Aichi M6A1 Seiran

Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Land	Japan
Type	Ubådslanceret angrebsfly
Første flyvning	1943
Bygget	28+1

Den Aichi M6A Seiran var et ubådslanceret angrebsfly designet til den kejserlige japanske flåde under Anden Verdenskrig. Det var meningen at operere fra I-400 klasse ubåde, hvis oprindelige mission var at udføre luftangreb mod USA.

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Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Fotografer	John Heck, Vladimir Yakubov
Lokalisering	Det Nationale Luft- og Rummuseum
Billeder	49

Aichi M6A1 Seiran 01

Aichi M6A1 Seiran 02

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Aichi M6A1 Seiran 04

Aichi M6A1 Seiran 05

Aichi M6A1 Seiran 06

Aichi M6A1 Seiran 07

Aichi M6A1 Seiran 08

Aichi M6A1 Seiran 09

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Specifikationer
Rolle	Ubådslanceret dykke-/torpedobombefly
Producent	Aichi Kokuki KK
Første flyvning	1943
Indførelsen	1945
Pensioneret	1945
Primær bruger	IJN Air Service
Produceret	1943-1945
Antal bygget	28

Aichi M6A Seiran gå rundt
Fotograf	Cees Hendriks
Lokalisering	Unknow
Billeder	34

Aichi M6A Seiran 01

Aichi M6A Seiran 02

Aichi M6A Seiran 03

Aichi M6A Seiran 04

Aichi M6A Seiran 05

Aichi M6A Seiran 06

Aichi M6A Seiran 07

Aichi M6A Seiran 08

Aichi M6A Seiran 09

Click on a photo and use the mouse scroll to view all photos

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Aichi M6A Seiran gå rundt
Fotograf	Oleg Danchenko
Lokalisering	Unknow
Billeder	27

Aichi M6A Seiran

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Se også:

The Phantom of the Deep

Den Aichi M6A1 Seiran was one of the most specialized aircraft of WWII. It was designed specifically to be carried by the massive I-400 class submarine aircraft carriers. The Seiran (meaning “Mountain Haze” or “Storm from a Clear Sky”) was intended to be launched via catapult, fly a precision strike mission against targets like the Panama Canal, and then return to the submarine. It represented a pinnacle of Japanese engineering, managing to pack the performance of a land-based dive bomber into a folding airframe that could survive the damp, cramped confines of an underwater hangar.

Attribute	Technical Specification (M6A1)
Rolle	Submarine-borne Attack Bomber
Besætning	2 (Pilot and Navigator/Radio Operator)
Kraftværk	1 × Aichi Atsuta 32 liquid-cooled V12
Horsepower	1,400 hp (1,044 kW)
Maximum Speed	474 km/h (295 mph) with floats / 560 km/h without
Bevæbning	1 × 13mm Type 2 machine gun (rear); 1 × 800kg bomb or torpedo
Vingefang	12.26 m (40 ft 3 in) — Folded: 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)

Design Engineering: The Art of the Fold

The Folding Mechanism: To fit inside the 3.5-meter diameter hangar of the I-400, the Seiran’s wings rotated 90 degrees to lie flat against the fuselage. Even the vertical and horizontal stabilizers folded down. A trained crew could deploy the aircraft from the hangar to launch-ready in under 7 minutes.
Liquid-Cooled Power: Unusually for Japanese aircraft, the Seiran used a liquid-cooled engine (the Atsuta 32, a licensed version of the German DB 601). To speed up launches, the submarine’s hangar system could pre-heat the engine oil and coolant, allowing the plane to take off immediately without a long warm-up period.
Jettisonable Floats: While typically fitted with twin floats for recovery, the floats could be jettisoned in flight to increase speed during an attack. For the Panama Canal mission, the pilots were expected to ditch the planes near the sub and be picked up, as the floats were too heavy for the maximum bomb load.
Night Strike Capability: The cockpit was equipped with luminescent instrument dials and advanced navigation aids, as the primary mission profile involved launching under the cover of darkness.

Combat History: The Mission That Never Was

Operation PX: Originally, the Seirans were to be used in a biological warfare attack against the US West Coast. This plan was cancelled by General Umezu, who feared it would start a war of “unlimited proportions.”
The Panama Canal Target: The primary target shifted to the Panama Canal locks. The goal was to disable the canal and prevent the US from moving its fleet between the Atlantic and Pacific. The Seirans were even painted in US Navy markings as a “ruse de guerre” to get close to the target.
The Ulithi Atoll Strike: As the war neared its end, the target changed again to the US carrier anchorage at Ulithi. However, the mission was aborted when Japan surrendered while the I-400 was still en route.
The Lone Survivor: To prevent the technology from falling into Allied hands, most Seirans were catapulted into the sea or pushed overboard at the end of the war. Only one survives today, beautifully restored and on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.