Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning)

Twin-Engine Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal

Imperial Japan | 1946

"The twin-seat, twin-engine Aichi S1A Denko was intended as a successor to the Nakajima J1N1 Gekkou line in the night-fighter role for Japan during World War 2."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/29/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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The Aichi S1A "Denko" was in development with the Empire of Japan during World War 2 (1939-1945) as a successor to the Nakajima J1N1 "Gekkou" - or "Gekko". The Gekko proved itself since its introduction in May of 1941 as a very capable twin-engined heavy fighter. It saw service as a long-ranged reconnaissance platform but, more importantly, as a night fighter fitted with radar and obliquely-angled (30-degrees) 20mm cannons designed to strike at the vulnerable bellies of Allied bombers.

As good as the Gekko was, the arrival of the American Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" from May of 1944 on over Japanese territories across the Pacific Theater began to outclass the early-war Nakajima design - it lacked the high-altitude performance and a more capable radar fit needed to contend with the new threat. As such thought was given to a new twin-engined heavy type with modern qualities and exceptional capabilities and this charge fell to Aichi as other, more prominent, aircraft-builders of the war were tied to other production commitments for the Empire.

The resulting design became the "S1A" carrying a crew of two and outfitted with the required mission equipment for the night-hunter role. Dimensions included an overall length of 15 meters, a wingspan of 17.5 meters, and a height of 4.6 meters. Structurally, the S1A1 was to become Japan's largest fighter of the war. Empty weight was 7,320 kg against a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 11,510 kg. Power was from 2 x Nakajima NK9K-S air-cooled, twin-row 18-cylinder radial piston engines developing 2,000 horsepower each and driving four-bladed propeller units.

The aircraft's general configuration was typical of Japanese heavy fighter entries seen during World War 2 . It utilized a central fuselage containing the crew of two, avionics, fuel stores, and vital mission equipment. The cockpit was seated well-forward of midships and aft of a short nosecone assembly. The nose section held the standard fixed, forward-facing armament. At midships was a framed observation dome seated ahead of a turret emplacement. The tail unit relied on a single vertical fin with low-mounted horizontal planes along the aft fuselage sides. The wing mainplanes were ahead of midships and each held an underslung engine nacelles - the pilot being given unobstructed views of both installations. The mainplanes themselves were straight in their general design with clipped wingtips. The undercarriage was a typical "tail dragger" arrangement.

Performance for the S1A in prototype form included a maximum speed of 360 miles per hour, a cruising speed of 275 miles per hour, a range out to 1,555 miles (ferry), and a service ceiling of 39,370 feet.

Armament centered on 2 x 30mm Type 5 cannons and 2 x Type 99 Model 1 cannons fitted to the nose section for considerable forward-facing firepower. The aforementioned turret emplacement along the fuselage spine fitted 2 x 20mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons offering a trainable weapon's position.

The S1A was a promising design by mid-war standards but its projected weight was beginning to suffer as more and more mission equipment was added. Additionally, the intended Nakajima radials were not presenting the required power that IJN authorities sought so thought was given to fielding S1A1 production models with Mitsubishi engines instead. On December 7th, 1944, there was also a major earthquake off the coast of Japan - the "Tonankai Earthquake" (Magnitude 8.1) - which resulted in the two ordered prototypes being heavily damaged along with their production facilities. Allied bombing raids in June and July of 1945 ended all hope for the aircraft as both prototypes were destroyed and the work was taken up again.

Japan surrendered to the Allies during August of 1945 bringing about a complete end to World War 2.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning) Twin-Engine Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal.

2 x Nakajima NK9K-S engines developing 2,000 horsepower each.
Propulsion

360 mph
580 kph | 313 kts
Max Speed

233 mph
375 kph | 202 kts
Cruise Speed

39,370 ft
12,000 m | 7 miles
Service Ceiling

1,553 miles
2,500 km | 1,350 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning) Twin-Engine Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

49.5 ft
15.10 m
O/A Length

57.4 ft
(17.50 m)
O/A Width

15.1 ft
(4.60 m)
O/A Height

16,138 lb
(7,320 kg)
Empty Weight

25,375 lb
(11,510 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning) Twin-Engine Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal .

PROPOSED:
2 x 30mm Type 5 cannons in fixed, forward-firing mountings on fuselage.
2 x 20mm Type 99 Model 1 cannons in fixed, forward-firing mountings on fuselage.
2 x 20mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons in dorsal-mounted turret.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning) family line.

S1A "Denko" - Base Series Designation.

S1A-1 - Assumed production model designation; none built.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 0 Units
Contractor(s): Aichi Kokuki KK - Imperial Japan

[ Imperial Japan (cancelled) ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 400mph

Lo: 200mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (360mph).

Graph Average of 300 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Image of the Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning)

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Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT

X-PLANE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Going Further...
The Aichi S1A Denko (Bolt of Lightning) Twin-Engine Night-Fighter Aircraft Proposal appears in the following collections:

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