was a Japanese aircraft manufacturer during World War II.

History

The company was founded as Kawanishi Engineering Works in 1920 in Hyōgo Prefecture as an outgrowth of the Kawanishi conglomerate, which had been funding the Nakajima Aircraft Company. Kawanishi built its first aircraft, the Kawanishi K-1 Mail-carrying Aircraft in 1921, and set up an airline, ''Nippon Koku K.K.'' (Japan Aviation Co. Ltd) in 1923, designing and building several aircraft for the airline's use. It was forced by the Japanese government to shut down ''Nippon Koku'' in 1929, however, with its routes being transferred to the government-owned ''Nippon Koku Yuso K.K.'' (Japan Air Transport Co. Ltd.) Kawanishi then split off the former Kawanishi Engineering Works, forming ''Kawanishi Kokuki KK'' in 1928, taking all of the Kawanishi Engineering Works' assets.Mikesh and Abe 1990, pp. 124–125. While Kawanishi was best known for its seaplanes, such as the Kawanishi H6K and Kawanishi H8K, H8K flying boats, its Kawanishi N1K-J, N1K-J land-based fighter -derived from their Kawanishi N1K, Kawanishi N1K1 floatplane fighter- was considered one of the best in the war. After Japan's defeat, the company was reborn as ShinMaywa, Shin Meiwa Industries (later ShinMaywa), and continued to create flying boats such as the ShinMaywa US-1, PS-1 and ShinMaywa US-2, US-2.

Products

Floatplanes

* Yokosuka E5Y#Kawanishi E5K, E5K - 1931 three-seat reconnaissance floatplane, Kawanishi-built version of Yokosuka E5Y; 20 built * Kawanishi E7K, E7K - 'Alf' 1933 three-seat reconnaissance floatplane; 533 built * Kawanishi E8K, E8K - reconnaissance floatplane; lost to the Nakajima E8N * Kawanishi E10K, E10K - 1934 night reconnaissance/transport flying boat; one built, but cancelled in favor of the Aichi E10A; prototype converted into a transport * Kawanishi E11K, E11K - 1937 night reconnaissance flying boat; two built, but cancelled in favor of the Aichi E11A * Kawanishi E12K, E12K * Kawanishi E13K, E13K - 1938 three-seat reconnaissance floatplane; two built, but cancelled in favor of the Aichi E13A * Kawanishi E15K, E15K - 'Norm' 1941 reconnaissance floatplane; 15 built

Bombers

* Kawanishi H8K, G9K ''Gunzan'' - proposed land-based heavy bomber based on the H8K, remained a project * Kawanishi K-100, K-100 - twin-engine land-based bomber project * Kawanishi TB, TB - four-engine heavy bomber project

Flying boats

* Kawanishi H3K, H3K - 1930 patrol/training flying boat; 5 built * Kawanishi H6K, H6K - 'Mavis' 1936 patrol flying boat developed from the H3K; 215 built * Kawanishi H8K, H8K - 'Emily' 1941 patrol flying boat; 167 built * Kawanishi H11K, H11K ''Soukuu'' (Blue Sky) - transport flying boat project; mockup only * Kawanishi K-60, K-60 - long-range 80 ton flying boat project * K-200 - proposed turbojet-powered long-range flying boat, not built * Kawanishi KX-3, KX-3 - 500 ton, 12 engine flying boat project

Fighters

* Kawanishi K-11, K-11 - 1927 carrier-based fighter * Kawanishi J3K, J3K - interceptor fighter, not built * Kawanishi J6K, J6K ''Jinpu'' (Squall) - interceptor fighter; mockup only * Kawanishi N1K, N1K ''Kyōfū'' (Gale) - 'Rex' 1942 floatplane fighter * Kawanishi N1K, N1K1-J ''Shiden'' (Violet Lightning) - 'George' 1942 land-based fighter conversion of N1K * Kawanishi N1K, N1K2-J ''Shiden-KAI'' (Violet Lightning-modified) - 1943 improved N1K1-J

Trainers

* Kawanishi K6K, K6K - 1938 floatplane trainer prototype; 2 built * Kawanishi K8K, K8K - 1938 floatplane trainer; 15 built

Transports

*Kawanishi H6K, H6K2-L/H6K4-L - unarmed transport conversions of H6K *Kawanishi H8K, H8K1-L/H8K2-L/H8K4-L ''Seikū'' (Clear Sky) - transport conversions of H8K; H8K4-L remained a project as all H8K4s were lost in 1945 *Kawanishi H11K, H11K1-L - projected transport version of H11K

Suicide attack aircraft

* Kawanishi Baika, ''Baika'' (, Ume, Plum Blossom) - projected ''kamikaze'' aircraft based on the Fieseler Fi 103R, not built

Civil aircraft

* Kawanishi K-1, K-1 - 1920 mail plane * Kawanishi K-2, K-2 - 1921 single-seat racer * Kawanishi K-3, K-3 - 1921 multipurpose transport aircraft developed from the K-1 * Kawanishi K-5, K-5 - 1922 floatplane mail plane * Kawanishi K-6, K-6 - 1923 three-seat biplane airliner * Kawanishi K-7 Transport Seaplane, K-7A Transport Seaplane - 1925 six-seat biplane floatplane airliner * Kawanishi K-7 Transport Seaplane, K-7B Mail-carrying Aircraft - mail plane modification of K-7A * Kawanishi K-8 Transport Seaplane, K-8 Transport Seaplane - 1926 floatplane mail plane * Kawanishi K-9, K-9 - cargo aircraft project * Kawanishi K-10 Transport, K-10 Transport - 1926 mail plane/six-seat airliner * Kawanishi K-12 Sakura, K-12 ''Sakura'' - 1928 experimental long-range record-breaking aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

* (new edition 1987 by Putnam Aeronautical Books, .) * * * Mikesh, Robert C. and Shorzoe Abe. ''Japanese Aircraft, 1910–1941''. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1990. . * Richards, M.C. "Kawanishi 4-Motor Flying-Boats (H6K 'Mavis' and H8K 'Emily')". ''Aircraft in Profile Volume 11''. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1972.

External links

Corporate History of ShinMaywa at shinmaywa.co.jp
{{Kawanishi aircraft Companies based in Hyōgo Prefecture Defunct aircraft manufacturers of Japan Kawanishi aircraft,