Kugisho/Yokosuka K-1 Ohka | ||
| Paese | Giappone | |
| digitare | Propulsione a razzo a guida umana | |
| Primo volo | Ottobre 1944 | |
| Costruito | 852 | |
Galleria fotografica di un Kugisho/Yokosuka K-1 Ohka, The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was a purpose-built, rocket powered human-guided anti-shipping kamikaze attack plane employed by Japan towards the end of World War II. Ohka K-1: una versione da addestramento non motorizzata con zavorra d'acqua al posto di testata e motori, per fornire ai piloti esperienza di gestione. 45 sono stati costruiti da Dai-Ichi Kaigun Koku Gijitsusho
| Kugisho/Yokosuka K-1 Ohka | |
|---|---|
| Fotografo | Vladimir Jakubov |
| Localizzazione | Museo Nazionale della Marina degli Stati Uniti |
| Foto | 26 |
| Informazioni | |
|---|---|
| Ruolo | Aerei Kamikaze |
| Produttore | Arsenale tecnico aereo navale di Yokosuka |
| Primo volo | Ottobre 1944 |
| Introduzione | 1945 |
| Pensionati | 1945 |
| Prodotto | 1944–1945 |
| Numero costruito | 852 |
Comprami un caffèVedi anche:
The Guided Bomb
Le Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (officially the Navy Suicide Attacker Ohka) was a weapon of absolute desperation. Developed by the Kugisho (1st Naval Air Technical Arsenal), it was essentially a 2,646-lb (1,200 kg) bomb with wooden wings and a cockpit. Carried within range of the Allied fleet by a “Mother ship” (usually a G4M “Betty” bomber), the Ohka would be released to glide toward its target. In the final stage, the pilot would ignite three solid-fuel rockets, accelerating the craft to speeds that made it nearly impossible for anti-aircraft guns to track.
| Attribute | Technical Specification (Model 11) |
|---|---|
| Ruolo | Manned Rocket-Powered Anti-Ship Missile |
| Equipaggio | 1 (Pilot) |
| Motopropulsore | 3 × Type 4 Mark 1 Model 20 solid-fuel rockets |
| Total Thrust | 1,764 lbf (800 kgf) for 8–10 seconds |
| Velocità massima | 403 mph (648 km/h) level / 575+ mph in dive |
| Gamma | 23 miles (37 km) after release |
| Warhead | 1,200 kg (2,646 lbs) of Tri-Nitro-Anisole |
| Primary Carrier | Mitsubishi G4M2e Model 24J “Betty” |
Design Engineering: Simple, Fast, and Lethal
- The Trainer (K-1): To prepare pilots for the high speeds of the Ohka, the K-1 trainer was developed. It lacked engines and a warhead, instead carrying water ballast that the pilot would dump before landing on a retractable skid. It had a terrifyingly high landing speed of 130 mph.
- Wooden Construction: To conserve critical metals, the wings and tail were made of wood. The fuselage was an aluminum semi-monocoque structure. It was designed to be built by unskilled labor in small, decentralized workshops.
- The “Baka” Nickname: American sailors, horrified by the suicide nature of the weapon, gave it the nickname “Baka”—the Japanese word for “fool” or “idiot.”
- Model 22 Motor-Jet: Later versions attempted to solve the Ohka’s short range by using a “motor-jet” engine (the Tsu-11), where a 4-cylinder piston engine drove a compressor. This increased the range to 80 miles but reduced the warhead size by half.
Combat History: The Vulnerable Mother Ship
- The Achilles Heel: The biggest failure of the Ohka system was not the rocket itself, but the aircraft carrying it. The G4M “Betty” was slow and highly flammable; Allied fighters often intercepted the bombers long before they could get within the Ohka’s 23-mile launch range.
- Sinking of the USS Mannert L. Abele: On April 12, 1945, an Ohka scored its most significant victory, striking the destroyer Mannert L. Abele. The impact and subsequent explosion of the massive warhead literally broke the ship in half, sinking it in minutes.
- Psychological Impact: While numerically ineffective (sinking only 3 ships total), the Ohka caused immense psychological stress for Allied sailors, who had to defend against a “missile” that was far faster than any conventional aircraft of the time.
- Final Totals: Of the 852 Ohkas built, only a small fraction ever saw combat. Hundreds were found in caves and underground hangars across Japan after the surrender, waiting for an invasion that never came.
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