Japanese "Popular" names for Aircraft (1 Viewer)

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ccheese

Member In Perpetuity
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Jul 10, 2007
Virginia Beach, Va.
After July of 1943, names were given to Japanese Naval aircraft instead of
type designations, according to a scheme based on the aircraft's role.

Carrier Seaplane fighters: "Wind" names usually ending with pu
or fu.

Interceptors: "Lightening" names ending in den.

Night Fighters: "Light" names ending in ko.

Attack Planes: "Mountain" names ending in zan.

Bombers: "Star" or "Constellation" names usually ending in sei.

Patrol: "Sea" or "Ocean" names ending in kai.

Recon: "Cloud" names ending in un.

Trainers: names for "Trees", "Plants" and "Flowers"

Transports: "Sky" names ending in ku.

Miscellanous aircraft were give "Landscape" names.

It should be noted, on two special occasions, "Ohka" (Cherry Blossom)
and "Kikka" (Orange Blossom), both types were designated 'special
attackers' (kamizaze weapons) and were named for fruit trees in the
gardens of the Imperial Palace.

More on this later......

Charles
 
Hi Charles,

Maybe instead of "popular", they might be considered "propaganda" names?

I think I read on Dan Ford's site about the Japanese army for propaganda purposes introducing flashy names like "Hayabusa" for their types at some point of the war, but of course the Navy decision might be entirely unrelated ...

Just to feed thought ...

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)
 
I think a bit of both HoHun:

"Soon after the opening of hostilities in the Pacific area it became evident to the Japanese High Command that the use of the Kitai and Type number systems in battle communiques had two shortcomings: they revealed too much to the enemy and were too complex for any particular aircraft to appeal to the Japanese populace. Therefore popular names were given to the principal aircraft likely to attract the enthusiasm of the public. Whereas the Navy gave popular names to their aircraft according to a set pattern, the Army chose their names haphazardly".

Charles, two more to add under the Blossom-Special Attack (Suicide) Plane category;

BAIKA (Plum Blossom)
TOKA (Wistaria)
 
Somehow the "Mountain" name rings a bell.

FUGAKU (Mount Fuji) Nakajima G10 N1
NANZAN (Southern Mountain) Aichi M6A1-K
RENZAN (Mountain Range) Nakajima G8N/G8N3
SIERAN (Mountain Haze) Aichi M6A-1
SHINZAN (Mountain Recess) Nakajima G5N1/G5N2
TAIZAN (Great Mountain) Mitsubishi G7M1-PROJECT ONLY
TENZAN (Heavenly Mountain) Nakajima B6N1/B6N3
TOZAN (Eastern Mountain) Mitsubishi attack plane-PROJECT ONLY
 

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