Kawanishi H11K Soku (Blue Sky)

History of Kawanishi H11K Soku (Blue Sky)

As an island superpower during World War II (1939-1945), Imperial Japan relied heavily on the capabilities of its airship fleet. This fleet of aircraft became increasingly important to Japan's theater of operations as imperial power expanded and threatened the west coast of the United States, mainland Australia, and much of Southeast Asia.

At this point in history, the Sichuan West Company was an established airship manufacturer and claimed to have some of the more successful airship designs of the war - the H6K "Mavis" and H8K "Emily" are two such examples. Before the war ended in August 1945, it attempted the largest airship in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), the oversized H1K "Soku" ("Blue Sky").

Selected propulsion will be produced by 4 Mitsubishi MK4Q Kasei 22 (Ha-32-22) radial piston engines, each producing 1,850 hp and driving a four-blade propeller unit. They are placed along the leading edge of the wing in the usual way (in pairs) - a reasonable distance from the Aral Sea spray.

Internally, the aircraft will have a smaller upper deck for the crew and a lower deck representing the cargo hold. The split nose assembly provides the necessary access to the deep cargo compartment, which can carry multiple military vehicles, approximately 80 combat-ready soldiers, casualties (MEDEVAC role) or similar cargo loads if required.

For Kawanishi, the aircraft was designated "KX-8", and the Japanese naval authorities approved the design direction of the much-needed large aircraft as "H11K" - the first will become the production "H11K1" model. A full-scale model was ordered and construction began in Shikoku.

Due to the deterioration of the Japanese war situation in 1945, the model of the H11K was not completed until late spring, and Kawanishi began to become more involved in fighter production for the eventual defense of the Japanese mainland. The giant airship received its final blow on April 1, 1945, when Allied bombs rained down on the Kawanishi factory, destroying the nearly finished model.

With no time for a redesign, and a desperate need for an interceptor, all work on the H11K was halted.

The projected performance of the airship includes a top speed of 292 mph, a cruising speed of 230 mph and a range of up to 2,415 miles.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes