NAVY TYPE 90 SEAPLANE K4Y1

The Yokosuka K4Y was a Japanese training and training seaplane in the biplane configuration with a fixed float landing gear from the interwar period and World War II. The flight of the prototype took place in 1930, and the machine entered service in 1933. About 210 aircraft of this type were built under production. The drive was provided by a single Gasuden Jimpu II engine with a power of up to 160 HP. The length of the aircraft was 9.05 meters with a wingspan of 10.9 meters. The plane did not have permanent on-board weapons. The Yokosuka K4Y aircraft was commissioned by the Japanese Navy Command, which wanted to replace the Yokosuka K1Y aircraft. The new machine was designed by a naval officer Jiro Saha and engineer Tamefumi Suzuki. By Japanese standards, The Yokosuka K4Y turned out to be unique - it was the first machine of this type to have a hull made of welded steel pipes. On the other hand, an air-cooled in-line engine was used as the power unit, which was also unusual. Ultimately, however, the machine turned out to be quite successful and entered service relatively quickly, becoming one of the main Japanese navy training seaplanes in the 1930s.