| MXY8 Akigusa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Training Glider
Type of aircraft
|
| National origin | Japan |
| Manufacturer | Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal |
| Variants | Yokosuka MXY9 |
The Yokosuka MXY8 Akigusa (秋草, "Autumn grass") was a training glider built in parallel with the Mitsubishi J8M rocket-powered interceptor aircraft.
The J8M was to have simply been a licence-built Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, but due to difficulties in obtaining technical materials from Germany, it eventually had to be designed almost from scratch.[1] The MXY8 was designed in parallel with the J8M to validate the design, and then to provide pilot training during the development of the actual interceptor.[2] The Army designation for the type was Ku-13.[3]
The MXY8 was built entirely of wood, and fitted with ballast tanks that would be filled with water to simulate the weight and therefore flight characteristics of a fully equipped J8M. Some 50-60 of these gliders were eventually built.
A more advanced trainer, the MXY9, equipped with a primitive jet engine was planned, but was never produced.[4]
Many sources apply the designation MXY8 to the Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka kamikaze weapon.
Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War[5]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
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Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal aircraft
| |
|---|---|
| Torpedo bombers |
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| Dive bombers |
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| Reconnaissance seaplanes |
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| Flying boats |
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| Training aircraft |
|
| Transport aircraft |
|
| Special-purpose aircraft |
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| Bombers |
|
| Land-based Reconnaissance |
|
| World War II Allied reporting names |
|
|
| |
|---|---|
| Fighters (A) |
|
| Torpedo bombers (B) |
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| Shipboard reconnaissance (C) |
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| Dive bombers (D) |
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| Reconnaissance seaplanes (E) |
|
| Observation seaplanes (F) |
|
| Land-based bombers (G) |
|
| Flying Boats (H) |
|
| Land-based Fighters (J) |
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| Trainers (K) |
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| Transports (L) |
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| Special-purpose (M)1 |
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| Floatplane fighters (N) |
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| Land-based bombers (P) |
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| Patrol (Q) |
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| Land-based reconnaissance (R) |
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| Night fighters (S) |
|
1 X as second letter is for experimental aircraft or imported technology demonstrators not intended for service, 2 Hyphenated trailing letter (-J, -K, -L, -N or -S) denotes design modified for secondary role, 3 Possibly incorrect designation, but used in many sources | |
|
Imperial Japanese Navy official aircraft names
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighters |
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| Heavy bombers4 |
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| Bombers5 |
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| Patrol6 |
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| Reconnaissance7 |
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| Trainers8 |
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| Transports9 |
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| Miscellaneous10 |
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| Special-purpose aircraft11 |
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With some exceptions for rockets, jets and repurposed aircraft, names chosen were for: 1. Winds, 2. Lightning, 3. Nighttime lights, 4. Mountains, 5. Stars/constellations, 6. Seas, 7. Clouds, 8. Plants, 9. Skies, 10. Landscapes, and 11. Flowers. Published translations disagree, and many are simplified, especially for plants, where the Japanese referred to a specific variety and the common translations only to the broader type. | |||||||||
