Shidenkai – Japanese Navy Fighter Aircraft
The Shidenkai was an advanced Japanese navy fighter active during World War II, particularly in the Pacific War. It was a development of the earlier Shiden model.
The original Shiden had a mid-wing configuration, where the main wings were attached to the center of the fuselage. This design resulted in poor visibility for the pilot and required longer landing gear, which often caused mechanical issues.
To address these problems, engineers redesigned the fuselage, moving the wings to a low-wing configuration, where they were mounted beneath the fuselage. This improved both visibility and aircraft stability. The improved version of the aircraft was named the Shidenkai.
The Shidenkai proved to be significantly more efficient than the original Shiden. It was primarily deployed by the 343rd Air Group, based at Matsuyama Air Base in Shikoku. The unit played a crucial role in the air defense of western Japan, particularly around the important military port of Kure in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The data:
- Crew: One pilot.
- Total body width (main wing width): 11.99m
- Total length (up to propeller spinner tip) 9.35m
- Total height (from ground to vertical tail tip): 3.96m
- Engine: Honor 21D Air-Cold Engine
- Engine power: 1,700 horsepower at an altitude of 6,400m
- Max speed: 611km/h at altitude 6,000m
- Armament mounted on the aircraft: four guns of 20mm
* Engine power and speed
- The most efficient atmospheric pressure in the flight
- Measured at the altitude of the temperature.
- This altitude varies depending on the aircraft.