Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka

Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
Land	Japan
Role	Kamikaze aanvalsvliegtuigen
Eerste vlucht	Oktober 1944
Aantal gebouwd	852

Fotogalerij van een Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka, The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (櫻花 Ōka?, “cherry blossom”; 桜花 in modern orthography) was a purpose-built, rocket powered human-guided anti-shipping kamikaze attack aircraft employed by Japan towards the end of World War II. United States sailors gave the aircraft the nickname Baka

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Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
Fotograaf	David Smith
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Foto 's	37

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Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka Walk Around
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The Spear of Desperation

De Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was a piloted, rocket-powered kamikaze aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of WWII. Unlike other aircraft adapted for suicide missions, the Ohka was designed from the ground up as a flying bomb. It was carried to the vicinity of the target by a Mitsubishi G4M2e “Betty” mother ship and released. Once detached, the pilot would glide toward the target and then ignite three solid-fuel rockets for a high-speed terminal dive that was nearly impossible to intercept. To the Japanese, it was the “Cherry Blossom”; to the Allies, it was known by the reporting name “Baka” (Japanese for “idiot” or “fool”).

Attribute	Technical Specification (Model 11)
Role	Human-Guided Anti-Ship Missile
Bemanning	1 (Pilot)
Warhead	1,200 kg (2,646 lb) of Tri-Nitro-Anisole (Ammonal)
Krachtbron	3 × Type 4 Mark 1 Model 20 solid-fuel rockets
Thrust	800 kg (1,764 lb) total
Top Speed	630 km/h (Level) / 800+ km/h (In dive)
Operational Range	37 km (23 miles) after release
Spanwijdte	5.12 meters (16 ft 9 in)

Design Engineering: A Ballistic Sledgehammer

The Warhead Nose: The front third of the aircraft was entirely occupied by a massive 1,200 kg armor-piercing bomb. It was designed to penetrate the thick deck armor of Allied aircraft carriers and battleships before detonating deep within the hull.
Wood and Metal Construction: To conserve strategic materials, the wings and tail surfaces were primarily made of wood. Only the central fuselage housing the pilot and warhead was made of aluminum.
Rudimentary Controls: The cockpit was extremely basic, containing only a compass, altimeter, airspeed indicator, and the ignition switch for the rockets. There was no landing gear; the Ohka was a one-way weapon.
Rocket Ignition Sequence: The pilot typically glided as far as possible to conserve fuel. The three rockets provided only about 8 to 10 seconds of powered flight, intended to accelerate the craft to transonic speeds during the final approach to bypass the “curtain of fire” from Allied AA guns.

The Operational Reality

The “Betty” Vulnerability: The biggest flaw in the Ohka system was its delivery method. The G4M “Betty” bomber was already vulnerable to interceptors; when burdened with a 4,700 lb Ohka, it became a slow, unmaneuverable target. Most Ohkas were destroyed while still attached to their mother ships.
USS Mannert L. Abele: The most “successful” Ohka mission occurred on April 12, 1945, when an Ohka struck the destroyer USS Mannert L. Abele, breaking the ship in two and sinking it almost instantly.
Psychological Warfare: While the actual number of ships sunk by Ohkas was low, the sight of a rocket-powered aircraft diving at 500 mph was terrifying to Allied sailors and forced a massive increase in the number of “picket” ships used for early warning.
Post-War Evaluation: Captured Ohkas were studied by Allied engineers. They were impressed by the simple but effective aerodynamics of the tiny craft, though the concept was quickly rendered obsolete by the advent of guided surface-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.