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Kayaba Ka-1
|
Crew |
2 |
|
Dimensions |
30'3" length; 40'1" rotor diameter 9.2m length; 12.2m rotor diameer |
|
Weights |
1709-2579 lbs 775-1170 kg |
|
Maximum speed |
103 mph 165 km/h |
| Cruise speed |
72 mph 115 km/h |
|
Climb rate |
14.6 feet per second 4.4 meters per second |
|
Service ceiling |
11,485 feet 3500 meters |
|
Engines |
One 240 hp (179 kW) Argus As 10c eight-cylinder inverted-vee
air-cooled
engine driving a two-bladed propeller. |
|
Range |
174 miles 280 km |
|
Production |
Approximately 240 Ka-1 at K.K. Kayaba Seisakusho (Sendai) |
|
Variants |
A small number had a seat removed and racks installed for two
60kg (132lb) depth charges. |
The Ka-1 autogyro was the first autogyro/helicopter design to see operational use in the Pacific. It had a free-spinning rotor to provide lift and a conventional forward propeller for propulsion, giving it a short but by no means vertical takeoff. Its ability to cruise at very low speed made it a good observation platform and it was for this purpose that it first went into production.
The ability to descend almost vertically prompted
the conversion of a few Ka-1 to antisubmarine
use by removing the second seat and installing racks for two 60kg (132
lb) depth charges. These were apparently intended to be flown from the Akitsu Marus, but the only
evidence of operational use is as a coastal patrol aircraft operating
off Korea and Japan. These seem to
have gone almost unnoticed by the Allies and a code name was
never assigned.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2008, 2010 by Kent G. Budge. Index
