Nakajima E4N

E4N
E4N2
General information
Type	Reconnaissance aircraft
Manufacturer	Nakajima Aircraft Company
Status	Retired
Primary users	Imperial Japanese Navy Japanese Post Office
Number built	153
History
Manufactured	1931-1933
Introduction date	1931
First flight	1930

The Nakajima E4N was a Japanese shipboard reconnaissance aircraft of the 1930s. It was a two-seat, single-engine, equal-span biplane seaplane used primarily by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The first prototype of the Type 90-2 Reconnaissance Seaplane, or E4N1, flew in 1930. This was fitted with twin floats and had no cowling for the engine. This prototype was rejected.

The type was completely redesigned as the Type 90-2-2 or E4N2, with a single main-float and twin, wing-mounted outriggers and introduced a cowled engine. This entered production for the Navy in 1931.

A landplane version of the Type 90-2-2 was developed as the E4N2-C with a tailwheel undercarriage

The E4N2 was employed as a shipboard reconnaissance seaplane launched by catapult.

In 1933, nine E4N2-C airframes were converted to P1 mail planes. Single-seat landplanes with an enclosed cockpit, these were employed on night-mail services between the Japanese Home Islands.

E4N1

(Navy Type 90-2-1 Reconnaissance Seaplane) twin-float seaplane, Nakajima NZ - two prototypes only.^[1]

E4N2

(Navy Type 90-2-2 Reconnaissance Seaplane) - Nakajima NJ single-float seaplane. 85 built.^[1]

E4N2-C

(Navy Type 90-2-3 Carrier Reconnaissance Aircraft) - Nakajima NJ landplane fitted with arresting gear and fixed-undercarriage. 67 built.^[1]

E4N3

(Navy Type 90-2-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane) Nakajima NJ.^[1]

Nakajima P-1

Single-seat mailplane. 9 converted from E4N2-C airframes.^[1]

Nakajima Giyu-11

One of the two E4N1 seaplanes converted with a cabin for use by Tokyo Koku Yuso Kaisha between Haneda airport, Shimizu and Shimoda.^[1]

Data from Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941 ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 8.87 m (29 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 10.98 m (36 ft 0 in)
• Height: 3.97 m (13 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 29.7 m² (320 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,252 kg (2,760 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,800 kg (3,968 lb)
• Powerplant: × Nakajima Kotobuki 2 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 433 kW (581 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 232 km/h (144 mph, 125 kn)
• Cruise speed: 148 km/h (92 mph, 80 kn)
• Range: 1,019 km (633 mi, 550 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 5,740 m (18,830 ft)
• Wing loading: 60.7 kg/m² (12.4 lb/sq ft)
• Power/mass: 0.24 kW/kg (0.15 hp/lb)

Armament

• Guns: 1 × fixed, forward-firing 7.7 mm machine gun and 1 × flexible 7.7 mm machine gun in rear cockpit
• Bombs: 2 × 30 kg (66 lb) bombs

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Vought O3U Corsair

• Francillon, Réne J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 (2nd edition 1979). ISBN 0-370-30251-6
• Mikesh, Robert C. and Abe, Shorzoe. Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-840-2

Media related to Nakajima E4N at Wikimedia Commons