Some of the historical documents related to Japanese aircraft technical development.
All text is written as-is in the original document, including erroneous text and spelling errors, except for translated materials. Any inclusions by the site owner are [bracketed]. Image/table orientation is changed when necessary.
This section is always in progress.
November 7th, 1941
AIRPLANE CODENAME TABLE FOR THE OPERATIONAL PLANE PROTOTYPE PLAN
A table which shows the designations of various experimental Navy aircraft projects, both the formal prototype name and newly introduced code name, as well as the fiscal year in which they are expected to be realized.
January 13th, 1942
REACTION PROPULSION BY AXIAL FLOW AIR BLOWER
Tokiyasu Tanegashima’s theoretical report on axial compressor jet. Contemporary translation.
April 9th, 1942
FREE PISTON TWO-STAGE-COMBUSTION INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE AND TURBINE ROCKET
Tokiyasu Tanegashima’s theoretical report on free-piston compound jet engine and turbojet. Contemporary translation.
July 27, 1942
PROPOSAL FOR PROTOTYPE OF HIGH-SPEED LONG-RANGE SHIP-BASED BOMBER WITH THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PREEMPTIVE STRIKES ON ENEMY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (translated)
This document is a proposal that was submitted by Vice Admiral Misao Wada, chief of the Kūgishō, to the Navy Aviation HQ just after the Battle of Midway. It proposes a carrier bomber that can outrun fighters, and preemptively strike US carriers from extreme range with a rocket bomb.
July XX, 1942
RESEARCH ON HIGH-SPEED LONG-RANGE SHIP-BASED BOMBER WITH THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PREEMPTIVE STRIKES ON ENEMY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (translated)
Supplemental document to the above with all performance calculations and aircraft diagram.
September 25th, 1944
OUTSIDE SCIENTISTS ENGAGED IN NAVY CUTTING-EDGE WEAPONS RESEARCH (translated)
A list of scientists outside of the Japanese Navy involved in their new secret weapons projects of late 1944.
September 25th, 1944
MATTERS ASSESSED AS BOTTLENECKS CONCERNING NAVY CUTTING-EDGE WEAPONS (translated)
A report that describes hangups in the development of the Ōka (Maru-Dai), Kaiten, Kairyū (SS), MAD equipment, and magnetic depth charge.
Unknown (Likely around July, 1945)
CURRENT NAVY GLIDERS SPECIFICATION TABLE (translated)
A table with specifications for the gliders Type Hikari Model 6.2, Model Chikara, MXY5, and the rocket catapult trainer Wakazakura.
July 20th, 1945
SPECIFICATION SUMMARY OF SPECIAL PLANES (translated)
A summary of the specifications of the Navy special attack planes “Baika” and “Winged Rocket” (B-29 rammer) that had just begun planning at the time.
October 10th, 1945
KI-201 AIRFRAME MANUAL (translated)
Overall report on Ki-201 (Japanese jet fighter-attacker based on Me 262 A) reproduced by Nakajima after the war for US.
November 3rd, 1945
JAPANESE ROCKET DEVICES FOR ASSISTED TAKE-OFF FOR AIRCRAFT (JATO)
Overall US report on Japanese Navy powder rocket developments.
November 6th, 1945
GTPR, TURBO SUPERCHARGER, AND JET ENGINE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Tokiyasu Tanegashima is questioned by the US about his turboprop, and general turbine developments.
November 9th, 1945
TURBOJETS AND ROCKET ENGINES (JAF)
US report about Japanese jet engines questioning Japanese Army personnel. The contemporary translations are rather poor.
November, 1945
JAPANESE POWER PLANTS FOR JET PROPULSION
General US report about Japanese jet engines.