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Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora)


Night-Fighter / Night-Intruder Aircraft


Imperial Japan | 1944



"The Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko was a night-fighter offshoot of the original P1Y2 medium bomber line - ninety-six were built to the standard during World War 2."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Yokosuka P1Y2-S Night-Fighter / Night-Intruder Aircraft.
2 x Mitsubishi "Kasei 25" 14-cylinder radial piston engines developing 1,850 horsepower each.
Propulsion
326 mph
525 kph | 283 kts
Max Speed
32,152 ft
9,800 m | 6 miles
Service Ceiling
3,418 miles
5,500 km | 2,970 nm
Operational Range
1,745 ft/min
532 m/min
Rate-of-Climb
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Yokosuka P1Y2-S Night-Fighter / Night-Intruder Aircraft.
2
(MANNED)
Crew
49.2 ft
15.00 m
O/A Length
65.6 ft
(20.00 m)
O/A Width
14.1 ft
(4.30 m)
O/A Height
17,196 lb
(7,800 kg)
Empty Weight
29,762 lb
(13,500 kg)
MTOW
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora) Night-Fighter / Night-Intruder Aircraft .
STANDARD:
1 x 30mm cannon
2 x 20mm cannon in obliquely-angled mounting.

OPTIONAL:
Up to 2,205lb of bombs held in a ventral bomb bay.
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora) family line.
P1Y2-S "Kyokko" - Base Series Designation; 96 examples completed by Kawanishi; stock later reverted back to medium bomber role.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/20/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Yokosuka P1Y2 "Kyokko" ("Aurora") became an offshoot of the original P1Y1 Medium Bomber (detailed elsewhere on this site) introduced for service into the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) of World War 2 during 1944. Performance of the bomber led IJN authorities to pursue a night-fighter variant of the twin-engined platform to contend with the threat had through the American Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" heavy bomber. This work led to the P1Y2-S and saw Kawanishi given the charge to convert the bomber to a night-fighter. Ninety-six aircraft were built to this standard.

The new aircraft was finalized with 2 x Mitsubishi "Kasei 25" series 14-cylinder radial piston engines of 1,850 horsepower each (the original bomber was outfitted with 2 x Nakajima "Homare 11" 18-cylinder engines). Armament was revised to include 2 x 20mm Type 99 cannons in an oblique installation, allowing upward/forward firepower against the more vulnerable bellies of Allied bombers. Additional armament included a 30mm Type 5 cannon and the ventral bomb bay, the latter giving the new aircraft the potential to conduct night time raids against ground targets of opportunity. A first flight involving a P1Y2-S prototype occurred during June of 1944. AI radar was installed in the nose (along with its external antenna structures) and the type was adopted into the IJN soon after.

The aircraft managed only a short service life in the latter stages of the war, its performance deemed unacceptable when attempting to intercept the high-flying Boeing B-29s. As a result, many of these aircraft saw conversion back to their original medium bomber roles with some serving in the late stages of the war as kamikaze weapons against Allied warships.

Another night-fighter development related to the P1Y1 became the P1Y1-S. This model carried 4 x 20mm cannons in two obliquely-angled mountings, one forward and the other aft of the cockpit, as well as a single 13mm machine gun facing aft for defense. Another change was the inclusion of 2 x Nakajima Homare 12 series engines of 1,825 horsepower output. The variant existed in very limited production and made little impact.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 96 Units

Contractor(s): Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal / Kawanishi - Imperial Japan
National flag of modern Japan

[ Imperial Japan ]
1 / 1
Image of the Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora)
Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The Yokosuka P1Y2-S Kyokko (Aurora) Night-Fighter / Night-Intruder Aircraft appears in the following collections:
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