Experimental 6-Shi Carrier Two-seat Fighter (NAF-1)

Suggestions Aircraft
1

Experimental 6-Shi Carrier Two-seat Fighter (Company designation NAF-1)

image

History:

In 1931, the Imperial Japanese Navy began exploring the concept of a two-seat fighter, a design approach that was gaining traction in other major military forces. The Navy ordered a prototype of the 6-Shi Two-seat Carrier Fighter, which was intended to combine the roles of a fighter and a dive-bomber. This aircraft was expected to have structural integrity to withstand a 100-knot dive while dropping small bombs. The armament included two fixed forward-firing machine guns, one dorsal flexible gun, and provisions for a drop tank to enable long-range scouting missions. It was also designed for carrier operations, featuring an arresting hook and wheel-brakes.

The project was led by Kiyoshi Akegawa from Nakajima Aircraft Company, with the internal designation of NAF, which stood for Nakajima Akegawa Fighter. By mid-1932, the prototype was completed, but it required several modifications, delaying its evaluation until 1933. Unfortunately, the aircraft was lost during an emergency landing on its official acceptance flight on April 8, 1933. Although this marked the end of the 6-Shi project, the lessons learned were carried over to the development of the 8-Shi Two-seat Fighter, as well as the Type 95 Reconnaissance Seaplane and Type 95 Carrier Fighter.

The 6-Shi Fighter was a lesser-known aircraft in Japanese aviation history, yet it featured several interesting innovations. It was essentially a two-seat variant of the single-seat Type 90 Carrier Fighter, powered by the same type of engine. Despite being a two-seater, it achieved a maximum speed comparable to the Type 90 and offered a slightly longer range, though its climb performance was inevitably lower due to the added weight. The aircraft featured an inverted gull wing design with wings that could fold rearward for stowage, using an M-6 aerofoil with 14% thickness. Remarkably, it was one of Japan’s earliest aircraft capable of inverted flight. For dive-bombing, it could dive at an 80-degree angle and safely reach speeds of 250 knots. Additionally, a 280-liter external fuel tank could be fitted for extended range operations.

More pictures:

Spoiler

image

image
image1200×1608 160 KB

image
image1200×881 351 KB

image
image1200×798 313 KB

image
image1200×488 171 KB

Statistics:

  • Type: Single-engine, two-seat fighter biplane
  • Construction: All-metal structure with fabric covering; rearward folding wings for stowage
  • Crew: 2 (in open cockpits)
  • Engine: 460-530hp Nakajima Kotobuki 2, nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine driving a Hamilton Standard-type 3-AN fixed-pitch two-bladed metal propeller
  • Armament:
    • Two forward-firing fixed Vickers 7.7mm machine guns (600 rounds each)
    • One dorsal flexible Lewis 7.7mm machine gun (582 rounds in 6 cartridges)
    • Bomb load: Four 30kg (66 lb) bombs
  • Dimensions:
    • Wingspan: 10.725m (35ft 2¼in)
    • Length: 7.19m (23ft 7in)
    • Height: 2.82m (9ft 3in)
    • Wing area: 29.39 sq m (316.361 sq ft)
  • Weights:
    • Empty weight: 1,270kg (2,800 lb)
    • Loaded weight: 1,844kg (4,065 lb)
  • Performance:
    • Maximum speed: 150 kt (172.6 mph)
    • Cruising speed: 95 kt (109.39 mph)
    • Minimum speed: 50 kt (57 mph)
    • Climb to 3,000m (9,843 ft): 7 minutes 30 seconds
    • Service ceiling: 5,500m (18,044 ft)
    • Range: 874 nm (1,005 sm)
    • Endurance: 8 hours with external fuel
  • Number Built: 1 (1932)

Pictures of stats:

Spoiler

image
image

Would you like to see this in-game?
  • Yes
  • No (Leave the in the comments why)
  • Other (Leave the in the comments why)
0 voters

Sources:

2 Likes