Aichi E16A

The Aichi E16A Zuiun (瑞雲 "Auspicious Cloud", Allied reporting name Paul) was a two-seat reconnaissance seaplane operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

E16A Zuiun
A E16A1 Yo-53 of the Yokosuka Kōkutai (Naval Air Group), as can be seen by its tail markings.
General information
Type	Reconnaissance Floatplane
Manufacturer	Aichi Kokuki
Primary user	IJN Air Service
Number built	256[1]
History
Manufactured	1944–1945
Introduction date	February 1944
First flight	22 May 1942

Design and development

The Aichi E16A originated from a 1939 specification for a replacement for the Aichi E13A, which, at that time, had yet to be accepted by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS).^[2] Disagreements about the requirements in the 14-Shi specification prevented most manufacturers from submitting designs, but, in 1941, a new 16-Shi specification was drafted by the IJNAS around the Aichi AM-22 design, which had already been made by Aichi engineers Kishiro Matsuo and Yasuhiro Ozawa.^[2]

The first AM-22, which first got the experimental designation Navy Experimental 16-Shi Reconnaissance Seaplane and later the short designation E16A1, was completed by May 1942 and was a conventional, low-wing monoplane equipped with two floats. It had the unusual (for a seaplane) feature of being equipped with dive brakes, located in the front legs of the float struts, to allow it to operate in a secondary role as a dive bomber.

Variants

^[3][4]

E16A1 Experimental Type 16 reconnaissance seaplane (16試水上偵察機, 16-Shi Suijō Teisatsuki)

Initial named Experimental Type 14 two-seat reconnaissance seaplane (14試2座水上偵察機, 14-Shi 2-Za Suijō Teisatsuki). 3 prototypes produced. Mounted 1,300 hp (970 kW) Mitsubishi MK8A Kinsei 51 engine, 2 × forward-firing 7.7 mm (.303in) Type 97 machine guns, 1 × rearward-firing 7.7 mm Type 92 machine gun.

E16A1 Zuiun Model 11 (瑞雲11型, Zuiun 11-gata)

General production model. Mounted 1,300 hp (970 kW) Mitsubishi MK8N Kinsei 54 engine, 2 × forward-firing 20 mm Type 99-2 cannons, 1 × rearward-firing 13 mm Type 2 machine gun.

E16A2 Provisional name Zuiun Model 12 (仮称瑞雲12型, Kashō Zuiun 12-gata)

Initial named Zuiun Model 22. Single prototype with a 1,560 hp (1,160 kW) Mitsubishi MK8P Kinsei 62 radial engine. One plane converted from E16A1, incomplete.

Operators

 Japan^[1][3][4]

• Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
• Naval vessel
  • Battleship Ise, supplied from 634th Kōkūtai.
  • Battleship Hyūga, supplied from 634th Kōkūtai.
• Air unit
  • Kitaura Kōkutai
  • Yokosuka Kōkutai
  • 634th Kōkutai
  • 801st Kōkutai
  • 301st Reconnaissance Hikōtai
  • 302nd Reconnaissance Hikōtai

Specifications (E16A1 Zuiun Model 11)

E16A following U.S. capture

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 10.833 m (35 ft 6 in)
• Wingspan: 12.81 m (42 ft 0 in)
• Height: 4.791 m (15 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 28 m² (300 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 2,945 kg (6,493 lb)
• Gross weight: 3,900 kg (8,598 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 4,553 kg (10,038 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Mitsubishi MK8D Kinsei 54 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 970 kW (1,300 hp) for take-off

895 kW (1,200 hp) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)

820 kW (1,100 hp) at 6,200 m (20,300 ft)

• Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 439 km/h (273 mph, 237 kn) at 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
• Cruise speed: 333 km/h (207 mph, 180 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
• Range: 1,176 km (731 mi, 635 nmi)
• Ferry range: 2,420 km (1,500 mi, 1,310 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 10 m/s (2,000 ft/min)
• Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 4 minutes 40 seconds
• Wing loading: 139.3 kg/m² (28.5 lb/sq ft)
• Power/mass: 0.25 kW/kg (0.15 hp/lb)

Armament

• Guns:
  
  • 2 fixed forward-firing 20 mm (0.787 in) Type 99 Mark 2 machine guns in the wings
  • 1 flexible rearward-firing 13 mm (0.512 in) Type 2 machine gun for the observer
• Bombs:
  
  • 250 kg (551 lb) of bombs

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Aichi E13A
• Arado Ar 196
• Curtiss SC Seahawk
• Vought OS2U Kingfisher

Related lists

• List of aircraft of Japan during World War II
• List of aircraft of the Japanese Navy
• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of military aircraft of Japan
• List of flying boats and floatplanes