NAVY TYPE 15 FLYINGBOAT H1H2

Hiro H1 is a Japanese flying boat from the interwar period in a mixed biplane design. A prototype flight took place in 1927, and the machines entered the line in 1929. About 65 aircraft of this type were built in the course of serial production. The drive was provided by two Lorraine III engines with 450 HP each. The length of the aircraft - in the H1H2 version - was 15.9 m with a wingspan of 22 meters. The maximum speed was 165 km / h. The deck armament consists of two 7.7 mm machine guns. The H1 flying boat was developed at the Hiro Naval Arsenal as a successor to the F.5 machine. However, the Hirosho, Yokosho and Aichi plants were responsible for serial production. The machine was characterized by good flight properties, high flight stability and was easy to pilot. Three main development versions were created in the course of serial production. The first one was the H1H1 - it was the first version produced on a larger scale. The second version was the H1H2, which had a different power unit and four-bladed propellers. The final version was the H1H3, which used the Lorraine III engines, but the propellers were the same as in the H1H2 version. The plane was also lighter than the H1H1 version. It is widely accepted that the Hiro H1 is the first successful flying boat constructed from scratch and manufactured in Japan.