Nakajima A4N
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The Nakajima A4N was a carrier-based fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and the last biplane designed by Nakajima. The first prototype was completed in 1934, but, due to engine trouble, the aircraft did not see service until 1936. Given the Nakajima internal designation Nakajima YM, but the Japanese Navy designation was Navy Type 95 Carrier Fighter. A total of 221 were built.<ref name="Abe&Mikesh p2332"/> It saw combat in the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s.
Design and development
The A4N was a further development of and replacement for the Nakajima A2N, which was a private venture by Nakajima.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Unreliable source? The A4N was powered by the Nakajima Hikari 1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, coupled to a Hamilton two blade metal propeller, and it was armed with 7.7 mm caliber Type 97 machine guns. The aircraft was flown by one pilot.<ref name=":0" />Template:Unreliable source?<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Unreliable source?<ref name="Abe&Mikesh p2332">Template:Harvnb</ref>
In 1935, there was a combat trial of many aircraft, including the A4N, prototypes, and older aircraft, in which the A5M and Ki 10 prototype were considered the most maneuverable.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The Nakajima A4N1 was succeeded by the Mitsubishi A5M Type 96, a monoplane fighter.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Service
The A4N was one of the aircraft types involved in the Panay incident, in which Japanese forces sunk the USS Panay river gunboat. Three Yokosuka B4Y Type 96 bombers and nine Nakajima A4N Type 95 fighters attacked the boat.<ref name="Proceedings">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref> In addition to bombing the Panay, they also strafed the lifeboat evacuating wounded to shore.<ref name=":1" /> The USS Panay was evacuating nationals and foreigners, as Japanese aircraft were there in Shanghai because of the Sino-Japanese war, with the incident being resolved diplomatically.
In the Second Sino-Japanese War, A4Ns were used to escort G3M medium bombers starting in August, after they proved vulnerable to the Chinese Air Force.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Specifications (A4N1)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
Template:Nakajima aircraft Template:Japanese Navy short aircraft designations