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 1922 - 1931: The Interwar Years

1922 - 1931: The Interwar Years

In 1922, the Imperial Japanese Navy revised its aircraft designation system to use a Type number based on the last two digits of the Japanese calendar year in which the aircraft was accepted for service, along with a description of the aircraft's role. Initially, the Taisho calendar year was used, then changing to the Showa year until Showa 3 (1928), at which point the National calendar year was used. Existing aircraft were re-designated in this new system.

Aichi

Designer or Manufacturer Type Designation & Role Notes Aichi Experimental Type 15-Ko Reconnaissance Seaplane Replacement for Type Hansa; four prototypes built in 1925 - 1926; Nakajima Type 15 selected for production instead Aichi AB-1 (Heinkel HD 25) Navy Type 2 Two-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane Two prototypes built by Heinkel; 16 production aircraft built by Aichi from 1926 - 1928; unofficial designations: Heinkel Large Reconnaissance Seaplane, Heinkel-type Warship Seaplane Aichi (Heinkel) HD 26 Navy Type 2 Single-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane One prototype built by Heinkel and one prototype built by Aichi in 1926; unofficial designations: Heinkel Small Reconnaissance Seaplane, Heinkel-go Reconnaissance Seaplane Aichi (Heinkel) HD 28 Experimental Three-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane One prototype built by Heinkel in 1926; unofficial designation: Heinkel Three-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane Aichi (Heinkel) HD 23 Experimental Type H Carrier Fighter Two prototypes built by Heinkel in 1927; planned replacement for Mitsubishi Type 10; Nakajima Type G selected for production instead Aichi (Heinkel) HD 56 Navy Type 90-1 Reconnaissance Seaplane Prototype(s) built by Heinkel in 1929; 12? aircraft built by Aichi from 1929 - 1932; later designated E3A Aichi AB-2 Experimental Catapult-launched Reconnaissance Seaplane Two prototypes built by Aichi in 1930

Hiro

Designer or Manufacturer Type Designation & Role Notes Hiro (Rohrbach) Experimental R-3 Flying Boat One prototype based on Rohrbach R-2 built in 1927 Hiro Navy Type 15 Flying Boat c. 20 built by Hiro & Yokosho in 1927 - 1932; 45 built by Aichi in 1927 - 1934; designated H1H in 1931 Hiro Navy Type 89 Flying Boat c. 13 built by Hiro & Kawanishi in 1930; four built by Aichi in 1931; designated H2H in 1931 Hiro Navy Type 90-1 Flying Boat One prototype built by Hiro in 1931; designated H3H in 1931 Hiro Navy Type 91 Flying Boat c. 30 built by Hiro in 1932; 17 built by Kawanishi in 1933 - 1937; designated H4H in 1931

Kawanishi

Designer or Manufacturer Type Designation & Role Notes Kawanishi K-11 -- Two experimental carrier fighter prototypes built in 1927 for competition to replace Mitsubishi Type 10 Kawanishi Type F Navy Type 90-2 Flying Boat One prototype built by Short in 1930; four built by Kawanishi in 1932 - 1932; designated H3K in 1931 Kawanishi Type G Navy Type 90-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane Based on Yokosho Type 90-3; 17 built by Kawanishi in 1932; designated E5K in 1931

Kawanishi K-11 experimental carrier fighter

Kawasaki

Designer or Manufacturer Type Designation & Role Notes Kawasaki Experimental Carrier Reconnaissance Aircraft One prototype built in 1928

Mitsubishi

Designer or Manufacturer Type Designation & Role Notes Mitsubishi 1MF Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter 128 built by Mitsubishi in 1921 - 1928 Mitsubishi 2MR Navy Type 10 Carrier Reconnaissance Aircraft 159 built by Mitsubishi in 1922 - 1930; designated C1M in 1931 Mitsubishi 1MT1 Navy Type 10 Carrier Torpedo Bomber 20 built by Mitsubishi in 1922 - 1923 Mitsubishi 2MT Navy Type 13 Carrier Attack Aircraft 402 built by Mitsubishi in 1923 - 1930; c. 40 built by Hiro; designated B1M in 1931 Mitsubishi 1MF9 Experimental Taka-type Carrier Fighter Two prototypes built by Mitsubishi in 1927 Mitsubishi R-2 Experimental Type-R Flying-boat One prototype built by Mitsubishi in 1927; based on Rohrbach R-2 Mitsubishi 2MR5 Experimental Special-purpose Carrier Reconnaissance Aircraft Two prototypes built by Mitsubishi in 1927 Mitsubishi 3MR Navy Type 89 Carrier Attack Aircraft 205 built by Mitsubishi in 1930 - 1935; designated B2M in 1931 Mitsubishi 3MT5 Navy Type 93 Land-based Attack Aircraft 11 built by Mitsubishi in 1932 - 1933 Mitsubishi Ka-2, 4MS Navy Type 90 Crew Trainer Designated K3M in 1931 Mitsubishi Navy Type 90 Transport Designated K3M3-L in 1931

Mitsubishi Experimental Type-R Flying-boat

Nakajima

Designer or Manufacturer Type Designation & Role Notes Nakajima-Breguet 19-A2B Reconnaissance Seaplane -- One prototype built in 1925 for long-range reconnaissance seaplane requirement Nakajima Navy Type 15 Reconnaissance Seaplane 47 built by Nakajima in 1927 - 1929; 30 built by Kawasaki in 1929 - 1930; designated E2N in 1931 Nakajima G Navy Type 3 Carrier Fighter Developed from Gloster Gamecock Gambet; one prototype plus c. 150 production aircraft built by Nakajima in 1929 - 1932; designated A1N in 1931 Nakajima NY Navy Type 90 Carrier Fighter Four prototypes built by Nakajima in 1929 - 1931, based on Boeing Model 69B and Model 100 and Bristol Bulldog; c. 100 production aircraft built by Nakajima in 1932 - 1936; designated A2N in 1931 Nakajima Type 90 Carrier Fighter Trainer 66 built by Nakajima in 1936 - 1939; designated A3N Nakajima NZ Navy Type 90-2-1 Reconnaissance Seaplane Two prototypes built by Nakajima in 1930; designated E4N1 in 1931 Nakajima NJ Navy Types 90-2-2/-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane c.85 built by Nakajima in 1931 - 1936; 67 built by Kawanishi in 1932 - 1934; designated E4N2/3 in 1931 Nakajima NAF-1 Navy Experimental 6-Shi Two-seat Carrier Fighter One prototype built by Nakajima in 1931 Nakajima Navy Experimental Kusho 6-Shi Special Bomber Jointly designed with Kusho; two prototypes built by Nakajima in 1932 - 1933

Yokosho / Kusho

Designer or Manufacturer Type Designation & Role Notes Yokosho Navy Type 10 Reconnaissance Seaplane Two prototypes and several pre-production aircraft built by Yokosho in 1923 - 1925; developed into Type 14-1 Yokosho Navy Type 13 Trainer Seaplane Six built by Yokosho in 1925; c. 40 built by Nakajima in 1925; 48 built by Kawanishi (as Type 0) in 1928 - 1933; 10 built by Watanabe in 1933 - 1934; designated K1Y in 1931 Yokosho Navy Type 14-1 Reconnaissance Seaplane 23 built by Yokosho in 1925 - 1930; 47 built by Nakajima in 1925 - 1927; 250 built by Aichi in 1926 - 1927 & 1931 - 1934; designated E1Y in 1931 Yokosho Experimental Tatus-go Reconnaissance Seaplane One prototype built by Yokosho in 1925 Yokosho 1-Go Reconnaissance Seaplane Experimental Submarine-borne Reconnaissance Seaplane One prototype based on on Heinkel/Caspar U 1 built by Yokosho in 1927 Yokosho Navy Type 3 Land-based Primary Trainer Six built by Yokosho in 1929 - 1930; 66 built by Kawanishi in 1930 - 1932; 114 built by Watanabe in 1931 - 1937; 45 built by Mitsubishi in 1934; 126 built by Nippi in 1939 - 1940; three built by Showa in 1938 - 1939; designated K2Y in 1931 Yokosho Navy Type 90 Seaplane Trainer Two built by Yokosho in 1930; 156 built by Watanabe in 1932 - 1939; 53 built by Nippi in 1939 - 1940; designated K4Y in 1931 Yokosho Navy Type 90-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane Developed from Type 14; c. three built by Yokosho in 1928 - 1929; 17 built by Kawanishi in 1931 - 1932; designated E5Y in 1931 Yokosho 2-Go Reconnaissance Seaplane Navy Type 91 Reconnaissance Seaplane Two built by Yokosho in 1929 - 1931; eight built by Kawanishi in 1932 - 1934; designated E6Y in 1931 Yokosho Navy Type 91 Intermediate Trainer Two built by Yokosho in 1931

In 1931, the Imperial Japanese Navy instituted a new, more detailed designation system, and existing aircraft were re-designated in this new system.

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