Nakajima
Nakajima J5N
The Nakajima J5N, nicknamed “Shinzan” (Deep Mountain), was a twin‑engine, low‑wing fighter developed by the Japanese Nakajima Aircraft Company in the early 1940s. Conceived in 1942 to replace the aging Mitsubishi A6M Zero and to counter high‑altitude Allied bombers, the J5N first flew on 6 March 1943. Its design featured a stressed‑skin metal fuselage, hydraulically retractable landing gear, and two 1,500 hp Nakajima Ha‑44 radial engines driving four 20 mm Type 99 cannon with an optional 500 kg bomb load. The aircraft was intended to reach a top speed of 720 km/h at 7,500 m and to operate above 10,000 m, giving the Imperial Japanese Navy a long‑range interceptor capability. Flight testing, however, revealed chronic vibration, insufficient cooling, and handling problems that delayed production. Only three prototypes were built before the program was cancelled in 1944, as Japan’s industrial capacity collapsed and newer jet concepts emerged. Although the J5N never entered combat, its ambitious specifications reflected Japan’s late‑war push for advanced high‑performance fighters and highlighted the technical challenges of transitioning from lightweight wood‑based designs to all‑metal, high‑power aircraft. Its development spurred Japanese engineers to study aerodynamic refinement, informing the Nakajima J5N‑II derivative and contributing to the knowledge base that would shape Japan's jet age.
Classification
Production & History
- Units Produced
- 6
- First Flight
- 1944