Itoh Emi 3
Itoh Aeroplane Research Studio · Japan · first flew 1917 · light aircraft
The Itoh Emi 3 was the first Japanese civil passenger-carrying seaplane, flown in 1917 and used for commercial demonstrations and passenger flights.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Twin floats under the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-bay biplane with an upper wing of significantly longer span
- Twin floats under the fuselage
- Ailerons on the upper wings only
It was a wooden-framed, fabric-covered biplane with an 80 hp Hall-Scott V-8 engine. An open cockpit for one passenger sat close behind the engine, with the pilot's cockpit just aft of the upper wing trailing edge.
Specifications
- The Itoh Emi 3 has a length of 7.27 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.41 m (51 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 80 km/h (50 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Otojiiro Otoh, who had built the Itoh Emi 1, designed it to fill the lack of suitable seaplanes. It was completed in August 1917 at Itoh's Inage Beach site, and flight tests by several pilots found its performance, stability and handling good.
Variants
Only one was built. Itoh named it Seagull (Kamome).
Where you'll see it
After the test flights it was taken by rail to Osaka and used for demonstration flights at Nishinomiya, where spectators' fees made the flights a commercial success.
Related aircraft
- Itoh Tsurubane No.1
- Itoh Emi 1
- Itoh Emi 13
- Itoh Emi 16 Fuji-go
- AEG J.I
- Aeromarine M-1
- Bellanca CE
- Gotha WD 12
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