Kawanishi H8K

Uncommon card · No. 181228

The Kawanishi H8K was a large four-engined flying boat designed and produced by the Japanese aviation manufacturer Kawanishi. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) designation was "Type 2 Flying Boat" (二式飛行艇, Nishiki Hikōtei); it was also referred to as "Type 2 Large-sized Flying Boat" (二式大型飛行艇, Nishiki-ō-gata hikō-tei), or "H2K flying boat" (二式大艇, Nishiki Taitei). The Allied reporting name for the type was "Emily". The H8K was designed during late 1930s and early 1940s on behalf of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to perform long range maritime patrol or bombing missions, which were typically flown over vast distances of the ocean. It was produced to fulfil an ambitious specification for the era, seeking greater performance than several leading flying boats of the era, including the Short Sunderland and the Sikorsky XPBS-1. To achieve the 3,900 nautical mile range sought, 29 percent of the maximum take-off weight would be taken up by fuel alone. Extensive defensive measures, including armour...

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