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The Kawanishi H8K flying boat was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service flying boat of World War Two www.destinationsjourney.com/historical-m... #Aviation #KawanishiH8K #FlyingBoat #aeroplane #airplane #IJNAS #WW2 #JapaneseFlyingBoat
The Kawanishi H8K was designed as a replacement for the Kawanishi H6K, which entered service in 1938. The Imperial Japanese Navy ordered the development of a larger, longer-ranged patrol aircraft under the designation Navy Experimental 13-Shi Large-size Flying Boat. The H8K was powered by four Mitsubishi MK4Q Kasei 22 Engines giving it a maximum speed of 467 km/h (290 mph) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft). Its range was 7,152 km (4,444 miles) The aircraft’s defensive armament was formidable, consisting of five 20mm cannons and five 7.7mm machineguns, along with the capability to carry two torpedoes or 2,000 kg of bombs or depth charges. It had a crew of ten. Total Production was 167. The Allied reporting name for the Kawanishi H8K was Emily The H8K entered production in 1941 and first saw operational use on the night of 4 March 1942 in a second raid on Pearl Harbor. This mission, known as Operation K, involved two H8Ks bombing Oahu, Hawaii, but due to bad weather, the mission achieved limited success. As Oahu was outside the range of the H8Ks, they were refuelled by a submarine at French Frigate Shoals, 900km west of Hawaii.
July 24, 2025 at 9:46 PM