Aichi M6A Seiran
Aichi Kokuki · Japan · first flew 1943 · bomber
The Aichi M6A Seiran was a Japanese submarine-launched attack floatplane, designed to operate from the I-400 class of submarine aircraft carriers. It is the only floatplane designed primarily for offensive missions.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Low-wing floatplane whose wings rotate 90 degrees and fold against the fuselage, with the tail folding down |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low-wing floatplane whose wings rotate 90 degrees and fold against the fuselage, with the tail folding down
- Detachable twin floats, sometimes jettisoned in flight
- Single liquid-cooled V-12 engine, a licence-built Daimler-Benz DB 601 type
A compact low-wing floatplane with a long in-line engine nose and folding wings and tail, built to fit a submarine hangar 3.5 m across.
Specifications
- The Aichi M6A Seiran has a length of 11.64 m (38 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.262 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 474 km/h (295 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Aichi began from the Yokosuka D4Y Suisei dive bomber but produced a new design, the AM-24. The first of eight prototypes was completed in October 1943 and flight testing began a month later.
Variants
The M6A1 was the standard type, and a land-based trainer with a retractable undercarriage was built as the M6A1-K Nanzan. Not all aircraft had the mechanism to jettison their floats.
Where you'll see it
Production was cut to 28 aircraft including prototypes, because only two of the planned submarines were completed. The Shinryuu special attack squadron trained with them from January 1945, and their planned Panama Canal strike was switched to the US base at Ulithi.
Related aircraft
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