Nakajima Kikka Prototype

[Grzegames]

[Would you like to see this in-game?]

• Yes
• No

Nakajima Kikka Prototype (中島 橘花)
The Nakajima Kikka (Orange Blossom) is a Japanese jet aircraft, in this suggestion I will focus on its prototype, which is the first Japanese jet to take to the air. Two prototypes of the Kikka aircraft were created.
History
Work on the Nakajima Kikka aircraft began in September 1944, after reports were received by the German military attaché, who reported very positively about the development and achievements of the Me 262 aircraft. This information encouraged Nakajima and the Japanese Naval Staff to believe that jet aircraft were the future of aviation, so in September Nakajima was ordered to start work on a new jet aircraft. The Japanese Naval Staff issued the following requirements for the design, and they were as follows:

1. Maximum speed 695.23 kilometers per hour
2. Range of at least 200 km with a bomb load of 500 kg
3. Landing speed: 150km/h
4. A 350m long run-up with two RATOG bottles with a thrust of 450 kilograms
5. The aircraft was to have folding wings to allow the aircraft to be hidden in caves or tunnels
6. The new aircraft was supposed to be easy to produce

The main designers of the future Kikki were to be engineers Kazuo Ohno and Kenichi Matsumura. Although the design work went very smoothly, serious problems with the engine for Kikki appeared, because the Japanese industry offered only one sufficiently powerful Ne-12 engine at the beginning of 1945, which was not yet completed and was moving forward very slowly. The Japanese also began work on a more powerful engine called the Ne-20, which was based on the BMW 003A engine (the Ne-12 engine produced 320 kgf of thrust, and the Ne-20 engine produced 475 kgf of thrust). Work on the Ne-20 engine began on December 24, 1944, and at the end of January 1945 the production of parts for this engine began (more details about the engine later). On January 15, a meeting was held to determine what engine the Kikka aircraft is to be powered by and to determine the course of further work. During this meeting, although the engine for Kikki was not chosen, the Ne-20 engine was increasingly supported. On January 28, 1945, a wooden mock-up of the Kikka aircraft was completed and presented to Vice Admiral Misao Wada , who was accompanied by engineers Kenichi Matsumura and Kazuo Ohno. Vice Admiral Misao gave a few comments on the project, including improving visibility in the cockpit, changing the windshield to a flat panel, changing the way the cockpit opens from opening upwards to sliding backwards. On the same day, a decision was made to start production of Kikka aircraft as soon as possible. On January 31, 1945, Commander Iwaya and Commander Matsuura of the Naval Air Command (Koku Hombu) arrived at the Nakajima factory to review the design of the Kikka aircraft. Then, on February 4, 1945, a schedule of work on the Kikka aircraft was presented, in which it was assumed that the endurance tester and the first prototypes were to be ready by the end of May 1945, the next two aircraft were to be ready by June, and eight Kikka aircraft were to be ready in July. On February 9, 1945, work on the design drawings began, and on February 10, the second wooden mock-up of the Kikka aircraft was completed. On 10-11 February, an inspection of the mock-up was carried out with the participation of Rear Admiral Sawa, Commander Itsukuya and Lieutenant Commander Abura Takaoka. They stated that they were satisfied with the improvements made and gave permission to start production of the Kikka aircraft. Due to the increasing number of air raids, it was decided to move production from the Nakajima production plant to the city of Sano, which took place on February 17-18. There, by May 3, 60% of the aircraft was completed, in addition, at the same time, tests of the Ne-20 engine were completed and it was decided that it should go to the Kikka aircraft. At this point, the designers did everything to complete the Kikka plane, although the war situation was getting worse and worse and everything was running out. On June 25, 1945, the first Kikka aircraft was completed, which was assembled in a thatched hut where cheese was grown. This aircraft was painted in a prototype yellow-orange color. And then it was transported to the 2nd production plant for reassembly. On June 27, the aircraft was reassembled and various measurements were carried out on it to see if everything was working. On June 29, the aircraft underwent a final inspection in which the head of Saito’s Examination Department, 50 other people who were involved in the project, participated. The next day, the Kikka aircraft burned the engines for the first time and tests with the engines fired began. Unfortunately, on July 14, during testing, a loose nut flew into the left engine and damaged the compressor blades. The engine repair lasted until July 27, on the same day the engine was installed and Lieutenant Wada taxied to the runway for training purposes. On July 29, Lieutenant Commander Takaoka taxied the plane twice, also for training purposes. During the taxiing tests, the brakes of the aircraft were also tested, which turned out to be very weak (the brakes came from the A6M zero aircraft). On August 6, 1945, it was decided that the plane was airworthy, the flight was planned for the next day, the pilot was to be Lieutenant Commander Susumu Takaoka. In the afternoon of the next day (August 7), Susuma sat at the controls of Kikki, it was a sunny cloudless summer day, the wind over the 1800m long runway was blowing at a speed of 7m/s. Lieutenant Takaoka placed the plane at the northern end of the runway, facing the sea. The plane was refueled with a supply of synthetic fuel sufficient for 16 minutes of flight, so after checking for any obstacles, Takaoka gave the signal to take off and began the take-off. The plane quickly took off with flaps at an angle of 20 degrees. Takaoka, after checking if the engine was working, at an altitude of 100 meters, hid the flaps, then checked the operation of the control surfaces and was surprised that the climb force was higher than expected. When the plane was over the sea, Takeoka headed north, keeping the runway in sight. When the plane reached an altitude of 600 meters, the pilot increased the revs to 11,000 rpm and, flying 315 km/h with the landing gear extended, began to test maneuverability in every direction. It turned out that the ailerons and rudders work very well, although they are a bit too sensitive and a bit sluggish. Takeoka, after testing, began to approach landing, lowered the flaps to 40 degrees and reduced the engine speed to 7000 rpm. Kikka drove 2/3 of the length of the runway in clouds of white smoke while braking after landing. The first flight turned out to be very successful, and everyone involved in the project was bursting with happiness. Takeoka recalls that after landing, he saw tears of happiness from Captain Tokiyasu Tanegashima, who was in charge of the engines. After the flight, engineers checked the aircraft for malfunctions that they did not detect, which allowed them to plan the next flight, which was to take place on August 10, during which Kikka was to be evaluated by officials from the Japanese army and navy. However, on August 10, 1945, a raid by US Navy aircraft took place, so the flight was moved to August 11. Kikka was fully fueled before the flight and had launch aid rockets fitted, but at the request of Captain Takaoka, who was concerned about the change in the center of gravity, the rocket power was changed from 800 kgf to 400 kgf. On the day of the flight there was light rain, and during the flight there was a light crosswind. After setting the plane to the take-off point, after checking the instruments, the takeoke captain set the flaps at an angle of 20 degrees and began the take-off of the plane. After four seconds, the pilot fired the auxiliary rockets, which caused the nose of the plane to fly up and start scrubbing the runway with its tail. After eight seconds, the rockets burned out and the plane hit the runway hard with its front wheel and braked hard, Takaoka did not know if the plane was damaged, so he decided to abort the take-off, hoping that he would have enough runway. The pilot immediately began to brake, but due to weak brakes, the plane hardly slowed down at all, after driving the entire runway, it drove another 100 meters on the grass, and then hit a drainage ditch. During this impact, the landing gear broke off from the plane and the plane, sliding on its belly and engines, stopped only on the beach, already in the water. A technical team from the airport quickly arrived at the scene of the plane accident and quickly recovered the plane. After a quick inspection, it was found that the engine nacelles were damaged and the landing gear was destroyed. However, the worst part was that the engines were unusable due to damage and seawater. For this reason, the emphasis was on completing prototype number 2 as quickly as possible, which at this point was about 95% complete. However, four days later, Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan, so Nakajima’s employees decided to damage prototypes 1 and 2 so that it could not be used by the Americans, and most of the plans were destroyed. After the war, the Americans discovered prototype number 2 and about 24 Kikka planes at the Nakajima plant, which were to be production aircraft. The Americans ordered the Japanese to repair the damaged 2 Kikka prototype and finish two more Kikka planes, these planes were sent to the USA for testing. After testing, one of Kikka’s planes was lost, and one was exhibited in the National Air and Space Museum, but it is not known whether it is prototype number 2 or one of the production planes.

Photos of the first Kikka prototype

Assembled kikka prototype in 2 production plant ^

Prototype Kikka goes on a test taxiing ^

Prototype Kikka takes off for the first time ^


Checking the engines before the second flight ^

Lieutenant Commander Susumu Takaoka enters the cockpit of the plane ^


Photos just before the Kikka prototype takes off to the runway ^

Photos of the second Kikka prototype

Second Kikka prototype on the factory floor ^

Second Kikka prototype in the USA ^

Kikka at the National Air and Space Museum exhibition

Art about the Kikka prototype

Ishikawajima Ne-20 engine
The Ishikawajima Ne-20 engines are Japanese turbojet engines modeled after the German BMW 003 engine. Work on the engine began on Christmas Day 1944, and the production of the first parts at the end of January 1945. The first engine was ready on March 20, 1945, and by the end of the war, about 50 Ishikawajima Ne-20 engines had been produced. The engine is able to generate 475 kgf of thrust.

Ishikawajima Ne-20 Engine Plans

Pictures of Ishikawajima Ne-20 engine

Construction description
The plane is almost exactly the same as the Kikka plane that is already in the game, so I will give you the differences between the Kikka prototype and the Kikka that is already in the game. The differences are as follows:

1. No Type 5 30mm cannons
2. Instead of Nakajima Ne-20 engines with 572 kgf thrust, there are Ishikawajima Ne-20 engines with 475 kgf thrust

Technical plans of the Kikka prototype

Kikka prototype cockpit photos

Construction detail photos

Comparison of the Kikka prototype with other aircraft

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 9.25 m
• Wingspan: 10 m
• Height: 3.05 m
• Wing area: 13.2 m2
• Empty weight: 2,300 kg
• Gross weight: 3,500 kg
• Max takeoff weight: 4,312 kg
• Powerplant: 2 × Ishikawajima Ne-20 axial-flow turbojet engines, 475 kgf thrust each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 696 km/h
• Cruise range: 680km
• Range: 937 km or 948 km
• Climb Rate: 6,45 m/s
• Service ceiling: 12,000 m
• Time to altitude: 6,000 m (20,000 ft) in 12 minutes with bomb load

Armament

1. Bombs:

• 1 × 500 kg bomb
• 1 × 800 kg bomb

Other equipment

• 2 x 400 kgf solid propellant booster rocket
• 2 x 800 kgf solid propellant booster rocket
• Automatic fuel tank extinguishing system

Armor

• Windshield: 50mm or 70mm thick bulletproof glass
• 12mm thick armor plates in front and after the pilot

Is Kikka a Kamikaze plane?
The answer is no. For the Japanese industry, creating a specially very modern jet that would be very expensive is the height of waste and stupidity. The Kikka aircraft was intended to be a special attack aircraft, as was the M6A1 Seiran, which was not originally planned as a kamikaze aircraft.

Summary
The prototype of the Nakajima Kikka aircraft would be a very interesting aircraft for Japan in War Thunder. Thanks to weaker engines and the lack of offensive armament, it will be able to be, for example, on a lower Br than the current Kikka aircraft. The history of this aircraft is the hard spirit of engineers, employees and other people who, despite the fact that they worked in difficult conditions, managed to make a working jet within six months, which flew and worked. I encourage you to discuss in the comments and to share your own knowledge on this topic.
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

橘花 (航空機) - Wikipedia
Nakajima Kikka - Wikipedia
SENSHA: Japan’s First Jet Plane [3/3]: The Fate of ‘Kikka Kai’ & Variant Development (sensha-manual.blogspot.com)
SENSHA: Japan’s First Jet Plane [2/3]: Until the Completion of ‘Kikka Kai’ (sensha-manual.blogspot.com)
Nakajima Kikka (Orange Blossom) | National Air and Space Museum (si.edu)
Nakajima Kikka - Minijety (minijets.org)
Nakajima Kikka (pilotfriend.com)
Nakajima J9N1 Kikka - Destination’s Journey (destinationsjourney.com)
Nakajima J9Y “Kikka” [Prototipo de Caza a Reacción] - La Segunda Guerra Mundial
Nakadžima Kikka : Nakadžima (valka.cz)
Nakajima J9Y Kikka / Kitsuka (Orange Blossom) Jet-Powered Fighter / Fighter-Bomber
Ishikawajima Ne-20 - Wikipedia
ネ20 (エンジン) - Wikipedia
Nakajima Ki-201 Karyu and “J9N/J9Y” Kikka | Secret Projects Forum
The History of Japan’s First Jet Aircraft | National Air and Space Museum (si.edu)
The story of the Nakajima Kikka, the Japanese Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe that never was - The Aviation Geek Club
The Tale of the Nakajima Kikka: Japan’s First Jet Fighter - Jets ’n’ Props (jetsprops.com)
Nakajima Kikka: Japan’s Lost World War II Jet Fighter - 19FortyFive
Nakajima KikkaInfo (daveswarbirds.com)
Nakajima Kikka: Japan’s Big Plan for a Fast World War II Fighter Jet | The National Interest
Nakajima Kikka (j-aircraft.org)
Nakajima Kikka - attacker (aviastar.org)
Nakajima «Kikka» (narod.ru)
Уголок неба ¦ Nakajima Kikka (airwar.ru)
Rod’s WarBirds (ijnafphotos.com)

Book sources

• Japanese Aircraft of Wolrld War II : 1937-1945 ,Thomas Newdick, Edition 2 2017, page 93
• 19 Kikka Page 01-960 (boxartden.com)

[jon_man1199]

A +1 from me would be cool to see! That said, a little-known fact is that the Smithsonian may have a second Kikka in storage. We don’t know much about it, but it may be one of the ones tested by the US Navy at Naval Air Station Patuxent River post-war.

[SinisterIsRandom]

Kikka was meant to serve in the same role as the Arado/AR-234. A Jet Bomber.

[Gale_Cleven]

Don’t we already have one?

[SinisterIsRandom]

The one in the game isn’t the same. From my understanding that one is meant to be more based on the 24 that were under construction and being developed. This is meant to be more faithful to the one that still exists. Just dismantled in the Smithsonian Museum, confused me till I read it as well.

[DarkLordMagus]

This one would be a pure attacker. No guns, only bombs.

[CMOT4356]

thought this was in the game at one point.

[SinisterIsRandom]

Bomber not attacker.

[SinisterIsRandom]

Read my post, already answered your question there.

[CMOT4356]

well I did it’s just I remember seeing it a while ago maybe I mistook something else for it.

[Noveos_Republic]

Small correction, as a special attack aircraft, the Kikka was considered for both kamikaze attacks and conventional bombing attacks on ships at high speed.

from JP Wikipedia and sensha blogspot.

[S3b5]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it not given a designation (ex, M6A1 Seiran) because it was intended for “specialized” limited use? Or did it not get a designation because it was never accepted into service?

[Grzegames]

Most often, the incorrect designation J9Y/J9N/J10N is given, which is incorrect because the Japanese symbol J referred to naval land-based fighters. The correct designation of the aircraft is M7N or M8N, but it is very rarely used. The Japanese themselves simply use the name Kikka.

[S3b5]

Where did you find this information? I have never seen anything pertaining to M7N or M8N, only the J9Y and such.

[Grzegames]

On Japanese Wikipedia. Even without it, you can guess that since it is a special attack aircraft (M), it is next after the M6A1, so it should have the designation M7N or M8N. According to the M8N version, it was supposed to be the next after the missile attack glider which was to receive the M7(?) symbol

[Grzegames]

This is what he writes on the Japanese wiki

[Shrek_2_On_DVD]

This is the name I got from a historical unit localization mod for the current in-game Kikka.

[SinisterIsRandom]

I would not advice fully trusting Sensha, the person who wrote it, has an infamous reputation. Yeah…

[SinisterIsRandom]

Localization mods are almost always the best, putting the best or closest to what the name was likely, compared to what the snail tends to name things.

[VS17panel]

shame it does’t have guns but whatever. +1 from me.