for the
N-19 - a Ki-19 prototype converted to a mail plane for the
Nakajima N-36 - 1928 transport prototype
Nakajima P-1 - 1933 mail plane; converted from E4N
Aircraft engines
Longevity (寿); license-built Bristol Jupiter
Ha5
Light (光), development of the Nakajima Kotobuki
Prosperity (栄) - powered both the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, and its own Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar fighters. Known as Type 99 in Army service and NK1 in Navy service
Ki-6 - Type 95 Trainer (九五式二型練習機) - 1930 transport, training aircraft; licensed copy of the Fokker Super Universal
Ki-16 - cargo transport/ground refueling aircraft based on the Douglas DC-2 (project only)
Ki-34 - Type 97 Transport (九七式輸送機) - 'Thora' 1937 Army transport aircraft version of AT-2
Ki-41 - cargo transport (project only)
Ki-50 - aerial refueling/fuel tanker version of the Ki-49
Ki-80 - formation commander version of the Ki-49
Trainer
Ko 2 (甲2) - trainer, license-built version of the Nieuport 83 trainer
Kamikaze aircraft
Ki-115 - Sword (剣) - 1945 kamikaze aircraft; in IJN service, it was called Wisteria Blossom (藤花)
Ki-230 - projected kamikaze aircraft
Jet prototypes
Orange Blossom (橘花) - 1945 Navy experimental land-based ground attack/ASW jet influenced by the Messerschmitt Me 262, two prototypes built; first Japanese jet aircraft
- 1941 prototype fighter, competed with
Kawasaki Ki-61
design
Ki-63 - version of Ki-62 powered by a radial engine
Ki-75 - heavy fighter (project only)
Ki-84 - Type 4 Fighter (四式戦闘機) or Gale (疾風) - 'Frank' 1943 Army fighter
