NAKAJIMA J1N1-S "GEKKO" EARLY

The Nakajima J1N Gekko (Japanese moonlight) is a Japanese twin-engine heavy reconnaissance aircraft, as well as an escort and night fighter with a metal, half-shell structure in a low wing structure from the Second World War. The prototype flight took place in May 1941, and a year later the machine entered mass production. The most famous version of the J1N is the J1N1-S model with the J1N2 and J1N3 versions, which serves as a night fighter. The machines of this version were armed with 4 20mm cannons firing at an angle, in an arrangement modeled on the German "Schräge Musik". Production of this version began in the spring of 1943. From 1944, J1N1-S planes were equipped with boards capable of observing the water surface (Type 3 Mk 6 Model 4), and shortly thereafter also radar enabling observation of the airspace (FD-1 and FD-2). From mid-1944, the J1N was used as a day and night fighter against Allied bomber formations. Technical data (version J1N1): length: 12.18 m, wingspan: 16.98 m, height: 4.56 m, maximum speed: 507 km / h, climb speed: 8.7 m / s, maximum range: 2540 km, armament: fixed -4 cannons Type 99 cal. 20mm.