H9A
Aichi H9A1 Navy Type 2 Training Flying Boat
Role	Flying boat trainer Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Aichi
First flight	September 1940
Introduction	1942
Retired	1945
Primary user	IJN Air Service
Number built	31

The Aichi H9A (二式練習飛行艇, Navy Type 2 Training Flying Boat) was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service flying boat used during the first years of World War II for crew training. An uncommon type, it was not encountered by Allied forces until spring 1945, and was never assigned an Allied reporting name.^[1][2]

Design and development

The H9A was a twin-engined, parasol-wing flying boat, designated by Aichi as their AM-21 design,^[3] and was designed in response to an Imperial Japanese Navy requirement for an advanced seaplane trainer for future crew members of the four-engined Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boat. Design work started in January 1940 and the first of three prototypes was flown in September 1940. The aircraft had a normal crew of five (pilot, co-pilot, observer, flight engineer and a radio-operator) but seating was provided for an additional three pupil crew members.^[1]

Operational history

From May – June 1942, the Aichi H9A was employed in a variety of second-line roles, including anti-submarine missions along the Japanese coasts, transport, paratroop training and liaison.^{[citation needed]}

Variants

H9A Prototypes

3 aircraft built by Aichi.

H9A1

Serial version, 24 aircraft built by Aichi and an additional 4 by Nippon Hikoki.^[1]

Operators

 Japan

• Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

Specifications (H9A1)

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War;^[1] Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five: Flying Boats^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Capacity: 3 pupils
• Length: 16.95 m (55 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 24 m (78 ft 9 in)
• Height: 5.25 m (17 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 63.3 m² (681 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 4,900 kg (10,803 lb)
• Gross weight: 7,000 kg (15,432 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 7,500 kg (16,535 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Nakajima Ha-1 Kotobuki 42 or 43 9-cyinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 530 kW (710 hp) each for take-off

450 kW (610 hp) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)

• Propellers: 3-bladed propellers

Performance

• Maximum speed: 317 km/h (197 mph, 171 kn) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
• Cruise speed: 222 km/h (138 mph, 120 kn) at 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
• Range: 2,148 km (1,335 mi, 1,160 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 6,780 m (22,240 ft)
• Rate of climb: 4.5 m/s (890 ft/min)
• Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 11 minutes 14 seconds
• Wing loading: 110.6 kg/m² (22.7 lb/sq ft)
• Power/mass: 0.151 kW/kg (0.092 hp/lb)

Armament

• Guns: 1× flexible, 7.7 mm (.303 in) Type 92 machine gun in bow and dorsal hatches
• Bombs: 2× 250 kg (551 lb) bombs or depth charges