Nakajima
Nakajima Army Type 91 Fighter
The Nakajima Army Type 91 Fighter was a single‑seat, single‑engine biplane developed in the early 1930s for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. Designed by the Nakajima Aircraft Company, it entered service in 1932 as the first indigenous Japanese fighter capable of competing with contemporary foreign types. The aircraft featured a wooden frame with fabric covering, a fixed split‑type landing gear, and a powerful 420 hp Nakajima Jupiter radial engine that gave it a top speed of roughly 280 km/h (174 mph). Armament consisted of two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns mounted in the upper fuselage, and later versions could carry small bombs for ground‑attack missions. The Type 91’s relatively short range and limited maneuverability quickly rendered it obsolete, prompting the rapid development of improved models such as the Nakajima Army Type 95 and the famed Ki‑27. Nevertheless, the Type 91 provided valuable experience in aerodynamic design, engine integration, and mass production techniques that underpinned Japan’s later war‑time aircraft programs. Its service during the Manchurian incident and early campaigns in China demonstrated Japan’s growing ability to field home‑grown combat aircraft, marking a pivotal step in the nation’s aviation history.
Classification
Production & History
- First Flight
- 1931
Design & Classification
- Country of Origin
- Manufacturer
- Nakajima
- Wikidata ID
- Q2345027