Kawanishi E13K

The Kawanishi E13K, company designation AM-19, was an experimental Japanese 1930s three-seat reconnaissance floatplane. Two prototypes were produced.

Design and development

In 1937, the Imperial Japanese Navy requested the Kawanishi Aircraft Company and Aichi Kokuki to design a replacement for the Navy's E7K seaplanes. Kawanishi's design, given the short designation E13K and long designation Kawanishi Navy 12-Shi Three-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane, was an all-metal, single-float seaplane armed with one Type 92 machine gun and either one bomb under the fuselage or four bombs under the wings.

The first of two E13K prototypes flew on 28 September 1938. In October 1938, the aircraft was transferred to the fleet base for testing, and, even though the E13K outperformed the Aichi E13A except in maximum speed, it was difficult to operate, so the Navy chose the E13A to be the replacement for the E7K. The first prototype suffered an accident due to excessive vibration, and the second vanished during a test flight and was not recovered.

Operators

Japan

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

Specifications

Data from Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941

General characteristics

Crew: 3
Length: 11.725 m (38 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 14.49 m (47 ft 6 in)
Height: 4.453 m (14 ft 7 in)
Wing area: 34 m² (370 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,170 kg (4,784 lb)
Gross weight: 3,550 kg (7,826 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Mitsubishi MK8 Kinsei 3-Kai 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 680 kW (910 hp)
Propellers: 3-bladed variable pitch propeller