Mitsubishi 1MT

The Mitsubishi 1MT was Japan’s first indigenous carrier‑based torpedo bomber, developed in the early 1920s by the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company. Conceived to replace the foreign‑built torpedo aircraft operating from the Imperial Japanese Navy’s new fleet carriers, the 1MT first flew in 1922 and entered limited service in 1923 as the Navy Type 10 Carrier Torpedo Bomber. It was a single‑seat, biplane of mixed wood‑and metal construction, powered by a 450 hp Mitsubishi Hi‑engine (a licence‑built Hispano‑Suiza V‑12). Its wings were staggered and could be folded for shipboard storage, while the fixed, split‑axle landing gear was reinforced for carrier decks. The aircraft carried a 350 kg Type 92 torpedo beneath the fuselage and was equipped with a forward‑firing machine gun for self‑defence. Although only a small batch of twelve were built before being superseded by the more advanced Mitsubishi B1M, the 1MT demonstrated the feasibility of domestically produced carrier attack aircraft. It marked a pivotal step in Japan’s move toward self‑sufficiency in naval aviation and laid the design groundwork that would later influence the successful B1M and subsequent Mitsubishi combat planes. Its modest performance nevertheless earned praise from naval pilots for handling and reliability.

Mitsubishi

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification