Nippon (aircraft)

Nippon (ニッポン, Nippon) was a converted Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 21 bomber operated by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper and used to make a round-the-world flight in 1939.

Nippon
Nipon side view
Type Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 21[1]
Manufacturer Mitsubishi
Construction number 328[1]
Registration J-BACI[1]
Owners and operators Mainichi Shimbun[1]
Flights One around the world flight from 26 August 1939 to 20 october 1939 covering 52,867 km; 28,546 nmi (32,850 mi) in 194 flying hours.[1]
Fate Unknown, probably scrapped.

The round the World flight

Nippon took off from Haneda airport[2] in the district of Kamata in Tokyo on 25 August 1939, flew around the globe and returned to Tokyo, after 55 days, on 20 October 1939 having flown 52,886 km (32,862 mi; 28,556 nmi) in 194 flying hours.

The aircraft

Nippon had the armament removed, was equipped with the latest autopilot and could carry 5,200 L of fuel enabling it to fly continuously for 24 hours.

Flight course

Tokyo - Chitose - Nome, Alaska - Fairbanks, USA - Whitehorse - Seattle - Oakland, USA - Los Angeles - Albuquerque, USA - Chicago - New York - Washington D.C - Miami - San Salvador, El Salvador - Cali, Colombia - Lima - Arica - Santiago - Buenos Aires - Santos (Brazil) - Dakar - Casablanca Morocco - Seville, Spain - Rhodos, Greece - Basra (Iraq) - Karachi - Kolkata, India - Bangkok - Taipei - Haneda, Tokyo

Specifications (Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 21)

Data from The Mitsubishi G3M "Nell";[3] Imperial Japanese Navy Bombers of World War Two;[1][4][5]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 7
  • Length: 16.45 m (54 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 25 m (82 ft 0 in)
  • Height: 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
  • Wing area: 75 m2 (810 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 4,965 kg (10,946 lb)
  • Gross weight: 8,000 kg (17,637 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 3,874 L (852.2 imp gal; 1,023.4 US gal) (Nippon 5,200 L (1,143.8 imp gal; 1,373.7 US gal))
  • Powerplant: 2 × Mitsubishi Kinsei 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engines, 791 kW (1,061 hp) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 375 km/h (233 mph, 202 kn) (Nippon 400 km/h (249 mph; 216 kn))
  • Cruise speed: 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
  • Range: 4,400 km (2,700 mi, 2,400 nmi)
  • Endurance: (Nippon: 24 hours)
  • Service ceiling: 9,200 m (30,200 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 6 m/s (1,200 ft/min)

Armament

  • Guns:
  • 1× 20 mm (0.066 ft) Type 99 cannon in rear dorsal turret
  • 4× 7.7 mm (0.025 ft) Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun in cockpit, left and right side positions, and in retractable forward dorsal turret.
  • (Nippon: un-armed)
  • Bombs: 800 kg (1,763.698 lb) of bombs or 1× aerial torpedo

Occupants

There were seven occupants in total.

Captain
Sumitoshi NAKAO 中尾純利
Flight engineer
Hajime SHIMOKAWA 下川一
Communication operator
Nobusada SATO 佐藤信貞
Pilot
Shigeo YOSHIDA 吉田重雄
Professional Engineer
Hiroshi SAEKI 佐伯弘
Flight engineer
Nagasaku YAOKAWA 八尾川長作
Ambassador of goodwill
Takeo OHARA 大原武夫, Aerial director of Mainichi Shimbun.

Notes
  1. Francillon 1979, pp. 350–357
  2. now Tokyo International Airport
  3. Francillon 1967, p. 16.
  4. Francillon 1969, p. 64.
  5. Francillon 1979, p. 357

References
  • Francillon, René J. (1979). Japanese aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-30251-6. OCLC 6124909. (new edition 1987 by Putnam Aeronautical Books, ISBN 0-85177-801-1.)
  • Francillon, René J. (1966). The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Aircraft in Profile, Volume 5, No. 118). Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd.
  • 翼をください, 2009, ISBN 462010745X
  • 毎日新聞ウェブページ・ニッポン号：世界一周の快挙から70年
  • JCAL NIPPON Round the World Flight Japanese
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