Aichi E13A “Jake”

by Gary Barling

 

 

Purpose: Single-engine twin-float reconnaissance seaplane. All-metal construction with fabric-covered control surfaces. Crew of three in tandem enclosed cockpits.

 

Background: Resulted from a 1937 requirement for a long-range reconnaissance floatplane. First flew in 1940 as the E13A. The E13A1 initial production model entered service in late 1941. Two of these aircraft were deployed on initial reconnaissance of Lahaina and Pearl Harbor as a prelude to the 7 December 1941 attack.

 

Specifications:

 

1. Maximum speed: 203 kt at 2,180 m (7,150 ft)
2. Cruising Speed: 120 kt at 2,000 m (6,560 ft)
3. Climbing speed: 3,000 m (9,842 ft) in 6 minutes, 5 seconds
4. Service Ceiling: 8,730 m (28,640 ft)
5. Range: 1,128 nautical miles
6. Armament:

• One flexible rear-firing 7.7 mm Type 92 machine-gun.

• One flexible rear-firing 7.7 mm Type 92 machine-gun and one flexible downward-firing 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannon (field modifications on late production aircraft).
• External load: one 250 kg bomb, or four 60 kg bombs or depth charges.

7. Powerplant: One Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 fourteen-cylinder air-cooled radial rated at 1,060 hp for take-off, and 1,080 hp at 2,000 m, driving a three-blade propeller.
8. Dimensions:

• Wingspan – 14.5 m (47 ft, 7 in)
• Length – 11.3 m (37 ft, 1 in)
• Height – 4.7 m (15 ft, 5 in)

Weight:

• Empty: 2,642 kg  (5,825 lb)
• Loaded: 3,640 kg (8,008 lb)
• Maximum: 4,000 kg (8,818 lb)

Production: A total of 1,418 E13A1s were built as follows:

Aichi Tokei Denki K. K., Funakata: 133 aircraft (1938-42)

Dai-Juichi Kaigun Kokusho, Hiro: 48 aircraft (1940-42)

Kyushu Hikoki K. K., Zasshonokuma: 1,237 aircraft (1942-45)

Units Allocated

Aircraft Tenders: Chitose, Chiyoda, Kimikawa Maru

Battleship: Haruna

Cruisers: Kinugasa, Atago, Takao, Chokai, Maya, Kumano, Chikuma, Tone, Suzuya, etc.

Kokutais: 5th, 7th, 19th, 21st, 36th, 40th, 901st, 932nd, 955th, Chichijima and Sasebo

 

References:

 

1.      Chant, C, Aircraft of World War Two, Bristol, Dempsey-Parr, 1999.

2.      Francillon, René J., Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, Putnam, 1979 (numerous revised reprints available from several publishers).

3.      Parshall, Jon, http://www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm. An excellent website for information on the Imperial Japanese Navy.