HD 23

The Aichi HD 23 (another designation: Aichi Type H) is a Japanese-German prototype in-flight fighter from the interwar period in a biplane layout with a fixed landing gear in a classic layout. The prototype flight took place in 1926. A total of 4 prototypes were built, but the plane never entered mass production. The drive was provided by a single BMW VI engine with a power of up to 600 HP. The length of the aircraft was 7.64 meters with a wingspan of 10.8 meters. The maximum speed was up to 250 km / h. The deck armament consisted of two 7.7 mm machine guns. The Aichi HD 23 was developed for the needs of the Japanese Navy, which in the mid-1920s sought to replace the Mitsubishi Type 10 in-flight fighter with a new machine. One of the potential contractors for this project was the Aichi aviation company, which in turn commissioned the design of the new aircraft to the German Heinkel plant. They developed two copies of the new machine (designation: Heinkel HD 23), each powered by a different engine. In 1927, both copies were delivered to Japan, where an additional two more were produced. The machines, however, did not win the approval of the naval decision makers and did not enter mass production.