The 1MF, a carrier fighter aircraft developed by the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company in the 1920s, was designed by British aircraft designer Herbert Smith.
Referred to as the Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter, this aircraft was used by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1923 to 1930.
Smith and his team developed the 1MF fighter, also known as the Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter, which made its first flight in October 1921.
The aircraft featured unequal-span wings, a single-seat, single-bay biplane design, and was powered by a 224 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8 engine.
It was equipped with claw-type arrestor gear for use with British-style fore and aft arrestor cables.
The Japanese Navy accepted the aircraft as a standard fighter after successful flight testing, leading to the production of 138 various versions until 1928.
On 28 February 1923, a 1MF aircraft made history by being the first to successfully take-off and land on Japan’s newly commissioned aircraft carrier Hōshō.
The 1MF series operated from the carriers Akagi and Kaga, as well as from Hōshō, after they were commissioned in 1927 and 1928 respectively.
Its service lasted until 1930, when it was eventually replaced by the Nakajima A1N.
Variants
1MF1
The Mitsubishi 1MF1 was the initial prototype of the Mitsubishi 1MF series, a Japanese carrier fighter aircraft from the 1920s.
It was fitted with a car-type radiator on the front of its nose and was designated by the Navy as the Navy Type 10-1 Carrier Fighter.
1MF1A
The 1MF1A was an experimental version of the Mitsubishi 1MF with an increased wing area.
It was designated by the Navy as the Navy Type 10-1 Carrier Fighter.
IMF2
The Mitsubishi 1MF2 was an experimental prototype with two-bay wings, designated by the Japanese Navy as the Navy Type 10-1 Carrier Fighter.
1MF3
The production model features Lamblin radiators located under the nose, replacing the original car-type radiators.
It is designated as the Navy Type 10-2 Carrier Fighter.
1MF4
The updated production model features a forward-shifted cockpit.
Designated by the Navy as Navy Type 10-2 Carrier Fighter.
1MF5
The Navy Type 10-2 Carrier Fighter is designated for naval operations.
It is equipped with a jettison wheeled undercarriage and floats under wings to ensure safe ditching in emergency situations.
Specifications
Crew
1
Length
6.9 m (22 ft 8 in)
Wingspan
8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)
Height
3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)
Empty weight
940 kg (2,072 lb)
Gross weight
1,280 kg (2,822 lb)
Powerplant
1 × Mitsubishi Hi,
V-8 water-cooled piston engine,
224 kW (300 hp)
Propellers
2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
Maximum speed
213 km/h (132 mph, 115 kn)
Endurance
2½ hours
Service ceiling
7,000 m (23,000 ft)
Time to altitude
3,000 m (9,843 ft) in 10 minutes
Power/mass
0.18 kW/kg (0.11 hp/lb)
Armament
Guns
2 × 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns.
Sources
Wings of the Rising Sun Uncovering the Secrets of Japanese Fighters and Bombers of World War II-Mark Chambers.
Japanese Imperial Army Navy Aircraft Color Markings-Koku Fan 42.
Japanese Code Names-Richard M Bueschel.
Japanese Aircraft-John Stroud.
Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941-Robert Mikesh & Shorzoe Abe.
Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War-Rene Francillon.
Japanese Aircraft Interiors, 1940-1945-Robert C. Mikesh.
Japanese Aircraft Equipment 1940-45-Robert C Mikesh.
