Manchuria Airplane Manufacturing Company

The Manchuria Airplane Manufacturing Company^[1] (traditional:滿洲國飛行機製造株式會社; shinjitai: 満州国飛行機製造株式会社 Japanese Hepburn: Manshū Koku Hikōki Seizō Kabushiki Kaisha; Chinese pinyin: Mǎnzhōu Guó Fēixíngjī Zhìzào Zhūshì Huìshè) was an aircraft company in Manchukuo in the 1930s and 1940s, producing a variety of mostly military aircraft and aircraft components. It was named Manshū or Mansyuu in short.

Emblem of Manchuria Airplane Manufacturing Company

The Ki-27 and its derivates were the most commonly produced aircraft by Manshū

History

The Manchuria Airplane Manufacturing Company was established in late 1938 under the supervision of the Japanese government^[2] as a subsidiary of the Nakajima Aircraft Company of Japan.^{[citation needed]} Its main plant was located in Harbin, Manchukuo.

From 1941 to 1945, Manshū produced a total of 2,196 airframes (eighth among Japanese airframe manufacturers),^[3] of which 798 were combat aircraft. The company also produced 2,168 aircraft engines (sixth among Japanese aircraft engine manufacturers).^[4] In addition, Manshū provided repair services for a variety of aircraft in the Manchukuo Air Force and for Imperial Japanese Army Air Force units stationed in Manchukuo.

Licensed production

Manshū produced a variety of Japanese aircraft under license production agreements:

• Kawasaki Ki-10 (World War II Allied reporting name "Perry") fighter
• Kawasaki Ki-32 (Allied reporting name "Mary") light bomber
• Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu (Allied reporting name "Nick") twin-engined fighter
• Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Allied reporting name "Tony") fighter
• Kawasaki Type 88 (KDA-2) light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft
• Mitsubishi Ki-15 (Allied reporting name "Babs") reconnaissance aircraft
• Mitsubishi Ki-30 (Allied reporting name "Ann") light bomber
• Mitsubishi Ki-46 (Allied reporting name "Dinah") reconnaissance aircraft
• Manshū Super Universal (license built Fokker Super Universal)
• Nakajima Ki-27 (Allied reporting name "Nate") light fighter (1,379 units)
• Nakajima Ki-34 (Allied reporting name "Thora") transport
• Nakajima Ki-43Ia Hayabusa (Allied reporting name "Oscar") fighter
• Nakajima Ki-44Ia Shoki (Allied reporting name "Tojo") fighter
• Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Allied reporting name "Frank") advanced fighter (94 units)
• Nakajima Ki-116 advanced fighter, also known as Manshū Ki-116
• Nakajima Type 91 (NC) fighter
• Tachikawa Ki-9 (Allied reporting name "Spruce") intermediate trainer
• Tachikawa Ki-54 (Allied reporting name "Hickory") advanced trainer
• Tachikawa Ki-55 (Allied reporting name "Ida") advanced trainer

Independent designs

Manshū also developed a number of aircraft independently:

• Manshū Hayabusa I, II, and III airliner (30 units)
• Manshū Ki-79 advanced trainer version of Nakajima Ki-27
• Manshū Ki-71 dive bomber prototype (Allied reporting name "Edna")
• Mansyū Ki-98 advanced twin-boom high-altitude interceptor project

Among the Manshū independent designs, however, only the Ki-79 advanced trainer reached mass production, as the Army Type 2 Advanced Trainer.^[5]