View source for Yokosuka P1Y

{{Short description|Japanese attack bomber aircraft}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
|name= P1Y Ginga
|image= P1Y Kyokkou Aurora or Ginga Milky Way Frances P1Y-11s.jpg
|caption=
|type= [[Attack bomber]]
|national_origin= [[Empire of Japan]]
|manufacturer= [[Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal|Yokosuka]] (3 × prototype only)<br/>[[Nakajima Aircraft Company|Nakajima]]<br/>[[Kawanishi Aircraft Company|Kawanishi]] (P1Y2 series only)
|designer=
|first_flight= August 1943
|introduction= October 1944<ref>Norman Polmar, Thomas B. Allen, ''World War II: America at war, 1941–1945'', Random House, 1991, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kZMUAQAAIAAJ p. 310.]</ref>
|retired= 1945
|status=
|primary_user= [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]]
|number_built= 1,102
|developed_from=
|variants=
}}
The '''Yokosuka P1Y ''Ginga''''' (銀河, "Galaxy")<!--the milky way is "{{nihongo|way on sky galaxy|天の川銀河|ama-no-gawa ginga}}"--> is a twin-engine, land-based [[bomber]] developed for the [[Japanese Imperial Navy]] in [[World War II]]. It was the successor to the [[Mitsubishi G4M]] and given the [[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft|Allied reporting name]] "'''Frances'''".
==Design and development==
The P1Y was designed by the [[Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal]] to Navy specification 15-''Shi'',<ref name="Francillon1979p462">{{Harvnb|Francillon|1979|p=462.}}</ref> calling for a fast bomber with speed matching the [[A6M Zero|Zero]], range matching the G4M, a 907&nbsp;kg (2,000&nbsp;lb) bombload, and the ability to [[Dive bomber|dive-bomb]] as well as carry [[torpedo]]es. As the result, the construction suffered from excess complexity, difficulty of manufacture, and poor serviceability. Problems with the availability of enough reliable [[Nakajima Homare|Nakajima ''Homare'']] engines led to their replacement by the [[Mitsubishi Kasei|Mitsubishi ''Kasei'']] in the P1Y2-S night-fighter version.
The streamlined design of the ''Ginga'' is attributed to [[Miki Tadanao]], an engineer who after [[World War II]] went on to create a similar [[aerodynamic]] design for Japan's earliest bullet trains ([[Shinkansen]]), while working with the [[Japan National Railways|Japan National Railways (JNR)]].<ref name="Hood">{{cite book
| last = Hood
| first = Christopher P.
| title = Shinkansen – From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan
| publisher = Routledge, London
| url = https://archive.org/details/shinkansenfrombu00hood
| url-access = limited
| year = 2007
| isbn = 978-0-415-32052-8
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/shinkansenfrombu00hood/page/n73 53]
}}</ref>
==Operational history==
[[File:Frances & Ommaney Bay.jpg|thumb|Yokosuka P1Y "Frances" shot down next to {{USS|Ommaney Bay|CVE-79}} by 0945 on December 15, 1944.<ref>[http://natomabaycve62.org/logbook/NBphotodiaryPt2.html USS ''Natoma Bay'' (CVE-62) Logbook Project]</ref>]]
The first flight was in August 1943. [[Nakajima Aircraft Company|Nakajima]] manufactured 1,002 examples, which were operated by five ''[[Kōkūtai]]'' (Air Groups), and acted as land-based [[Medium bomber|medium]] and [[torpedo bomber]]s from airfields in [[China]], [[Taiwan]], the [[Mariana Islands]], the [[Philippines]], the [[Ryukyu Islands]], [[Shikoku]], and [[Kyūshū]]. During the last stages of the war the P1Y was used as a ''[[kamikaze]]'' aircraft against the [[United States Navy]] during the [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] Campaign in [[Operation Tan No. 2]].
A [[night fighter]] version, the '''P1Y2-S ''Kyokko''''' (極光, "Aurora"), with [[Mitsubishi Kasei|Mitsubishi ''Kasei'']] engines, was equipped with [[radar]] and ''[[Schräge Musik]]''-style upward-firing as well as forward-firing 20&nbsp;mm [[Autocannon|cannon]]. A total of 96 were produced by [[Kawanishi Aircraft Company|Kawanishi]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Francillon|1979|p=468.}}</ref> but due to inadequate high-altitude performance against the [[B-29 Superfortress]], many were converted back to ''Ginga'' bombers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Francillon|1979|p=465.}}</ref>
==Variants==
[[File:IJN P1Y1 Ginga Prototype-3 Tsu-11 testbed.jpg|thumb|P1Y1 prototype #3 ''Ko-P1-3'', Ishikawajima Tsu-11 testbed in 1944.]]
[[File:P1Y Kyokkou Aurora or Ginga Milky Way Frances P1Y-8s.jpg|thumb|P1Y1b, Yokosuka [[Kōkūtai]] ''Yo-206''.]]
[[File:P1Y Kyokkou Aurora or Ginga Milky Way Frances P1Y-1.jpg|thumb|P1Y1c, since it has a single forward cannon, and no dorsal turret.]]
[[File:Yokosuka P1Y1 under attack 1945.jpeg|thumb|A P1Y1 under attack by United States Navy aircraft and anti-aircraft guns.]]
<ref name="TMM_P109">The Maru Mechanic (1984), pp. 109–110.</ref><ref name="FAW_P29">Famous Airplanes of the World (2000), pp. 29–31.</ref>
;P1Y1 ''Experimental Type 15 land-based bomber'' (15試陸上爆撃機, ''15-Shi Rikujō Bakugekiki'')
: 3 of prototypes and 9 of supplementary prototypes<ref name="FAW_P26">Famous Airplanes of the World (2000), p. 26.</ref> with 1,357&nbsp;kW (1,820&nbsp;hp) NK9C [[Nakajima Homare|Nakajima NK9B ''Homare'' 11]] engines. Prototype #3 was later used for [[Ishikawajima Tsu-11]] testbed.
;P1Y1 ''Ginga'' ("Milky Way") ''Model 11'' (銀河11型, ''Ginga 11-gata'')
: First model of the series. Mounted ''Homare'' 11 or ''Homare'' 12.
;;P1Y1a ''Ginga Model 11A'' (銀河11甲型, ''Ginga 11 Kō-gata'')
: Mounted ''Homare'' 12, and fitted 1 × 13&nbsp;mm (.51&nbsp;in) [[Type 2 machine gun]] in the back defensive position.
;;P1Y1b ''Provisional name Ginga Model 11B'' (仮称銀河11乙型, ''Kashō Ginga 11 Otsu-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y1a, mounted ''Homare'' 12, and fitted 2 × 13&nbsp;mm (.51&nbsp;in) Type 2 machine guns in the back defensive position.
;;P1Y1c ''Provisional name Ginga Model 11C'' (仮称銀河11丙型, ''Kashō Ginga 11 Hei-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y1b, mounted ''Homare'' 12, and fitted 1 × 13&nbsp;mm (.51&nbsp;in) Type 2 machine gun in the forward position, prototype only.
;;P1Y1 ''Ginga Model 11'' Night-fighter variant (銀河11型改造夜戦, ''Ginga 11-gata Kaizō yasen'')
: Converted from P1Y1. Armed with 2 × 20&nbsp;mm [[Type 99 cannon]]s. Equipped 302nd [[Kōkūtai]] only. This is not a naval regulation equipment.
;;P1Y1-S ''Provisional name Ginga Model 21'' (仮称銀河21型, ''Kashō Ginga 21-gata'')
: Night fighter variant. Armed with 4 × 20&nbsp;mm Type 99 cannons firing obliquely forward, and 1 × 13&nbsp;mm (.51&nbsp;in) [[Type 2 machine gun]] in the back defensive position. Only a project.
;;P1Y1 Ground attack variant
: Converted from P1Y1/P1Y1a, installed up to 20 × 20&nbsp;mm [[Type 99 cannon]]s in the bomb bay for land strikes against B-29 bases in the Marianas. Approx. 30 rebuilt.
;P1Y2-S ''Provisional name Ginga Model 26/Test production Kyokkō'' ("[[Aurora (astronomy)|Aurora]]") (仮称銀河26型/試製極光, ''Kashō Ginga 26-gata''/''Shisei Kyokkō'')
: Night fighter variant. Initial named '''''Hakkō''''' ("[[Stellar corona|Corona]]", 白光) in October 1943, renamed ''Kyokkō'' in March 1944.<ref name="MA595_P50">Model Art (2001), p. 50–53</ref> Converted from P1Y1/P1Y1a. Fitted Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 engines. Armed with 2 × 20&nbsp;mm [[Type 99 cannon]]s and 1 × 30&nbsp;mm [[Type 5 cannon]]. Later, almost all were converted to P1Y2. 96 or 97 produced.<ref name="FAW_P31">Famous Airplanes of the World (2000), p. 31</ref>
;;P1Y2 ''Provisional name Ginga Model 16'' (仮称銀河16型, ''Kashō Ginga 16-gata'')
: Land based bomber. Converted from P1Y2-S. Mounted 1,380&nbsp;kW (1,850&nbsp;hp) [[Mitsubishi Kasei|Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 Kō]] engines.
;;P1Y2a ''Provisional name Ginga Model 16A'' (仮称銀河16甲型, ''Kashō Ginga 16 Kō-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y1a. Mounted Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 Kō engines.
;;P1Y2b ''Provisional name Ginga Model 16B'' (仮称銀河16乙型, ''Kashō Ginga 16 Otsu-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y1b. Mounted Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 Kō engines.
;;P1Y2c ''Provisional name Ginga Model 16C'' (仮称銀河16丙型, ''Kashō Ginga 16 Hei-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y1c. Mounted Mitsubishi MK4T-A Kasei 25 Kō engines.
;;P1Y2 ''Ginga Model 16'' Night-fighter variant (銀河16型改造夜戦, ''Ginga 16-gata Kaizō yasen'')
: Converted from P1Y2. Armed with 2 × 20&nbsp;mm Type 99 machine guns or 1 × 30&nbsp;mm Type 5 cannon. Equipped 302nd Kōkūtai only. This is not a naval regulation equipment.
;P1Y3 ''Provisional name Ginga Model 13'' (仮称銀河13型, ''Kashō Ginga 13-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y1. Mounted ''Homare'' 21 engines.
;P1Y4 ''Provisional name Ginga Model 12'' (仮称銀河12型, ''Kashō Ginga 12-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y1. Mounted ''Homare'' 23 engines.
;P1Y5 ''Provisional name Ginga Model 14'' (仮称銀河14型, ''Kashō Ginga 14-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y1. Mounted Mitsubishi Ha-43 engines.
;P1Y6 ''Provisional name Ginga Model 17'' (仮称銀河17型, ''Kashō Ginga 17-gata'')
: Converted from P1Y2. Mounted Mitsubishi MK4T-C Kasei 25 Hei engines.
;''Provisional name Ginga Model 33'' (仮称銀河33型, ''Kashō Ginga 33-gata'')
: Long-range bomber variant. Crew: 4, bombs= up to 3,000 kg. Only a project.
;[[Yokosuka Tenga|''Test production Tenga'']] (試製天河, ''Shisei Tenga'')
:Proposed jet-powered bomber variant, mounted [[Ishikawajima Ne-30]]. Discontinued in 1945.
;MXY10 Yokosuka Navy Bomber ''Ginga''
: Ground decoy non-flying replica of Yokosuka P1Y1.
==Number built by Nakajima and Kawanishi==
<ref name="FAW_P31" />
{| class="wikitable"
| || January || February || March || April || May || June || July || August || September || October || November || December || Sub total
|-
| 1943 || colspan="7"| || 2 || 4 || 4 || 10 || 25 || 45
|-
| 1944 || 11 || 20 || 35 || 46 || 46 || 51 || 47 || 48 || 69 || 75 || 88 || 84 || 620
|-
| 1945 || 90 || 52 || 52 || 63 || 64 || 53 || 40 || 20 || colspan="4"| || 434
|}
==Operators==
;{{JPN}}
*[[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]]<ref>{{Harvnb|Francillon|1979|p=467.}}</ref><ref name="TMM_P110">The Maru Mechanic (1984), p. 110</ref><ref name="MA406_P110">Model Art (1993), p. 135</ref><ref name="FAW_P32">Famous Airplanes of the World (2000), p. 32–38</ref>
** 302nd [[Kōkūtai]]: Equipped night fighter variant only.
** 521st Kōkūtai
** 522nd Kōkūtai
** 523rd Kōkūtai
** 524th Kōkūtai
** 701st Kōkūtai
** 706th Kōkūtai
** 752nd Kōkūtai
** 761st Kōkūtai
** 762nd Kōkūtai
** 763rd Kōkūtai
** 765th Kōkūtai
** 1001st Kōkūtai
** 1081st Kōkūtai
** Miyazaki Kōkūtai
** Toyohashi Kōkūtai
** Yokosuka Kōkūtai
** Kogeki 262nd [[Hikōtai]]
** Kogeki 401st Hikōtai
** Kogeki 405th Hikōtai
** Kogeki 406th Hikōtai
** Kogeki 501st Hikōtai
** Kogeki 708th Hikōtai
==Surviving aircraft==
A P1Y1 survives at the [[Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility|Smithsonian's Paul Garber Facility]] of its [[National Air and Space Museum]]. While only the fuselage has been photographed several times and can be found on the internet, the wings and engines are confirmed to exist.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Garber Artifacts|url=http://www.enginehistory.org/Convention/2010/garber_artifacts.shtml|access-date=2020-07-06|website=www.enginehistory.org}}</ref> This was one of three P1Ys that were brought back to the United States after World War II for evaluation.
==Specifications (P1Y1a)==
[[File:Yokosuka P1Y 3-view silhouette.png|thumb|3-view silhouette of the Yokosuka P1Y]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War''<ref name="Francillon1979p467-468">{{Harvnb|Francillon|1979|pp=467–468.}}</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
General characteristics
-->
|crew=3
|length m=15
|length note=
|span m=20
|span note=
|height m=4.3
|height note=
|wing area sqm=55
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=7265
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=10500
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=13500
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=[[Nakajima NK9C Homare 12]]
|eng1 type=18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines
|eng1 kw=1361
|eng1 hp=
|eng1 note=for take-off
|prop blade number=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=547
|max speed note=at {{cvt|5900|m}}
|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft -->
|cruise speed kmh=370
|cruise speed note=at {{cvt|4000|m}}
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=5370
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=9400
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=191
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.20|kW/kg}}
|more performance=
<!--
Armament
-->
|guns=<br />
:* 1× flexible, nose-mounted [[20 mm caliber|{{cvt|20|mm|3}}]] [[Type 99 cannon]]
:* 1× flexible rear-firing [[13 mm caliber|{{cvt|13|mm|3}}]] [[Type 2 machine gun]]
|bombs=<br/>
:*up to {{cvt|1000|kg|0}} of bombs ''or'' 1× {{cvt|800|kg|0}} [[torpedo]]
}}
==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
* [[Yokosuka Tenga]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Douglas A-26 Invader]]
* [[Junkers Ju 188]]
* [[Liore et Olivier LeO 45]]
* [[Petlyakov Pe-2]]
* [[Saab 18]]
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
}}
==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|2}}
==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Francillon |first= René J. |title=Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War |location= London |publisher= Putnam & Company |year= 1979 |edition=2nd |isbn=0-370-30251-6}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Huggins|first1=Mark|title=Hunters over Tokyo: The JNAF's Air Defence of Japan 1944–1945|journal=Air Enthusiast |date=January–February 2004 |issue=109 |pages=66–71 |issn=0143-5450}}
==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Yokosuka P1Y}}
* The Maru Mechanic No. 46 ''Ginga and Type 1 Attack Bomber'', Ushio Shobō (Japan), May 1984
* Famous Airplanes of the World, Special Edition Vol. 1 ''Navy Bomber "Ginga" [Frances]'', Bunrindo (Japan), September 2000
* Model Art No. 406, Special issue ''Camouflage & Markings of Imperial Japanese Navy Bombers in W.W.II'', Model Art Co. Ltd., April 1993
* Model Art No. 595, Special issue ''Night fighters of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy'', Model Art Co. Ltd., October 2001
{{Yokosuka aircraft}}
{{Japanese Navy short aircraft designations}}
{{Imperial Japanese Navy official aircraft names}}
{{Allied reporting names}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yokosuka P1y}}
[[Category:Yokosuka aircraft|P1Y]]
[[Category:1940s Japanese bomber aircraft|P1Y, Yokosuka]]
[[Category:World War II Japanese medium bombers|P1Y, Yokosuka]]
[[Category:World War II Japanese torpedo bombers|P1Y]]
[[Category:Mid-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1943]]
[[Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear]]