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Nakajima J1N1-C/R (二式陸上偵察機)
The Nakajima J1N1-C, later renamed J1N1-R, is a Japanese long-range reconnaissance aircraft that was introduced into service on July 6, 1942. Between 50 and 54 J1N1-C/R planes were produced, which served until the end of the war. Two J1N1-Cs were modified into night fighters called J1N1-C Kai, which became prototypes for the future Nakajima J1N1-S.
History
On April 26, 1941, the prototype Nakajima J1N1, which was meant to serve as a heavy escort fighter for missions in China, was completed. On May 2 of the same year, testing of the aircraft began, and it turned out that, although the range and speed were very satisfactory, the plane was heavy and not very maneuverable, which led to the conclusion that it was unsuitable for fighting other fighters. Additionally, the remotely controlled defensive turrets were very unreliable. Furthermore, in 1941, Mitsubishi A6M2 fighters were already widely used in escort missions where they performed very well. After the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, the Japanese navy staff decided that Mitsubishi C5M reconnaissance planes were not performing well and that new reconnaissance aircraft were needed. It was determined that the unsuccessful J1N escort plane, thanks to its speed and range, was perfectly suited to be converted into a long-range reconnaissance aircraft. In March 1942, the decision was made to rebuild prototypes 5, 6, and 7 of the J1N1 into reconnaissance aircraft. It turned out that this modification was very satisfactory, and from April 1942, production of the J1N1 aircraft began, which on July 6, 1942, were adopted as J1N1-C (later changed to J1N1-R) or officially as Type 2 Land-Based Reconnaissance Aircraft (二式陸上偵察機). These planes were sent to various regions of the war in the Pacific, including the naval base in Rabaul, where in March 1943, two modified J1N1-C Kai, which were prototypes of the only mass-produced Japanese fighter Nakajima J1N1-S, were delivered and tested. Nakajima J1N1-C aircraft (from 1943, Japanese navy reconnaissance aircraft designations were changed: planes marked with ‘C’, like the C6N1, were carrier-based reconnaissance planes, while those marked with ‘R’, like the later R2Y1, were land-based reconnaissance planes) were used until the end of the war, and some were used for kamikaze missions or as training planes for J1N1-S crews.
Construction description
The Nakajima J1N1-C/R is structurally very similar to the Nakajima J1N1 from the game, but there are differences between them.
- The J1N1-C prototypes, pre-production versions, and the first few production units had remotely controlled machine guns, while later planes had a Type 92 7.7mm or Type 2 13.2mm machine gun for self-defense, and some didn’t have any defensive weapons at all.
- Starting from the 27th J1N1-C unit, suspended tanks with 310 or 330 liters of fuel began to be used
- A 15 mm thick armor plate was installed in the pilot’s seat.
- A movable K 8 camera and an additional handheld F 8 camera were installed at the observer’s station.
- The fuel tanks were first fitted with 22mm, and later 28mm rubber linings to seal the tanks after being hit.
- The plane could carry two 30 kg bombs
(Some J1N1-C/R were completely devoid of offensive and defensive weapons)
Technical sketches
Comparison of the Nakajima J1N1-C/R with other J1N1 versions
General characteristics
- Crew: 2-3
- Length: 12,17 m
- Wingspan: 16,98 m
- Height: 4,56 m
- Wing area: 40,0 m2
- Empty weight: 4 582 kg
- Gross weight: 7250 kg
- Maximum Take-off Weight: 7 527 kg
- Powerplant: 2 × 14-cylinder, two-cylinder, air-cooled, Nakajima NK1F Sakae 21 radial piston engine, with 840 kW (1,130 hp) each
- Propellers: Three-bladed propeller with constant rotational speed with a diameter of 3,048 mm.
Performance
- Maximum speed: 529-507 km/h
- Cruise Speed: 333 km/h
- Range: 2,544 km
- Maximum Range: 3,748 km
- Service ceiling: 9,320 m
- Time to Climb to: 9 minutes 35 seconds at an altitude of 5,000 m
- Climb Rate: 8,7 m/s
Armament
- Guns:
- 1 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 gun in the nose (60 rounds) (optional)
- 2 x 7.7 mm Type 92 machine guns in the nose (600 rounds per gun)
- 4 x 7.7 mm Type 92 machine guns in remotely operated turrets, or (prototypes, pre-production, and the first few serial aircraft)
- 1 x 7.7 mm Type 92 machine gun in the observer’s position, or
- 1 x 13.2 mm Type 2 machine gun in the observer’s position, or
- Bombs:
- 2 x 30 kg bombs
- Fuel dump tanks:
- 2 x 310 L dump tanks under wings
- 2 x 330 L dump tanks under wings
Armour
- 15 mm thick armor plate behind the pilot
- Self-sealing fuel tanks
Special thanks
Summary
The Nakajima J1N1-C is a very interesting plane for Japan in War Thunder. This plane is a modified J1N1 from the game that will offer a different gameplay thanks to its armor and changed defensive armament. This plane could also potentially be used as a reconnaissance aircraft in the future. It would be suitable to add this plane in the same folder as the Nakajima J1N1 or to make it a premium or event vehicle. I encourage you to discuss in the comments and to share your own knowledge on this subject.
Finally, I apologize for the linguistic and logical errors because unfortunately English is not my main language and I had to use google translator.
Internet sources
月光 (航空機) - Wikipedia
Nakajima J1N Gekkō - Wikipedia
Nakajima J1N (“Gekko”) Prototypes and Projects | Secret Projects Forum
夜間戦闘機 『月光』/中島Nakajima J1N | 大日本帝国軍 主要兵器
Warplanes of Japan: Nakajima J1N Gekko - SilverHawkAuthor Website Military History Materials
Nakadžima J1N1-C 11 [Irving] : Nakadžima
Book sources
- 日本航空機辞典 1910年(明治43年)～1945年(昭和20年) 上巻 (Encyclopedia of Japanese Aircraft 1910 (Meiji 43) – 1945 (Showa 20), Volume 1) page 240-242
- 野沢正『日本航空機総集 中島篇』(Masaru Nozawa ‘Comprehensive Collection of Japanese Aircraft: Nakajima Volume’) page 198-205
- Japońskie Samoloty Marynarki 1912-45 część II (Japanese naval aircraft 1912-45 part II) page 110-115
- Japanese Heavy Fighters 1937-1945 , page 111-128
- Lotnictwo Wojskowe 2/1998 (Military Aviation 2/1998) page 23-39
*『日本軍用機写真集』1 (ファイター) ,文林堂, (“Japanese Military Aircraft Photo Collection 1 (Fighters)”, Bunrindo) page 218-224 - Bunrindo - Famous Airplanes of The World 57 - Nakajima J1N ‘Gekko’ Navy Type 11 Night Fighter
Bunrindo - Famous Airplanes of The World 57 - Nakajima J1N ‘Gekko’ Navy Type 11 Night Fighter | PDF | Language Arts & Discipline | Foreign Language Studies - Model-art-595-Night-fighters.pdf - Dysk Google
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