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International Resin Modellers Association ©SM®TM
Zane R Nobbs
405 Old Orchard Drive, 18
Essexville, MI 48732
United States
ph: 001-989-891-1401
fax: 001-989-891-1401
alt: 001-989-465-6241
info
The Japanese Navy War Aircraft Numbering System and the
Nakajima 中島飛行機株式会社 (J9N1) Kikka 橘花 "Orange Blossom"
Many of you have most likely built the famous Nakajima Kikka 中島 橘花 in resin, plastic or metal format on various scales. This very interesting little aircraft was Japan's first successfully flown jet, based loosely on the Messerschmitt Me-262, albeit much smaller.
Recently someone is attempting to give the Kikka a designation of J9Y and as those of you who are sticklers for historical accuracy will realize, the Kikka did not actually have a number assigned to it, at least as far as we know. If a number were assigned to it this would most definitely not be J9Y because in the Imperial Japanese Navy designation system Y stood for Yokosuka.
But let us start at the beginning. First of all J stood for land-based Navy aircraft followed by the number of variants. For example, J1 would be the first land-based Navy aircraft, followed by J2 as the second. The third character in the series was a letter based on the manufacturer. The fourth character would be the version number. Thus J9N1 would stand for Navy land-based, 9th aircraft in this particular category, built by Nakajima, version 1. The following table will clarify.
Aircraft Type by Letter
A - Carrier fighter
B - Carrier bomber
C - Reconnaissance
D - Carrier dive bomber
E - Reconnaissance seaplane
F - Observation seaplane
G - Land-based bomber
H - Flying boat
J - Land-based fighter
K - Trainer
L - Transport
M - Special seaplane
N - Fighter seaplane
P - Bomber
Q - Patrol
R - Land-based reconnaissance
S - Night fighter
Manufacturer by Letter
A - Aichi or North American
B - Boeing
C - Consolidated Aircraft
D - Showa or Douglas Aircraft
G - Hitachi Kokuki or Grumman
H - Hiro or Hawker
He - Heinkel
J - Nihon Kogata Hikoki or Junkers
K - Kawanishi or Kinner
M - Mitsubishi
N - Nakajima
P - Nihon
S - Sasebo
Si - Showa
V - Vought-Sikorsky
W - Watanabe or Kyushu
Y - Yokosuka
Z - Mizuno Guraida Seisakusho
Japanese Imperial Navy Land-Based Fighters
The Japanese Navy land-based (J) fighter system during the war for initial types was:
J1N1 - Navy Experimental 13-Shi Fighter "Gekko" 3 seat built by Nakajima (N)
J2M1 - Navy Interceptor "Raiden" 1 seat built by Mitsubishi (M)
J3K1 - Navy Experimental 17-Shi Otsu Type Interceptor built by Kawanishi (K)
J4M1 - Navy Experimental 17-Shi Otsu Type Interceptor Fighter "Senden" built by Mistubishi (M)
J5N1 - Navy Experimental 18-Shi Otsu Type Interceptor "Tenrai" built by Nakajima (N)
J6K1 - Navy Experimental 18-Shi Otsu Type Interceptor "Jinpu" built by Kawanishi (K)
J7W1 - Navy Experimental 18-Shi Otsu Type Interceptor "Shinden" 1 seat built by Kyushu (W)
J8M1 - Navy Experimental 19-Shi rocket-powered Interceptor "Shusui" 1 seat by Mistubishi (M)
So, following this pattern, the next one would be:
J9N1 - Navy Experimental 19-Shi jet-powered Attack "Kikka" 1 seat built by Nakajima (N)
In the case of the J2M1, J7W1 and J8M1 these were expanded to include:
J2M7 - Navy Interceptor "Raiden" version 7 built by Mitsubishi (M)
J7W2 - Navy Experimental 18-Shi version 2 jet-powered Interceptor "Shinden" by Kyushu (W)
J8M2 - Navy Experimental 19-Shi rocket-powered Interceptor version 2 "Shusui" by Mistubishi (M)
This could create the following possible derivatives for the Kikka:
J9N1 - Navy Experimental 19-Shi jet-powered Attack "Kikka" 1 seat by Nakajima (N)
J9N2 - Navy Experimental 19-Shi jet-powered Interceptor "Kikka" 1 seat by Nakajima (N)
J9N3 - Navy Experimental 19-Shi jet-powered catapult Interceptor "Kikka" 1 seat by Nakajima (N)
G11N1-Navy Experimental 19-Shi jet-powered Bomber "Kikka" 1 seat by Nakajima (N)
R3N1 - Navy Experimental 19-Shi jet-powered Reconnaissance "Kikka" 2 seats by Nakajima (N)
K12N1-Navy Experimental 19-Shi jet-powered Trainer "Kikka" 2 seats by Nakajima (N)
"Shi" - is the year of the Emperor's reign. In this case His Imperial Majesty Michinomiya Hirohito 裕仁, now known as Emperor Shōwa 昭和天皇, from 1926-1989.
Of course the Kikka had no number, but these are all derived from the book: "Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War" by Rene J Francillon.
The Imperial Japanese Army on the other hand used a basis of Ki-000 for all inventory including interceptors, fighters, bombers, reconnaissance, trainers and attack aircraft. Simple, efficient and easier to track!
- Zane R Nobbs - 2009
Imperial Japanese Navy Nakajima J9N1 Kikka 中島 橘花, "Orange Blossom" 1/72 by Victoria Products
Model by Zane R Nobbs
Imperial Japanese Army Nakajima Ki-201 Karyu 中島 キ-201 火龍 "Fire Dragon" by RS Models
Model by Zane R Nobbs
Imperial Japanese Navy Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka 櫻花 "Cherry Blossom" Type-22 by A+V Models
Model by Zane R Nobbs
Imperial Japanese Army Mitsubishi Ki-202 Shusui-Kai 三菱 キ-202 秋水改 "Swinging Sword" by A+V Models
Model by Zane R Nobbs
Imperial Japanese Navy Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka 櫻花 "Cherry Blossom" Type-43 by Unicraft Models
Model by Zane R Nobbs
Imperial Japanese Navy Kawanishi Mk.1 Baika 梅花 "Plum Blossom" by A+V Models
Model by Zane R Nobbs
Photos taken by Al Maciejewski
References for this article: Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, by Rene J Francillon, published by the Naval Institute Press, 1990.
Monogram Close-Up #19: Kikka, by Robert C Mikesh, published by Monogram Aviation Publications, 1979.
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International Resin Modellers Association ©SM®TM
Zane R Nobbs
405 Old Orchard Drive, 18
Essexville, MI 48732
United States
ph: 001-989-891-1401
fax: 001-989-891-1401
alt: 001-989-465-6241
info