Kyushu Q1W Tokai / LORNA

1943

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Kyushu Q1W Tokai / LORNA

During 1942 Watanabe designed an ASW aircraft to meet an Imperial Japanese Navy requirement for a specialized aircraft in this category. Designated Kyushu Q1W, this was a cantilever mid/low-wing monoplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear, and powered by two Hitachi GK2C Amakaze 31 radial engines. Operated by a crew of three, the Q1W was planned to use an advanced search radar, but this failed to materialize and instead the Q1W had to make do with an earlier and somewhat ineffective radar complemented by MAD (magnetic anomaly detection) equipment. First flown in September 1943, the Q1W1 was ordered into production in early 1944 as the Navy Patrol Plane Tokai (eastern sea), later allocated the Allied codename 'Lorna'. It proved to be unsuccessful in operational service, too slow and too vulnerable to attack by Allied fighters, and only about 150 had been built by the time the Pacific war ended.

Kyushu Q1W Tokai / LORNA

Specification 
 MODELQ1W1
 CREW3
 ENGINE2 x Hitachi GK2C "Amakaze-31", 460kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight4800-5318 kg10582 - 11724 lb
  Empty weight3102 kg6839 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan16 m53 ft 6 in
  Length12.1 m40 ft 8 in
  Height4.1 m13 ft 5 in
  Wing area38.2 m2411.18 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed320 km/h199 mph
  Cruise speed240 km/h149 mph
  Ceiling4490 m14750 ft
  Range1340 km833 miles
 ARMAMENT1-2 20mm cannons, 7.7mm machine-guns, 500kg of bombs

3-View 
Kyushu Q1W Tokai / LORNAA three-view drawing (752 x 947)

Comments
lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 06:10

20

reply

Trevor Webb, e-mail, 09.02.2012 03:42

There were 153 built by the end of the war including a small number of Q1W2 variants with a wood construction rear fuselage. There was also one Q1W1-K training variant built with four crew including instructor.

reply

Ken Vitrone, e-mail, 24.01.2012 15:28

I have an original silk scarf of this plane. My uncle brought it back from WW2

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daxiong, 18.06.2011 13:57

old never heard of & just learned of Kyushu mfg. If this little beauty Q1W Tokai isn't a Ju 88 'homage' nothing is.

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Kadesh, 26.01.2011 19:40

Now, if i had good fighter cover, i think i would have enjoyed flying in something as aesthetically pleasing and just plain pretty as this baby.

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Frank, e-mail, 21.11.2010 16:15

The Q1Q was the worlds first purpose built anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft.

reply

kolbpilot, e-mail, 16.09.2010 03:24

An aviation enthusiast since 12 yrs. old, this 52 yr. old never heard of & just learned of Kyushu mfg. If this little beauty Q1W Tokai isn't a Ju 88 'homage' nothing is.

reply

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