Nakajima Ha-16 (Really small 14-cylinder radial) engine (1 Viewer)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Kilkenny

Airman
42
33
Jan 26, 2021
Anyone have more information on this engine, which was about 450hp and may or may not have been actually built by Nakajima? It would be very interesting if smaller in diameter than the GR 14M! Also interested in getting more information on the "Jimpu 5" used in the Ki-76 Stella.
 
I find no records/data about the Ha-16 in the Japanese side except the designation number with blank data in a list.

The "神風" engine by Hitachi Aircraft was not called Jimpu but Shinpu. Dr. Takashi Suzuki, former vice president of Hino Motors which is a reorganized company of former Hitachi Aircraft, remarks this point clearly in his book "The Romance of Engines"

"The Shinpu (though some books call it KAMIKAZE, people who committed its development at the time called SIMPUU) started with 130hp and ended with 160hp as the Shinpu model 11(type 95 engine). This series was used for the IJA/IJN trainers called Akatonbo which means a red dragonfly. Shinpu was updated as the Tenpu (though some books call it AMAKAZE, people who committed its development called TEMPUU) was developed to end with Tenpu Kai 5(type 98 engine) of 515hp. This series was used for not only trainers but Type 98 Direct co-operation aircraft aka Ki-36 Ida (refer to photos A27-1 and 2).
(Page 269/270 "The Romance of Engines" by Takashi Suzuki)"

136.JPG

137.JPG


Ki-76 Stella
Ki-76(1280x848)R.JPG


Type 95 150hp engine (equivalent of Shinpu Model 2 or Ha-12)
Hitachi_Type_95.JPG
 
Last edited:
Thank you Shinpachi for the correct names of the engine and the reference to that excellent book of Mr Suzuki.
I like how he goes all the way back to the first operating internal combustion engine ever built - far earlier than most would expect - 1673. And yes other people that is a six and it is not a typo. The engine was built in France for Louis XIV and drove a pump to move 3000 tonnes (3000 long tons or 3300 short [US] tons) of water daily and it worked. Not a bad record.

I have a copy of the English translation of that book and below are the pages from it regarding this engine series.
216.jpg
217.jpg
218.jpg
219.jpg
216.jpg
217.jpg
218.jpg
219.jpg
220.jpg
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back