Nakajima A6M2N “Rufe”

[BlackSheep]

I am reading a recent acquisition (gotta love thrift stores) entitled "The Thousand-Mile War" World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians and loving it. I've spent so much time researching the hellish islands of the Pacific, I completely missed out on the amount of aerial action going on at our Northern Doorstep. Seriously, I had no idea how interesting things were in this corner of the war.
What really fascinates me is how successful the "Rufe" floatplane/fighters were against B-17s, B-24s, and PBYs plus medium bombers. My impression of them has always been clumsy looking, overweight, and not very aerodynamic looking flying around with that banana attached to it. Much to my surprise, there appearance in the Aleutians greatly concerned PBY pilots and others, while leading to multiple planes shot up or down.
Anyone care to give their opinions on these fighters? Why would Japan utilize floatplane designs in the fighter-role while the UNITED STATES didn't? (Remember the unwanted WildCatfish?) How could a plane with mediocre power (compared to American models) afford to add a float and still have the performance to be a danger to 4-engine bombers?

Btw, I highly recommend the book to anyone, like me, that thought the war in the Aleutians was a lot of frozen butts with a small battle thrown in every couple weeks or so, it'll open your eyes.

 

[Tkdog]

Just requested it from the library. Thanks for sharing!

 

[msxyz]

Shameless promotion of a recent thread of mine on the subject: "Floatplane fighters: wishful thinking or tactical resource?"

Floatplane fighters: wishful thinking or tactical resource?

Thread says it all. I don't need to explain why a floatplane is at disadvantage compared to a contemporary land based plane (or carrier based). Yet every nation with interests on the sea toyed with the idea at some point. Only Japan fielded them in numbers during ww2 but I don't think the...

ww2aircraft.net

The Japanese really believed in them; the Kawanishi N1K was an even more formidable fighter (well, for floatplane standards...)

 

[SaparotRob]

Could seaplane fighters have been developed because the IJN didn't have an equivalent to the construction battalions? Not that I know when Seabees came into being.

 

[BlackSheep]

Shameless promotion of a recent thread of mine on the subject: "Floatplane fighters: wishful thinking or tactical resource?"

Floatplane fighters: wishful thinking or tactical resource?

Thread says it all. I don't need to explain why a floatplane is at disadvantage compared to a contemporary land based plane (or carrier based). Yet every nation with interests on the sea toyed with the idea at some point. Only Japan fielded them in numbers during ww2 but I don't think the...

ww2aircraft.net

The Japanese really believed in them; the Kawanishi N1K was an even more formidable fighter (well, for floatplane standards...)

View attachment 655212

Thanks, I read through the thread and many of my questions were answered there. It's almost spooky, as if, you were reading the same book!

 

[msxyz]

Thanks, I read through the thread and many of my questions were answered there. It's almost spooky, as if, you were reading the same book!

Truth to be told, I was thinking of building a 1:48 kit of the Rex

I want to build the prototype version with contra rotating propellers. I got an old 1:72 Tamiya kit of that and now I'm looking into using 3D scanning/printing to transpose the different hub into 1:48 scale. Plan got shelved however for other RL priorities but it's just a delay

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I think the Japanese were thinking that if you can get a tender into the area you can set up local airpower that will probably overpower most stuff. Heavier aircraft with lower cruising speeds and larger target profiles would make ideal targets.

No need to cut out runways on land and if you're off in the middle of nowhere are you really going to confront many retractable-gear fighters?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

This concept lingered a bit into the post war years.

 

[msxyz]

This concept lingered a bit into the post war years.

Indeed it did!

The hydroski concept looked good on paper but was source of mechanical troubles and excessive vibrations, the unreliable engines did the rest. Besides, the US Navy was not really short on carriers, so also this experiment ended up as a museum curiosity

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

Could seaplane fighters have been developed because the IJN didn't have an equivalent to the construction battalions? Not that I know when Seabees came into being.

I think the Japanese were thinking that if you can get a tender into the area you can set up local airpower that will probably overpower most stuff. Heavier aircraft with lower cruising speeds and larger target profiles would make ideal targets.

No need to cut out runways on land and if you're off in the middle of nowhere are you really going to confront many retractable-gear fighters?

Sure both of them. Given the tiny islands were Japan ruled preWW2 and the lack of heavy equipment to build airfields (the airfield in Guadalcanal was slowly built in part for that reason and never to be used by IJNAF), the seaplane fighter was a reasonable option for them, specially when supported with seatenders that could follow an invasion/offensive fleet to war zones were no enemy carriers or land fighters were expected.

But then the USA bring those CB and a lot of carriers and voìla... no need for seaplane fighters!

Damned yanks! They deprive the world of an unique specie of fighters! (I always got a soft spot for seaplanes and flying boats)

 

[SaparotRob]

Sure both of them. Given the tiny islands were Japan ruled preWW2 and the lack of heavy equipment to build airfields (the airfield in Guadalcanal was slowly built in part for that reason and never to be used by IJNAF), the seaplane fighter was a reasonable option for them, specially when supported with seatenders that could follow an invasion/offensive fleet to war zones were no enemy carriers or land fighters were expected.

But then the USA bring those CB and a lot of carriers and voìla... no need for seaplane fighters!

Damned yanks! They deprive the world of an unique specie of fighters! (I always got a soft spot for seaplanes and flying boats)

Agree plus Funny equals Winner.

 

[Shinpachi]

Islanders tend to think they live in the sea

 

[msxyz]

Some "inlanders" got carried away by the floatplane craze of the '20s

 

[Shinpachi]

They also hardened the ground using dozens of elephants to build the airfields in French Indochina as the rollers were not enough in number.
Problem was no elephants in Guadalcanal

Old airfield in Cambodia

Source: カンボジアウォッチ＞コラム＞阿佐部伸一「カンボジアルポ通信」＞日本軍の飛行場

 

[GreenKnight121]

Some "inlanders" got carried away by the floatplane craze of the '20s


View attachment 655599

The Idroscalo is an artificial lake in Milan, Italy that was originally constructed as a seaplane airport. It opened on 28 October 1930.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

"Air Enthusiast 31" July-November 1986 has a great article about Japanese floatplanes. I just pulled my copy out which has been sitting in a bookshelf for a few years, will post some details.

 

[Warbirdnutball]

I've read this before. Even had it at one time. It's a really good reference book. I really liked the sections concerning the A6M2N. One of my fav fighters of WWII. It's performance was pretty good considering. It held it's own for a time and was used throughout the war.

 

[msxyz]

The Idroscalo is an artificial lake in Milan, Italy that was originally constructed as a seaplane airport. It opened on 28 October 1930.

Exactly my point Back then floatplanes were seen as safer in case of engine failure over vast stretches of water. This meant that towns removed from the sea or any natural body of water large enough to allow a plane to land safely, had to build an artificial one. In retrospect, adding an optional undercarriage to the plane itself seems a better idea.

In the case of Idroscalo, being very close to the factory of Caproni-Taliedo could have been seen as an ulterior motive of having a whole artificial runway made of water to test new floatplanes out of the factory, not to mention prototypes, etc... By the time it was completed in the early 30s, floatplanes were already declining outside of specific roles, though Italy still maintained a large fleet of them because, like Japan, it had many small islands that needed provisions and that could act as outposts.