Nakajima A3N1 & A4N1

[Musec04]

Hello,

I wondering if anyone can assist with photos or even colour profiles of the two Nakajima machines A3N1 & A4N1 specificially in use for the period after December 07/08 1941. Apparently both types were still around with training units in the first part of the Pacific War according to Malcolm Passingham in Avions Magazine numbers 33 & 34. I would really appreciate it if anyone has any more information. Even the identity of any unit operating these two machines would be helpful if no illustrations are available.

Regards,

Clint

 

[GrauGeist]

The A2N3 and A4N1 were single seat fighters, the A3N3-1 was a two-seat trainer.

Both fighter types were phased out of front line service in the late 1930's with the introduction of the A5M and most likely were used at the Kasumiguara air training center.

 

[Shinpachi]

It's not easy to sort heap soon but found some pics.

 

[Shinpachi]

Nakajima A3N1 was an experimental plane as the 7-shi for the naval competition with Mitsubishi in 1932.
As not adopted, it ended with only one or two built.

Nakajima A4N1 was type 95 carrier-based fighter until type 96(A5M) appeared in 1936.
221 were built from 1935 to 1940 but most of them were used as trainers informally for Yokaren - Naval Aviator Preparatory Course Trainees.

Yokaren

Source: Yokaren book

 

[Wurger]

 

[Musec04]

Thanks for the replies so far. These have thrown up a number of questions on my part.

GrauGeist,With regard to the A3N1 & A4N1 being operated by the Kaumigaura Ku,that would certainly make sense given the nature of that unit and indeed the Japanese wiki entry on that unit has both types of aircraft with the Kasumigaura Ku.Not sure what the reputaion of Wiki is among native Japanese speakers,but its a start at least. Are there however any published sources stating that the Kaumigaura Ku used these specifically types from Dec 1941 onwards. I know that the date is arbitrary,but I'm trying to follow up on the info in the Avions articles I quoted.

Shinpachi,many thanks for the images I'm grateful but again I'm specifically looking for Pacific War era images and sorry but not being able to read Japanese can't tell whether any of the captions indicate that the machines shown are post Dec 1941,although the A4N1 look like pre-war markings,though I could be mistaken.

I was however surprised by your statement that the A3N1 was an experimental fighter. Rather I believe that it was a two seated trainer variant of the A2N,with 66 built.. Here all the sources I'm aware of seem to agree that this is the case. I believe you're thinking of the Nakajima NK1F which was indeed a 7 Shi experimental fighter.With regard to the use of the A4N1 chiefly as trainers for Yokaren, this would be the area that interests me. Built up until 1940,so logically in use with units still post 1941,but which ones?

Regards,

Clint

 

[Shinpachi]

Experimental models for the 7-shi by both Nakajima A3N1 and Mitsubishi A3M1 were not adopted by the navy.

Trainer version of A2N aka type 90 two-seater fighter trainer(九〇式複座練習戦闘機) is classified as A2N3-1.
I think someone misunderstood it as A3N1 in the history.

Exact date for the Yokaren photo is unknown.

A2N3-1 two seater trainer

九〇式艦上戦闘機 - Wikipedia

ja.wikipedia.org

 

[Wurger]

 

[Musec04]

Shinpachi San,

Thanks for the additional information. Naturally I would be inclined to regard a Japanese source for the aircraft bearing the designation A3N1 as more likely to be correct than a European language source and possibly the various European language publications have all taken there information from one initial European source and then repeated it uncritically.That said Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941 by Robert C Mikesh & Shorzoe Abe does have a Japanese co-author. If I look at the Japanese wiki page with the A3N1 and A3M1 as designations for the experimental 7-Shi Fighter

七試艦上戦闘機 - Wikipedia

ja-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog

What causes me a little concern is that both sources listed for the article on wiki date from the 1960s. On the other hand the Mikesh & Abe works dates from 1990 and other sources using the A3N1 designation for the Type 90 Carrier Fighter Trainer eg Japonskie Samoloty Marynarki 1912-1945 from 2000. So my question would be are there published Japanese sources from this century which state that the correct designation for the Type 90 Carrier Fighter Trainer is A2N3-1?

Regards,

Clint

 

[Shinpachi]

Sorry but what I can say at the moment is that "A2Nx-x" is IJN's designation rule for a variant.

 

[Musec04]

Agreed logically it would be expected that the designation would be something like A2N3-K if the usual JNAF nomenclature is taken as a basis as we see most obviously with the A5M4-K. But neither A2N3-1 nor A3N1 match this. I think in order to resolve this someone really needs to publish on the Type 90 Carrier Fighter Trainer using original documenation.

Just as a thought has anything been published showing each type of aircraft in service with the JNAF as of 07/08.12.1941? I've been looking through any publication I have for further information on the Type 90 Carrier Fighter Trainer and although it doesn't help directly I find that Eduardo Cea's Aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Land-based aviation 1929-1945 (I) has 16 A4N in service with the Kasumigaura Ku (so supporting GrauGeist's post) for the date of 01.12.1941 Does a census exist for all JNAF aircraft in service throughout the Empire for this date or a nearby date to along the lines of

Type of Aircraft Number in Service Total JNAF

A3N1 or A2N3-1 XX
A4N1 XX
A5M2 XX
A5M4 XX

B4Y1 XX
B5N1 XX

It seems if such documentation exists then a} the correct designation for the Type 90 Carrier Fighter Trainer would be found there ; b} It would be rather interesting anyway.

Regards,

Clint

 

[Shinpachi]

It seems if such documentation exists then a} the correct designation for the Type 90 Carrier Fighter Trainer would be found there ; b} It would be rather interesting anyway.

Such documents may exist but they are described like Type 90 Carrier Fighter, or 90kansen for short, mainly, not the development code like A3N or A2N.
As Japanese did/do not call them with the codes originally, there was/is always a chance to misunderstand the code.