Japan 大日本帝國海軍航空隊 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Koukuu-tai Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Aircraft Code Names & Designations 1912 - 1922: The Early Years

1912 - 1922: The Early Years

Foreign aircraft imported into Japan for use by the Imperial Japanese Army were initially give a Type designation based on the phonetic pronounciation of the first Japanese character of the manufacturer's name. As the Imperial Japanese Navy initially imported some of the same aircraft as the IJA, they shared the same designations. However, in 1915 the IJN created a new designation system and existing aircraft were re-designated. From 1915 to 1922, the Imperial Japanese Navy used a series of consecutive katakana characters (I, Ro, Ha, Ni, Ho) (from the Iroha) along with the suffix "go" ("type") to designate aircraft. Modified aircraft added Ko, Otsu, Hei, Tei, Bo, Ki, Ko, Shin, Jin, Ki (from the 10 Stems of the Japanese zodiac), with "gata" or "kata" ("sub-type" or "model").

October 1912 - October 1915

Manufacturer Designation Notes Maurice Farman Seaplane Navy Type Mo Small Seaplane Four imported in 1912; small number built by Yokosho Curtiss 1912 Seaplane Navy Type Ka Seaplane Two imported in 1912; small number built by Yokosho Yokosho Experimental Japanese-Navy-Type Seaplane One built in 1913, based on Farman and Curtiss designs above; unofficially known as "Navy No.8 Aeroplane" (as the IJN already had 3 Curtiss and 4 Farman seaplanes) Maurice Farman 1914 Seaplane Navy Type Mo Large Seaplane One imported in 1914; at least 15 built by Yokosho Yokosho Experimental Yokosho Nakajima Tractor Seaplane Three built in 1915 - 1916

October 1915 - June 1917

Manufacturer Designation Notes Curtiss 1912 Seaplane I-go Otsu-gata Seaplane Re-designated Type Ka Seaplane; "Trainer powered by a 70 hp class engine" ? Ro-go "Larger aircraft powered by a 100 hp class engine" Yokosho Experimental Yokosho Twin-engined Seaplane One built in 1916; capable of carrying one torpedo; never flown Short 225 Seaplane, Type S.184 Navy Short Reconnaissance Seaplane One imported in November 1916; three built by Yokosho ? Ha-go "Experimental aircraft"

June 1917 - November 1918

Manufacturer Designation Notes Maurice Farman Seaplane I-go Re-designated Type Mo Small Seaplane; "Farman-type small model" Maurice Farman 1914 Seaplane Ro-go Otsu-gata Seaplane Re-designated Type Mo Large Seaplane; "Farman-type large model" ? Ha-go "Sopwith-type, Deperdussin-type" ? Ni-go "Aircraft with folding-wing mechanism" Yokosho Experimental Yokosho Ho-go Otsu-gata Seaplane Four experimental reconaissance bomber seaplanes built 1916 - 1920

November 1918 - January 1922

Manufacturer Designation Notes Yokosho Yokosho I-go Ko-gata Seaplane Trainer 70 built from 1920 - 1922; "Trainer" Yokosho Ro-go Ko-gata Reconnaissance Seaplane One prototype built in 1917; production by Yokosuka, Aichi, Nakajima; "Reconnaissance aircraft" Sopwith Schneider Fighter Seaplane Ha-go Small Seaplane One imported in 1915; 10 built by Yokosho in 1921; "Pursuit aircraft of enemy aircraft" ? Ni-go "Attack aircraft of enemy surface ships" Yokosho Experimental Yokosho Ho-go Small Seaplane One built in 1918; based on Short and Sopwith designs Felixstowe F.5 Navy F.5 Flying-boat 10 built by Yokosho in 1921; additional production by Hiro and Aichi Avro Type 504 Navy Avro 504 Trainer 30 imported in 1921; production by Aichi, Nakajima Hansa-Brandenburg W 33 Navy Type Hansa Reconnaissance Seaplane One from Germany after WWI as war reparations; production by Aichi, Nakajima from 1922 - 1925

This designation system provided for a limited number of different aircraft types and had to be re-started periodically. As its aircraft inventory grew, the Imperial Japanese Navy instituted a new designation system in 1922, and existing aircraft were re-designated in this new system.

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