Tuesday 16 October 2018

Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui

Back in July 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued a specification called 19-shi for a rocket-powered point-defence interceptor which had to be based on the Messerschmitt Me.163B.
The development of that fighter was assigned to Mitsubishi under the designation of J8M, but as it was a project shared with the Imperial Japanese Army, it received the designation of Ki.200 during its later service period and the name of Shûsui (meaning either 'Sword Stroke' or literally 'Autumn Water') was adopted.
Work on the Walter HWK 109-509 rocket motor (under the designation of Toku Ro.2) was adapted for Japanese manufacturing processes and as the data provided by the Germans regarding the airframe was inadequate, considerable structural design work had to be done.
In order to train the pilots, a full-scale mock-up wooden model was made called MXY8 'Akikusa' (meaning 'Autumn Grass') by the Imperial Navy Air Technical Arsenal at the city of Yokosuka and the first J8M made a non-powered flight on 8th January 1945. It wasn't until six months later that the prototype made a powered flight, on 7th July, but it was destroyed in a crash and no further flight testing was made for the rest of the war. A total of four J8M had been completed by that time and six more were almost completed.
It was powered by a Toku Ro.2 bi-fuel rocket engine capable of yielding 3307lb (1500kg) of thrust and was armed with two 30mm Type 5 cannons.










Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_J8M

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