517 MITSUBISHI KA-8

The Mitsubishi Ka-8 was a Japanese prototype in-flight fighter from the interwar period. The drive was provided by a single Nakajima Kotobuki 2 engine with a capacity of 580 HP. The first flight of this machine took place in 1934, but it never entered mass production. Probably only two examples of this plane were built. The deck armament was to consist of three 7.7 mm machine guns. The Mitsubishi Ka-8 was created due to the great interest of the Japanese Imperial Navy in a two-seater fighter capable of operating from aircraft carriers. The implementation of the project was entrusted to the Nakajima and Mitsubishi factories. The latter created a fixed undercarriage biplane, with the second prototypes quite clearly different from the first - especially in terms of better handling characteristics. However, during one of the test flights, the plane crashed, which led to the project being discontinued. However, the experience gained during its implementation was used by the Mitsubishi manufacturer in the construction of the F1M Pete aircraft.