350-040 KAWANISHI KX-03

Kawanishi KX-03 is a never realized project of a giant flying boat, which would be approx. 160 m long, with a wingspan of approx. 180 m and a maximum height - a trifle - approx. 35 meters! It was assumed that the propulsion would be provided by 12 turboprop engines and - possibly - 6 jet engines. The crew was to consist of 20 to 30 people. It's hard to say if the Kawanishi KX-03 would be armed. The design of this aircraft began to be developed probably in 1943, when the Imperial Japanese Navy proposed the Kawanishi airline company to create a flying boat capable of transporting at least 900 soldiers to any part of the Pacific, along with equipment. This task required the creation of a giant plane powered by many engines. However, it was realized at such an early stage that turboprop and probably jet propulsion units would be required for its propulsion, which were de facto not produced in Japan at that time. Moreover, the machine would require huge amounts of scarce raw materials (for example: aluminum), and design work and flight tests would probably take many years. Ultimately, the project was canceled in 1944 or 1945, and the Kawanishi KX-03 probably didn't even get a full-size wooden model, let alone a flightable prototype.