H6K "Mavis" @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Kawanishi H6K Kawanishi H6K
    Kawanishi H6K
  • Three-view drawing (ONI, 1943) Three-view drawing (ONI, 1943)
    Three-view drawing (ONI, 1943)
  • In front of Mount Fuji In front of Mount Fuji
    In front of Mount Fuji
  • Yokosuka naval review (11 October 1940) Yokosuka naval review (11 October 1940)
    Yokosuka naval review (11 October 1940)
  • H6K5 of the Yokohama Kokutai (Solomon Islands, 1942) H6K5 of the Yokohama Kokutai (Solomon Islands, 1942)
    H6K5 of the Yokohama Kokutai (Solomon Islands, 1942)
  • Shot down in flames Shot down in flames
    Shot down in flames
  • Burning on the water (1944) Burning on the water (1944)
    Burning on the water (1944)
  • Green cross surrender markings (1945) Green cross surrender markings (1945)
    Green cross surrender markings (1945)
  • RAF mechanics at Soerabaja (January 1946) RAF mechanics at Soerabaja (January 1946)
    RAF mechanics at Soerabaja (January 1946)
  • Post-war, in British markings Post-war, in British markings
    Post-war, in British markings
  • H6K2-L at Morokrembangan, Soerabaja (1946) H6K2-L at Morokrembangan, Soerabaja (1946)
    H6K2-L at Morokrembangan, Soerabaja (1946)
  • H6K5 in the Dutch East Indies (1945-1949) H6K5 in the Dutch East Indies (1945-1949)
    H6K5 in the Dutch East Indies (1945-1949)

Kawanishi H6K "Mavis"

The Kawanishi H6K was a large four-engined maritime patrol flying boat built by the Kawanishi Aircraft Company (Kawanishi Kokuki K.K.) and flown by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the Second World War. Its Navy designation was "Type 97 Large Flying Boat" (Kyunana-shiki Ogata Hikotei, often shortened to "Kyunana-shiki Daitei"), and the Allied reporting name was "Mavis"; the transport versions were sometimes called "Tillie". The British initially misidentified it as the "Kawanishi Navy 97 Mavis". First flown on 14 July 1936 and introduced in January 1938, it was the first truly operational four-engined aircraft designed in Japan. About 215 examples were built, including transport versions that flew the Pacific routes of the national airline Dai Nippon Koku (Imperial Japanese Airways).

Design and development

Early in 1933, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) issued a requirement (8-Shi specification) for a long-range flying boat, the Navy wishing to exploit the vast expanses of the Pacific Mandate islands where the construction of land airfields was restricted by treaty. Kawanishi studied two designs: the four-engined Model Q and the three-engined Model R. The studies, including wind tunnel and water tank tests, took place between March and September 1933, but the IJN officials were not satisfied with the results.

In early 1934, the Navy issued a revised specification calling for a four-engined flying boat with a range of at least 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 km) and a cruising speed of at least 120 knots (222 km/h), an exceptional performance demand for a flying boat of the era, exceeding that of contemporaries such as the Sikorsky S-42. Under the direction of Yoshio Hashiguchi and Shizuo Kikuhara, the Kawanishi team designed the aircraft, internally known as the Type S. The team made use of the information gathered during a study visit to Short Brothers in the United Kingdom, and of the experience acquired with the Kawanishi H3K, a licence-built and enlarged version of the Short Rangoon.

The resulting design was a large all-metal four-engined monoplane with a long, slender hull, a parasol wing and twin fins and rudders. The wing was mounted above the hull on inverted-V struts and braced by parallel struts running to the lower hull, and two stabilising floats were fitted under the outer wing. In its general layout the H6K looked like a larger, four-engined Consolidated PBY Catalina, from which it could be distinguished by its twin tail. The crew normally numbered nine. Two 800 kg torpedoes, or up to 1,000 kg of bombs, could be carried on racks attached to the wing struts.

On 14 July 1936, the first prototype performed its maiden flight, piloted by Katsuji Kondo. After this flight the forward step of the hull was moved rearwards to improve water handling. The first prototype was delivered to the IJN for service trials on 25 July 1936; it was judged underpowered, but otherwise satisfactory, and its behaviour on the water was particularly praised. Two additional prototypes were delivered in 1937 and a fourth one in 1938. These were fitted with enlarged fins, a redesigned dorsal turret and larger-span ailerons, and some of them received more powerful engines. The prototypes were initially powered by four nine-cylinder Nakajima Hikari 2 radial engines of 840 hp; three of them were later re-engined with the 1,000 hp Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 and refitted for service with the Navy.

Once quantity production had been established, a batch of ten H6K2 (Model 11) was built, followed by the main production version, the H6K4 (Model 22), of which 124 to 127 were completed. Its principal change was an increase in fuel capacity from 7,764 litres to 13,410 litres, giving the aircraft an endurance of up to 24 hours. The armament was also revised: the open dorsal position replaced the original power-operated turret, two glazed blisters with 7.7 mm machine guns were added on the sides of the rear hull, and the tail gun was replaced by a 20 mm cannon. From August 1941 some H6K4s were fitted with the Kinsei 46 engine. The last combat model, the H6K5 (Model 23), was powered by 1,300 hp Kinsei 51 or 53 engines and had a new turret behind the flight deck instead of the open position. Thirty-six were built in 1942, after which production gave way to the far more capable Kawanishi H8K, a project for which the late development of the H6K had served as a fallback.

Operational history

The H6K made its combat debut in early 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War, where the first production aircraft were used to patrol the Chinese coast and help maintain its blockade. In 1938 the H6K was the only aircraft in Japanese service able to reach Pearl Harbor directly from the Marshall Islands, which led the Navy to order specially equipped large seaplane tenders such as the Akitsushima to support its flying boats.

At the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941, four Kokutai (naval air groups) were equipped with 66 H6K4s. Among them, the Yokohama Kokutai had received 24 Type 97 flying boats on 1 December 1941 and operated from bases in the Marshall Islands such as Jaluit and Wotje. The H6K was mainly used for long-range maritime reconnaissance, which represented the majority of its sorties, but it was also employed as a transport and as a bomber. On 12 December 1941, during the Battle of Wake Island, an H6K that bombed the island was shot down by a Grumman F4F Wildcat of the US Marines. In the first months of the war, H6Ks reconnoitred distant Allied bases such as Rabaul, Wake and Darwin, and bombed land targets in the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea. Flying from bases in the Dutch East Indies, they could fly over large parts of northern Australia: on 15 February 1942, an H6K and a Curtiss P-40 shot each other down about 190 km west of Darwin, and on 2 March 1942 an H6K carried out the reconnaissance flight over Broome that preceded the Japanese fighter attack of 3 March, which destroyed some fifteen Allied flying boats in Roebuck Bay. H6Ks also attacked Allied shipping along the coast of Western Australia, notably the motor vessel Koolama off Cape Londonderry on 20 February 1942.

From May 1942, a large detachment of the Yokohama Kokutai operated from the former Royal Australian Air Force seaplane base at Gavutu and Tanambogo, near Tulagi in the Solomon Islands, as well as from Shortland and Buin. On 7 August 1942, at the start of the American landings at Guadalcanal and Tulagi, US Navy carrier aircraft strafed and destroyed the Yokohama Kokutai flying boats moored off Gavutu and Tanambogo; several of these wrecks still lie on the seabed and are now visited by divers. H6Ks also took part in the Aleutian Islands campaign in June and July 1942.

The H6K had an excellent range and endurance, but it lacked armour protection and self-sealing fuel tanks, and it proved very vulnerable to Allied fighters, catching fire easily when hit. The losses led the Navy to discontinue its use as a bomber. Older H6Ks were transferred from maritime patrol to transport duties, sometimes fitted with simple benches. From 1943 the H8K "Emily" took over front-line duties, but the H6K remained in service until the Japanese surrender, restricted to areas where the risk of interception was low.

Civil and transport use

The type was also procured as a civilian transport for the national airline Dai Nippon Koku K.K. (Imperial Japanese Airways). In 1939 two H6K2s were converted as prototype transports, leading to the unarmed H6K2-L, with Kinsei 43 engines, which could carry 18 passengers, or 10 passengers with 4 berths, and was fitted with a toilet, a galley and other amenities. It was followed by the H6K4-L, with Kinsei 46 engines and additional windows. Of the 38 transport H6Ks built, about 20 remained with the Navy and 18 were handed over to Dai Nippon Koku, which flew sixteen of them on Pacific mail and passenger services under civil registrations, the aircraft bearing names such as "Ayanami". During the Pacific War the airline continued to fly long-distance scheduled services on the routes Yokohama - Saipan - Koror (Palau) - Timor, Saigon - Bangkok and Saipan - Truk - Ponape - Jaluit.

After the war, a single H6K5 was restored to flying condition by British and Indonesian personnel at Soerabaja during the Indonesian War of Independence, and served with the volunteer air service of the young Indonesian Republic. Other H6Ks found in Java in 1945 and 1946 were tested by the Royal Air Force or ended up on the scrapyard of the Dutch naval air station of Morokrembangan.

Variants

  • H6K1 (Navy Experimental 9-Shi Large Flying Boat) : Four evaluation prototypes powered by four 840 hp Nakajima Hikari 2 engines. Three of them were later re-engined with 1,000 hp Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 engines and delivered to the Navy as Type 97 Flying Boat Model 1.
  • H6K2 (Model 11) : First production model, with Kinsei 43 engines and three 7.7 mm Type 92 machine guns. 10 built, two of which were converted to transports.
  • H6K2-L : Unarmed transport version for Dai Nippon Koku, powered by Kinsei 43 engines. 16 built.
  • H6K3 (Model 21) : VIP transport for high-ranking officers, derived from the H6K2. 2 built.
  • H6K4 (Model 22) : Main production version, with increased fuel capacity and revised armament (four 7.7 mm machine guns and one 20 mm cannon); late aircraft (Model 2-3) powered by Kinsei 46 engines. 124 to 127 built.
  • H6K4-L : Transport version with Kinsei 46 engines and additional windows. 20 built, including two converted from H6K4s.
  • H6K5 (Model 23) : Final combat version, powered by 1,300 hp Kinsei 51 or 53 engines, with a new upper turret replacing the open position. 36 built.

Operators

  • Japan :
    • Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service.
    • Dai Nippon Koku (Imperial Japanese Airways).
  • Indonesia : Indonesian Air Service Volunteer Corps (one captured H6K5, 1945-1946).

Surviving aircraft

No complete H6K survives. Several wrecks lie underwater in the Solomon Islands, off Gavutu and Tanambogo near Tulagi, and in the Marshall Islands, off Ebeye Island (Kwajalein Atoll), where two H6Ks were destroyed on 4 December 1943. The wreck known as "Mavis M5" at Tanambogo, discovered in 2000 or 2001, is considered the best-preserved underwater H6K in the world.

Bibliography

  • Francillon, René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam, 1979 (new edition 1987).
  • Green, William. Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five: Flying Boats. London: Macdonald, 1962.
  • Richards, M.C. "Kawanishi 4-Motor Flying-Boats (H6K 'Mavis' and H8K 'Emily')". Aircraft in Profile Volume 11 (Profile 233). Windsor: Profile Publications, 1972.
  • "Kawanishi's Parasol Patroller". Air International, Vol. 29, No. 6, December 1985, pp. 293-298, 304-305.
  • "Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation". Air Enthusiast Quarterly, No. 2, 1976, pp. 154-162.
  • Van der Klaauw, Bart. Water- en Transportvliegtuigen Wereldoorlog II. Alkmaar: Uitgeverij de Alk.
  • Pacific Wrecks, Tulagi Seaplane Base (Gavutu, Tanambogo) and H6K "Mavis" wrecks.
  • Air Vectors, "The Kawanishi H6K & H8K Flying Boats".

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Kawanishi H6K of Wikipedia ( authors )

Kawanishi H6K "Mavis"

  • Role : Maritime patrol flying boat.
  • Manufacturer : Kawanishi Kokuki K.K.
  • First flight : 14 July 1936.
  • Introduction : January 1938.
  • Retired : 1945.
  • Status : retired.
  • Primary users :
    • Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service.
    • Dai Nippon Koku (Imperial Japanese Airways).
  • Number built : 215 (217 according to some sources).
  • Developed from : Kawanishi H3K.
  • Successor :

    • Specifications (H6K4 Model 22)

  • Crew: 9.
  • Length: 84 ft 1 in (25.63 m).
  • Wingspan: 131 ft 3 in (40 m).
  • Height: 20 ft 7 in (6.27 m).
  • Wing area: 1,830 sq ft (170 m²).
  • Empty weight: 25,810 lb (11,707 kg).
  • Gross weight: 37,479 lb (17,000 kg).
  • Max takeoff weight: 47,399 lb (21,500 kg).
  • Fuel capacity: 2,950 imp gal (13,410 l).
  • Powerplant: 4 × Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines.
  • Power: 1,000 hp (750 kW) each for takeoff; 990 hp (738 kW) at 9,200 ft (2,800 m). H6K4 Model 2-3 and H6K4-L: 930 hp (690 kW) Kinsei 46.
  • Maximum speed: 210 mph (340 km/h, 180 kts) at 13,000 ft (4,000 m).
  • Cruise speed: 138 mph (222 km/h, 120 kts) at 13,000 ft (4,000 m).
  • Range: 2,981 mi (4,797 km, 2,590 nmi).
  • Ferry range: 3,780 mi (6,080 km, 3,280 nmi).
  • Endurance: up to 24 hours.
  • Wing loading: 20 lb/sq ft (100 kg/m²).
  • Armament:
    • 1 × 7.7 mm Type 92 machine gun in the bow.
    • 1 × 7.7 mm Type 92 machine gun in the dorsal position.
    • 2 × 7.7 mm Type 92 machine guns in the side blisters.
    • 1 × 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannon in the tail turret.
    • 2 × 800 kg (1,764 lb) torpedoes or up to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of bombs.

— — — = = — — —

This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Kawanishi H6K of Wikipedia ( authors )
Kawanishi H6K "Mavis" : Your comments on this subject
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    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).