The Ishikawajima Tsu-11 was a motorjet produced in small numbers in Japan in the closing stages of World War II . It was principally designed to propel the Japanese Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka flying bomb , a kamikaze weapon.
9-479: The Tsu-11 used a four-cylinder inverted inline Hitachi Hatsukaze Toku Model 13 piston engine — a license-built version of the German Hirth HM 504 inverted, inline-four cylinder air-cooled engine, with the "model 13" version indicating its adaptation to drive a single-stage compressor . A fuel injection system was fitted behind the compressor. In operation, fuel would be mixed with the compressed air and
18-664: A Tsu-11 engine exists, preserved at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC . In 1997 it was installed in the museum's Ohka 22 during its restoration. Engineering analysis of the engine during the restoration process suggested that the fuel injection and combustion probably contributed little to the power of the engine, with most of the thrust actually being produced by the compressor. Related development Related lists Hitachi Hatsukaze The Hitachi Hatsukaze (初風, Hatsukaze - fresh wind), also known as
27-540: A lengthened fuselage with jet intakes added at the sides. This configuration was designated Ohka Type 22. The Tsu-11 was also selected to power the Yokosuka MXY9 Shuka ("Autumn Fire") - a trainer intended to prepare pilots for the Mitsubishi J8M rocket-powered interceptor. Neither of these aircraft entered service, however, as their development took place too late in the war. A single example of
36-616: The Hitachi GK4 (short Navy), Hitachi Army Type 4 110hp Air Cooled Inline (Army long), Hitachi Ha47 (Army Hatzudoki) and Ha-11 model 11 (unified), was Hitachi's fourth design in a series of aircraft engines built in Japan prior to and during World War II . The original Hatsukaze was a license-built Hirth HM 504 . Hatsukaze engines were air-cooled, four-cylinder, inverted inline engines developing around 82 kW (110 hp). Hatsukaze engines were produced in very large numbers, as
45-453: The opportunity to launch their weapons. It was reasoned that a jet engine would provide high speed as well as enough range to keep the carrier plane safe long enough to release the Ohka and leave the area. The engine was first tested hung underneath a Yokosuka P1Y bomber sometime in 1944 and was deemed successful enough to order into production. The Ohka was adapted to accommodate the engine in
54-496: The powerplant for the license-built Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann variants that were the standard primary trainers for the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army . The naval version of the engine was designated GK4, the army version as Ha47. The Hatsukaze Model 12 was the power section linked to a compressor to create a primitive jet engine called a motorjet ; the resulting Ishikawajima Tsu-11
63-555: The resulting mixture ignited, creating thrust. The engine was designed to overcome the major shortcoming of the Ohka Type 11 weapons, that of limited range. The Type 11 was powered by solid-fuel rocket motors, which provided tremendous acceleration, but had a very short burn time. The upshot of this was that the Ohka's carrier aircraft would have to fly very close to the target, making it vulnerable to interception. In practice, most Ohka-carrying bombers were shot down before they ever had
72-405: Was intended to power Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka Model 22 flying bombs . The standard Hatsukaze Model 11 engine was modified at a Navy arsenal by replacing the propeller drive shaft and engine front crankcase cover with a step-up gearbox. The gearbox increased engine output shaft RPM at a 1:3 ratio. At engine speed of 3,000 rpm, the compressor section was operating at 9,000 rpm. The compressed air
81-471: Was then ducted into a combustion chamber where a liquid fuel was sprayed and burnt. The heated compressed air then exits through the tailpipe providing static thrust of 180 kgf (397 lbf). It is likely that about 1/3 of the total thrust was contributed by adding the combustion chamber aft of the compressor. The Tsu-11 was also selected to power the Yokosuka MXY9 Shuka ("Autumn Fire"),
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