Kawasaki KAL-2
Kawasaki Heavy Industries · Japan · first flew 1954 · light aircraft
The Kawasaki KAL-2 was a Japanese four- or five-seat single-engine aircraft designed for military and civil markets in the mid-1950s. It first flew on 25 November 1954.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Broad cabin seating up to five, with a transparent roof that drops down aft to a lower rear fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Cantilever low-wing monoplane with blunt-tipped, trapezoidal wings
- Single Lycoming GO-435 flat-six engine in the nose
- Broad cabin seating up to five, with a transparent roof that drops down aft to a lower rear fuselage
Compared with the KAT-1 it has a wider fuselage, with two front seats and a bench seat behind.
Specifications
- The Kawasaki KAL-2 has a length of 8.82 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.92 m (39 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 293 km/h (182 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It succeeded the KAL-1 cabin monoplane and shared much of its layout and components with the KAT-1 trainer. It had a stressed-skin alloy fuselage, a retractable tricycle undercarriage and a 240 hp Lycoming GO-435 engine.
Variants
Only two prototypes were completed. Civil versions were intended to use the -435-C2B engine.
Where you'll see it
One prototype served with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the other with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. KAL-2 serial 20001 is displayed at the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum.
Related aircraft
- Kawasaki KAT-1
- Kawasaki Ki-102
- Kawasaki Ki-56
- Kawasaki Ki-10
- Ambrosini F.7 Rondone
- Auster AOP.9
- Dornier Do 25
- Morane-Saulnier MS 760 Paris
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