Q1W Tokai

The Kyushu Q1W “Tokai” was a specialized anti‑submarine warfare aircraft produced by Kyushu Hikoki for the Imperial Japanese Navy toward the end of World War II. Development began in 1943 after the Navy recognized a critical shortage of dedicated maritime patrol planes capable of detecting and attacking enemy submarines in the Pacific. Designed by the same team that created the successful Ki‑61 fighter, the Q1W featured a low‑drag, twin‑engine layout with a wooden wing and metal fuselage, allowing rapid production using scarce strategic materials. Powered by two 1,200‑horsepower Mitsubishi Ha‑102 radial engines, it could reach 580 km/h and carry a payload of up to 400 kg of depth charges, sonobuoys, and a small radar set housed in a streamlined nose. The aircraft’s high‑aspect‑ratio wing provided excellent loiter time, while its retractable landing gear and defensive armament of two 13‑mm machine guns gave it modest self‑protection. Although only 133 units were built before the war ended, the Q1W demonstrated Japan’s late‑war attempt to integrate modern ASW concepts, influencing post‑war maritime patrol designs and marking a rare example of a purpose‑built submarine hunter in Japanese aviation history.

Kyushu Hikoki

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Design & Classification