EXPERIMENTAL 7-SHI RECONNAISSANCE SEAPLANE AB-6

The Aichi AB-6 was a Japanese prototype biplane reconnaissance seaplane from the interwar period. The prototype flight took place in 1933, but the machine did not enter serial production. The drive was provided by a single Hiro Type 12 engine with a capacity of 630 HP. The deck armament consisted of three 7.7 mm machine guns. The top speed was up to 225 km / h. The Aichi AB-6 was developed for the needs of the Japanese Navy, which in the early 1930s sought to obtain a long-range reconnaissance seaplane to replace the Yokosuka E1Y and E5Y machines. It was assumed that the new aircraft would operate from the decks of heavy Japanese ships and in cooperation with aviation tenders. The Aichi production plant, in order to shorten the time of research and development works, decided to largely base the construction of the new aircraft on the imported Heinkl He-62. Ultimately, a plane was created that was easy to fly, but had a poor top speed and insufficient take-off and landing characteristics. These flaws resulted in the failure of the Aichi AB-6 and the acceptance by the Navy of the Kawanishi E7K machine.