World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe E15K Shiun ("Purple Cloud") floatplanes were requested by the Japanese Navy in 1939, and the Kawanishi Aircraft Company delivered the first prototype in late 1941. As the Japanese Navy wanted reconnaissance aircraft that could escape faster pursuit aircraft, E15K floatplanes were designed so that the stabilizing floats could be retracted into the wings and the central floats could be jettisoned in emergency situations; when both actions were executed, E15K aircraft's top speed could theoretically gain an additional 90 kilometers per hour (50 knots); faults in the retraction system for the stabilizing floats would be found during testing, and it would ultimately be deleted from production models. Between 1941 and 1942, six prototype aircraft were delivered and tested. The design was ordered into limited production as Navy Type 2 High-speed Reconnaissance Seaplane Shiun Model 11. 6 of the first production examples served and the Palau Islands and were destroyed by US forces. After investigation, it was found that the central floats all failed to jettison as designed. In frustration at the repeated design failures, the Japanese Navy leadership canceled the production of the design in Feb 1944 after only 6 prototype and 9 production examples were built.

ww2dbaseThe Allies gave the E15K Shiun aircraft the codename of "Norm", named after Royal Australian Air Force Squadron Leader Norman Clappison.

E15K Shiun Timeline

SPECIFICATIONS

E15K1

Machinery	One Mitsubishi MK4S Kasei 24 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine rated at 1,540hp with two dual-blade contra-rotating propellers
Armament	1x7.7mm machine gun in rear cockpit
Crew	2
Span	14.00 m
Length	11.59 m
Height	4.95 m
Wing Area	30.00 m²
Weight, Empty	3,165 kg
Weight, Loaded	4,100 kg
Weight, Maximum	4,900 kg
Speed, Maximum	468 km/h
Speed, Cruising	296 km/h
Service Ceiling	9,836 m
Range, Normal	3,373 km

Photographs