Mitsubishi Aircraft CompanyGunston p. 318 (''Mitsubishi Kokuki'') was the new name given by the Mitsubishi Company (''Mitsubishi Shokai''), in 1928, to its subsidiary, Mitsubishi Internal Combustion (''Mitsubishi Nainenki''), to reflect its changing role as an aircraft manufacturer catering to the growing demand for military aircraft in Japan.

History

Mitsubishi Nainenki had been established in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...

in 1920, and signed a technology agreement with

Junkers Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturer. It was founded there in Dessau, Ge ...

in 1925. By 1926, it had become one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in Japan with an output of 69 aircraft and 70 engines. In 1932, Mitsubishi Aircraft was among the companies that involved in a consolidation process catalysed by the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

's Aviation Arsenal. The Navy launched a three-year program to have the manufacturers develop certain types of aircraft under competition. Most important of them were the

Mitsubishi A5M The Mitsubishi A5M, formal Japanese Navy designation , experimental Navy designation Mitsubishi Navy Experimental 9-''Shi'' Carrier Fighter, company designation Mitsubishi ''Ka''-14, was a Japanese carrier-based fighter aircraft. It was the world ...

(''96-Shiki'') Carrier Fighter and

Mitsubishi G3M The was a Japanese bomber and transport aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during World War II. The Yokosuka L3Y (Allied reporting name "Tina"), was a transport variant of the aircraft manufactured by the Yokosu ...

(''96-Shiki'') Attack Bomber developed by Mitsubishi with engines made by

Nakajima Aircraft Company The was a prominent Japanese aircraft manufacturer and aviation engine manufacturer throughout World War II. It continues as the car and aircraft manufacturer Subaru. History The Nakajima Aircraft company was Japan's first aircraft manufactur ...

. Introduced in 1936, it had a maximum speed of 450 km/h (279.617 mph). The famous

Mitsubishi A6M The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was ...

("Zero") fighter was an improvement of the A5M and had a maximum speed of 500 km/h (310.686 mph). Also well known was the

Mitsubishi Ki-46 The Mitsubishi Ki-46 was a twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Its Army ''Shiki'' designation was Type 100 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft (); the Allied brevity code name was "Dinah". Develop ...

(''100-Shiki'') reconnaissance plane with a maximum speed of 540 km/h (335.54 mph). In 1934, the company was merged with Mitsubishi Shipbuilding to become

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi ...

(Mitsubishi Jukogyo). It had a prominent role to play in the upsurge of aircraft production in Japan, which shot up from 400 in 1931, to 4,800 in 1941 and peaked at 24,000 in 1944.

Aircraft

Company designations

* 1MF - 1923 carrier-based biplane fighter * 1MF9 - 1927 carrier-based biplane fighter prototype; lost to the Nakajima A1N * 1MF10 - 1933 carrier-based monoplane fighter prototype * 1MT - 1922 triplane torpedo bomber * 2MB1 - 1926 biplane light bomber * 2MB2 - 1925 biplane light bomber prototype * 2MR - 1922 carrier-based biplane reconnaissance aircraft * 2MR8 - 1932 parasol monoplane reconnaissance aircraft * 3MT5 - 1932 carrier-based biplane bomber prototype * 3MT10 - 1932 carrier-based attack aircraft prototype * 4MS1 - prototype for K3M * Ka-8 - 1934 two-seat carrier based fighter prototype

Naval aircraft

;Fighter * A5M - 'Claude' 1936 carrier-based fighter *

A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was ...

- 'Zeke' 1940 long-range carrier-based fighter; most produced Japanese combat aircraft * A7M 烈風 ''Reppū'' (Strong Wind) - 'Sam' 1942 carrier-based fighter * J2M 雷電 ''Raiden'' (Lightning Bolt) - 'Jack' 1942 land-based fighter * J4M 閃電 ''Senden'' (Flashing Lightning) - 'Luke' land-based interceptor (project only) * J8M 秋水 ''Shūsui'' (Autumn Water) - rocket-powered interceptor prototype, based on the Messerschmitt Me 163 ;Torpedo bomber * B1M - 1924 biplane torpedo bomber * B2M - 1932 carrier-based biplane torpedo bomber, based on the Blackburn T.7B * B4M - 1934 carrier-based biplane torpedo bomber prototype; lost to the Yokosuka B4Y * B5M - 'Mabel' 1937 carrier-based torpedo bomber ;Reconnaissance aircraft * C1M - later designation of 2MR * C5M - naval version of Ki-15 * F1M - 'Pete' 1936 reconnaissance floatplane; last IJN biplane design ;Dive bomber * D3M ;Bomber * G1M - 1934 twin-engine long-range reconnaissance/attack bomber prototype * G3M - 'Nell' 1935 twin-engine medium bomber/torpedo bomber * G4M - ''Tozan'' (Eastern Mountain) 'Betty' 1940 twin-engine medium bomber * G6M - convoy fighter version of G4M * G7M 泰山 ''Taizan'' (Great Mountain) - twin-engine long-range heavy bomber (project only) ;Trainer * A5M4-K - trainer version of A5M * A6M2-K - trainer version of A6M * G6M1-K - trainer version of G6M * K3M - 'Pine' 1931 single-engine biplane trainer * K6M (project only) * K7M - 1938 twin-engine monoplane trainer prototype ;Transport * G6M1-L - transport version of G6M * K3M3-L - transport version of K3M * L4M - naval version of Ki-57 ;Patrol aircraft * Q2M ''Taiyō'' - twin-engine ASW/patrol aircraft developed from the Ki-67 (project only)

Army aircraft

;Trainer *甲 1 (Ko 1) - license-built Nieuport 81 E.2 * Ki-7 - army version of K3M trainer ;Bomber * Ki-1 - 1933 twin-engine heavy bomber * Ki-2 - 'Louise' 1933 twin-engine light bomber, based on the Junkers K 37 * Ki-20 - 1932 four-engine heavy bomber, based on the Junkers K 51 * Ki-21 - 'Sally'/'Gwen' 1938 twin-engine heavy bomber * Ki-30 - 'Ann' 1938 single-engine light bomber * Ki-42 - heavy bomber (project only) * Ki-47 - light bomber (project only) * Ki-50 - twin-engine heavy bomber (project only) * Ki-51 - 'Sonia' 1939 single-engine light bomber/dive bomber * Ki-67 飛龍 ''Hiryū'' (Flying Dragon) - 'Peggy' 1944 twin-engine medium bomber * Ki-90 - heavy bomber/transport, based on the Junkers Ju 90 (project only) ;Reconnaissance aircraft * Ki-15 雁金 ''Karigane'' (Wild Goose) - 'Babs' 1937 reconnaissance/light bomber aircraft * Ki-35 - close support/reconnaissance aircraft (project only) * Ki-40 - strategic reconnaissance aircraft (project only) * Ki-46 - 'Dinah' 1941 twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft * Ki-95 - reconnaissance version of Ki-83 (project only) ;Transport * Ki-57 - 'Topsy' 1942 transport aircraft developed from the Ki-21 * Ki-97 - transport version of Ki-67 (project only) ;Fighter * Ki-18 - 1935 single-seat monoplane fighter prototype; lost to the Kawasaki Ki-10 * Ki-33 - 1936 single-seat monoplane fighter prototype; lost to the Nakajima Ki-27 * Ki-39 - two-seat twin-engine heavy fighter (project only) * Ki-69 - escort fighter version of Ki-67 (project only) * Ki-73 - 'Steve' single-engine long-range escort fighter * Ki-83 - 1944 long-range heavy fighter prototype * Ki-103 - improved Ki-83 (project only) * Ki-109 - night fighter, day fighter and heavy fighter-interceptor versions of Ki-67 * Ki-112 - escort fighter with wood construction (project only) ;Interceptor * Ki-99 - single-seat short-range interceptor (project only) * Ki-200 - army version of J8M ;''Kamikaze'' aircraft * Ki-167 ''Sakura-dan'' (Cherry Blossom) - ''kamikaze'' version of Ki-67

Civil aircraft

* Hinazuru - license-built Airspeed Envoy * MC-1 - 1928 biplane airliner prototype based on the B1M * MS-1 - civil transport version of K3M trainer * MC-20 - civil airliner version of Ki-57 transport * Ohtori - demilitarized version of Ki-2 for long-range flights

Engines

* Mitsubishi Ha-26 Shinten (震天, Progress; company designation A6(7), also known as MK1 and Ha6) - 14 cylinder, two-row radial engine * Mitsubishi Ha-31 Zuisei (瑞星, Holy Star; company designation A14, also known as MK2 and Ha26/Ha102) - supercharged 14 cylinder, two-row radial engine * Mitsubishi Ha-32 Kasei (火星, Mars; company designation A10, also known as MK4 and Ha101/Ha111) - 14 cylinder, two-row radial engine * Mitsubishi Ha-33 Kinsei (金星, Venus; company designation A8, also known as MK8 and Ha112) - 14 cylinder, two-row radial engine based on the Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet * Mitsubishi Ha-42 - projected 18 cylinder version of the Kasei *

Mitsubishi Ha-43 The Mitsubishi Ha-43, known as the Ha-211 by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) and MK9 by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS)), was a Japanese 18-cylinder, twin-row air-cooled radial engine developed during World War II. ...

(company designation A20; also known as Ha211 and MK9) - prototype 18 cylinder, twin-row radial engine; more powerful development of the Kinsei

References

* {{Mitsubishi aeroengines Defunct aircraft manufacturers of Japan Defunct aircraft engine manufacturers of Japan Manufacturing companies based in Nagoya Mitsubishi companies Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1934 Manufacturing companies established in 1928 1928 establishments in Japan 1934 disestablishments in Japan 1934 mergers and acquisitions