Hiro H1H

Japanese flying boat

The Hiro H1H (or Navy Type 15) was a 1920s Japanese bomber or reconnaissance biplane flying boat developed from the Felixstowe F.5 by the Hiro Naval Arsenal for the Imperial Japanese Navy. The aircraft were built by Hiro, the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and Aichi.^[3]

Design and development

Following licensed production of the Felixstowe F.5 for the Imperial Japanese Navy the company developed an improved version known as the H1H or Navy Type 15. The aircraft was built with three different engine types fitted, the Navy Type 15-I with a wooden hull had longer span upper wings and the Navy Type 15-II had four-bladed propellers. The H1H remained in front line naval service through the 1930s.^[1][2][3]

Variants

H1H1

Variant powered by two 450hp (336kW) Lorraine W-12 engines.

H1H2

Variant powered by either two 450hp (336kW) Lorraine W-12 or two 500hp (373kW) BMW VII engines.

H1H3

Variant powered by two 450hp (336kW) Lorraine W-12 engines.

Operators

 Japan

• Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

Specifications (H1H1)

H1H2 side elevation, all-metal hull with Dornier-type external stiffeners.^[1][2]

Data from Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft^[3]

General characteristics

• Length: 49 ft 7 in (15.11 m)
• Wingspan: 75 ft 4.5 in (22.97 m)
• Height: 17 ft 0.5 in (5.19 m)
• Wing area: 1,345.53 sq ft (125 m²)
• Empty weight: 8,862 lb (4,020 kg)
• Gross weight: 13,448 lb (6,100 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Lorraine 12E 12-cylinder piston engine , 450 hp (336 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 106 mph (170 km/h, 92 kn)
• Endurance: 14 hours 30 minutes

Armament

• 2 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns (one at bow cockpit and one midships)
• up to 300 kg (661 lb) of bombs

See also

H1H in flight.

Related development

• Felixstowe F.5
• Hiro H2H

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• English Electric Kingston
• Supermarine Swan
• Supermarine Southampton
• Saunders A.14
• Naval Aircraft Factory PN
• Supermarine Scapa
• Hall PH

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of Japan
• List of seaplanes and flying boats

References

Notes

1. Mikesh, Robert C.; Abe, Shorzoe (1990). Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941. Maryland 21402: Naval Institute Press Annapolis. ISBN 1-55750-563-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
2. Januszewski, Tadeusz; Zalewski, Kryzysztof (2000). Japońskie samoloty marynarski 1912-1945. tiel2, Lampart. ISBN 83-86776-00-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
3. Orbis 1985, p 2173

Bibliography

• Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.