Japan Imperial Japanese Navy 大日本帝國海軍 Nihon Teikoku Kaigun Aircraft Code Names & Designations 1929 - 1945

IJN aircraft designations consisted of the following data:

• Manufacturer: Common name of aircraft manufacturer or designer.
• Experimental designation: Starting in 1931, experimental aircraft were given a Shisaku Seizo (trial manufacture) designation, consisting of the Showa-era calendar year and Shi; for example, Experimental 10-Shi Carrier Attack Bomber (Showa 10, 1935). If the aircraft was accepted for service, it was given an offical designation (see below).
• Project Designation: Starting in the 1930s, aircraft were given a short title (Ki Go, symbols; and Ryaku Go, codes; or "project designation"); this was similar to the US Navy aircraft designation scheme, and consisted of four or five designators:
  1. Aircraft role
  2. Numerical sequence in role
  3. Manufacturer or designer
  4. Numerical modification of basic design
  5. If a particular aircraft was further modified to perform a different role than the original, a dash followed by a role suffix was added.
  Example: A6M2-N
  1. A = Carrier-borne fighter
  2. 6 = Sixth carrier fighter procured
  3. M = Mitsubishi
  4. 2 = Second variant of basic A6M design
  5. -N = Floatplane fighter modification of A6M design
• Official Designation: Aircraft which entered service were given an official designation (Seishiki Meisho, official or accepted designation). This consisted of a Type number made up of (usually) the last two digits of the Japanese calendar year in which the aircraft was accepted. Aircraft accepted after the Japanese year 2,599 (1939) were designated using only the last (single) digit of the year (i.e., Type 0 for 2,600 [1940], Type 1 for 2,601 [1941]). This type designation was then followed by a description of the plane's role. If several different aircraft with the same role were accepted in the same year, the Type number was suffixed with an additional number, depending on order of acceptance (i.e., Type 97-1 Fighter, Type 97-2 Fighter, etc.). If one of these aircraft was further modifed, it was given an additional model number (i.e., Type 97-2-2 Fighter). However, starting in 1942-43, this was replaced with a two-digit Model number; for example, the Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 32 (three-two; third airframe change from original aircraft and second engine change from original aircraft). Additional minor modifications were signified with one of the following suffixes: Ko, Otsu, Hei, Tei, Bo, Mi; roughly equivalent to the English a, b, c, d, e, f; an example would be Type 0 Fighter Model 32a. This was again further modified in 1943, the Type number being dropped and only the popular name (see below) and Model number being used.
• Popular Name: Some aircraft were assigned popular names, which made it easier to refer to them in public without indicating their designation(s) (as this could give away how many and what type(s) of aircraft had been built; the popular name was never associated with any of the designations during the war; most factory workers, aircrew, etc., did not know the designations of their aircraft, other than perhaps the "Type" number). Names were chosen according to the following categories:
  • Special attack: Blossoms
  • Bombers: Mountains
  • Night fighters: Light
  • Fighters: Winds
• Allied Code Name: Code name assigned by the Allied forces (specifically, the Materiel Section of the Directorate of Intelligence, Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area) to make it easier for pilots to identify Japanese aircraft (as many times the Japanese designations were not known). Generally, fighters and floatplanes were assigned male names; bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, flying boats and other miscellaneous aircraft were assigned female names, with transport aircraft having names starting with "T;" trainers were given names of trees and gliders were named after birds.

Aircraft

Designation Role A Carrierborne Fighter B Carrierborne Attack Bomber C Reconnaissance Aircraft D Carrierborne Bomber UPDATED 14 September 2006 E Reconnaissance Floatplane F Observation Floatplane G Medium or Heavy Bomber H Flying Boat I not used J Land-based Fighter K Trainer L Transport M Special Mission (Seaplane) UPDATED 14 September 2006 MX Special Mission N Fighter Floatplane O not used P Land-based Bomber Q Anti-submarine R Land-based Reconnaissance S Night Fighter T not used U not used V not used W not used X not used Y not used Z not used -- Undesignated Aircraft Designation Role

Manufacturer

Designation Manufacturer or Designer A Aichi B -- C -- D Showa E -- F -- G Hitachi H Hirosho I -- J Nihon Kogato Hikoki K Kawanishi L -- M Mitsubishi N Nakajima O -- P Nihon Hikoki Q -- R -- S Sasebo T -- U -- V -- W Watanabe, Kyushu X -- Y Yokosho, Kusho, Kugisho Z Mizuno Designation Manufacturer or Designer

Other Designations

? ? (engine) Ne ? (turbojet) ? ? (machine gun) ? ? (cannon)

[

Japan

]

[

Home

|

About

|

Contact

|

Top

]