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U.S. Navy. Via Francillon (1979)
Kawanishi E7K2 "Alf"
| Crew |
2 or 3 in tandem cockpits |
| Dimensions | 45'11" by 34'5" by 15'11" 14m by 10.5m by 4.85m |
| Weight | 4600-7300 lbs 2100-3300 kg |
| Speed | 170 mph at 6600 feet 274 km/h at 2000 m |
| Cruising speed | 115 mph at 3300 feet 185 km/h at 1000 m |
| Climb rate | 18 feet per second 5.5 meters per second |
| Ceiling | 23,165 feet 7060 meters |
| Power plant | One 870 hp (649 kW) Mitsubishi Zuisei 11 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine driving a two-blade metal propeller |
| Armament | One forward-firing 7.7mm Type
92
machine gun One flexible rear-firing 7.7mm Type 92 machine gun One flexible downward-firing 7.7mm Type 92 machine gun. |
| External stores | four 30kg (66 lb) or two 60kg (132 lb) bombs |
| Endurance | 11.32 hours |
| Production | A total of 530 E7Ks were
built. Kawanishi Kokuki K.K. at Naruo: 183 E7K1 (1934-38) 287 E7K2 (1938-41) Nippon Hikoki K.K. at Tomioka: 57 E7K1 and E7K2 (1937-39) |
| Variants | The E7K1 used a 600hp Hiro Type 91 12-cylinder liquid-cooled engine. |
"Alf" was Kawanishi's response to a 1932 Navy call for a
three-seat
long-range reconnaissance seaplane to replace the E5K1. The design
team, led by Sekiguchi Eiji, produced a prototype in less than a
year,
which was delivered to the Navy in May 1933. Its performance and
handling were found much superior to the competing Aichi AB-6 and production was
begun
late that year.
The original aircraft (E7K1) used a liquid-cooled
engine and wooden propellers. However, in 1936 the Navy became
interested in an updated version using a much more powerful radial
engine driving a metal propeller. This went into production in
November
1938 as the E7K2.
"Alf" was well-liked by its crews
for its reliability and
ease of handling. The E7K1 was relegated to training by 1941,
but the E7K2 was
still in first-line service in spite of its obsolescence. It was
not
fully replaced by the E13A "Jake"
until early 1943.
References
Francillon
(1979)
Williams and
Gustin
(2003)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009 by Kent G. Budge. Index
