The Mitsubishi 1MF was a Japanese carrier fighter aircraft of the 1920s decade. It was designed for Mitsubishi by the British aircraft designer Herbert Smith. It was known as the "Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter" by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS).
The Japanese shipbuilding company Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd. set up a subsidiary company called Mitsubishi Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in the year 1920 to manufacture automobiles at the city of Nagoya. They quickly attracted the attention of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to produce three types of aircraft to operate from the aircraft carrier Hosho: a fighter (Mitsubishi 1MF), a torpedo bomber (Mitsubishi 1MT) and a reconnaissance aircraft (Mitsubishi 1MR). To design those aircraft, they hired Herbert Smith, who, at that time was unemployed, as the company he was working on, Sopwith Aviation Company, went defunct. For that purpose, Smith brought to Japan a team of 7 British engineers.
The fighter designed, received the name of 1MF by Mitsubishi and Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter by the IJN (referring to 1921, the tenth year of the Taisho period in Japan) and it flew for the first time in October 1921.
The 1MF was a single-seat, single-bay biplane with unequal span-wings made entirely out of wood. It was powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 8 engine (locally produced under license as the Mitsubishi Hi) , which yielded 300 hp of power and was armed with two 0.303 vickers machine guns buried in the upper fuselage. It was fitted with a claw-type arrestor gear for use with British-style fore and aft arrestor cables.
After flight testing, it was accepted by the IJN their standard carrier fighter. A total of 128 machines of every variant were manufactured from 1922 until 1928 when production on the type ceased. The different variants were as follows:
- 1MF1 & 1MF1A: Initial prototypes. Powered by the Mitsubishi Hi engine fitted with a car-type radiator in the nose. Only one prototype each being built in 1921. The MF1A had increased wing area.
- 1MF2: An experimental prototype with two-bay wings. Powered by the Hispano-Suiza 8 engine, produced under license in Japan and with some modifications aimed to improve cooling. The original car-type radiators were also replaced by Lamblin-style ones, placed under the nose. Flew for the first time in 1926.
- 1MF3 & 1MF3B: The most produced and successful variant. Powered by a Mitsubishi Hi-V8 (license version of the Hispano-Suiza 8F) and armed with two Vickers 0.303 in machine guns in the nose. Its production period ranges from 1923 until 1928.
The 1MF3B was a sub-variant modified to carry a small amount of bombs to provide ground support. This designation was probably given retroactively in 1926. - 1MF4: A revised version with a modified rudder, the cockpit moved forward and two Lamblin-type coolers above the landing gear. They were manufactured in 1926.
- 1MF5 & 1MF5A: The last variant of the fighter. A small amount were either produced or converted in 1928. The 1MF5 was a revised version with minor changes made, while the 1MF5A was a trainer version with jettisonable wheeled undercarriage and underwing inflatable floats to allow for a safe ditching. The IJN handed over six 1MF5A to civilian users.
The 1MF entered service with the IJNAS in 1923 replacing the Gloster Sparrowhawk. One 1MF3 became the first aircraft to take-off and land on Japan's new aircraft carrier Hosho on 28th February 1923. The 1MF series proved to be reliable and tough and they operated from Akagi and Kaga aircraft carriers too, when they entered service in 1927 and 1928 respectively. and continued in active service until 1930 when they were replaced by the Nakajima A1N, itself a licensed copy of the Gloster Gambet.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_1MF
2. https://www.valka.cz/Micubisi-1MF-t33673 (translated)
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