Watanabe E9W
Watanabe Ironworks · Japan · first flew 1935 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Watanabe E9W was a Japanese submarine-borne reconnaissance seaplane, the first aircraft designed by Watanabe Ironworks. It received the Allied reporting name "Slim" in 1942.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin-float unequal-span biplane seaplane
- Designed to be dismantled for stowage on a submarine
- Single Hitachi Tempu II radial engine
A small two-seat floatplane biplane with twin floats and a single radial engine.
Specifications
- The Watanabe E9W has a length of 8 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.91 m (33 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 232 km/h (144 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Imperial Japanese Navy placed an order in January 1934 and the first of three prototypes flew in February 1935. It could be reassembled in two minutes 30 seconds.
Variants
The production version was the E9W1, with an order for 32 placed after tests on the submarine I-5.
Where you'll see it
It entered Imperial Japanese Navy service in 1938 as the Navy Type 96 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane. It remained in front-line service until July 1942, and the Royal Thai Navy also operated it.
Related aircraft
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