View source for Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal

{{Infobox military structure
|name = Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal
|native_name = {{nihongo||海軍航空技術廠|Kaigun Kōkū Gijutsu-shō}}
|partof = [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]
|location = [[Yokosuka]]
|image = Kaigun Kokusho (Naval Air Arsenal).jpg
|caption = Yokosuka Naval Arsenal before April, 1939
|map_type = 
|map_size = 
|map_alt = 
|map_caption = 
|type = 
|coordinates = 
|code = 
|built = {{Start date|1913}}
|builder = [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]
|materials = 
|height = 
|used = 
|demolished = 
|condition = 
|ownership = 
|open_to_public = 
|controlledby = 
|garrison = 
|current_commander = 
|commanders = 
|occupants = 
|battles = 
|events = 
|image2 = 
|caption2 = 
}}

{{nihongo|'''Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal'''|海軍航空技術廠|Kaigun Kōkū Gijutsu-shō|lit. Naval Air Technical Arsenal}} had many names, each depending on the period of its existence, and the circumstances at that time. Many of the names were [[acronyms]] that were derived from its military name or designation, which changed from time to time.   The arsenal was sometimes known as "Kūgi-shō" (空技廠, a contraction of "Kō'''kū''' '''Gi'''jutsu-'''shō'''" 航空技術廠).<ref name="Francillon-446">Francillon, p 446</ref> The name Yokosuka prevailed however, even though it referred to the Arsenal's location at [[Yokosuka (city)|Yokosuka]], [[Japan]].<ref name="Mikesh">Mikesh, Robert and Shorzoe Abe. ''Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941''. London: Putnam, 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-840-2}}</ref>

==History==
The air arsenal's roots go back to 1869 when the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN) established a naval arsenal at Yokosuka, about 13 miles south of [[Yokohama]] on [[Tokyo Bay]]. The arsenal provided ship building, repair and replenishment to the Japanese Navy. It was also a storage depot where munitions and other assorted supplies were brought as they were purchased.<ref name="Mikesh" />

When a number of foreign aircraft were purchased for evaluation, the Navy brought them to the arsenal for processing. The arsenal assembled the aircraft from their shipping boxes, and when assembled, they were flown by the pilots who had been sent abroad for flying lessons and evaluate the aircraft flown.<ref name="Mikesh" />

Modifications to these aircraft were done as weaknesses were found, or when an improvement was incorporated.  To facilitate this work, the IJN established the Aeroplane Factory, Ordnance Department at the arsenal's torpedo factory in May 1913.<ref name="Mikesh" />

The next year, the first acronym was used was Yokosho, a contraction of {{Nihongo3|Yokosuka Naval Arsenal||Yokosuka Kaigun Kōshō}}. The arsenal was renamed {{Nihongo3|Naval Establishment for Aeronautical Research||Kaigun Kōkū Shiken-sho}} in December 1919. The  name {{Nihongo3|Naval Technical Research Institute||Kaigun Gijutsu Kenkyūsho}} was assigned by April, 1923, when the arsenal was moved to [[Tsukiji]] with several other Naval support units. The entire Tsukiji facility was destroyed in the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake]]. Several names were used when the navy began establishment of the arsenal. Research was started again in 1924 when several aircraft were evaluated. Under the command of the newly formed Naval Air Headquarters, the {{Nihongo3|Naval Air Arsenal||Kaigun Kokusho}} was formed at Yokosuka on 1 April 1932.  A large amount of draftsmen and Designers were transferred from the [[Hiro Naval Arsenal]], ending aircraft production there.<ref name="Mikesh" />

==The war years==
During [[World War II]], the arsenal was responsible for the design of several IJN aircraft, although the arsenal itself did not manufacture more than a few prototypes of the aircraft it designed. Its designs were mass-produced by companies such as [[Aichi Kokuki]], [[Watanabe Tekkōjo]] steel foundry, (renamed in 1943 to {{nihongo|[[Kyūshū Hikōki Kabushiki-kaisha]]|九州飛行機株式会社|Kyushu Aircraft Company Ltd|a.k.a. Kyushu Armaments}} ), and the {{Nihongo|[[Hiro Naval Arsenal]]||Hiro Kaigun Kōshō|which is often abbreviated as Hirosho}}.<ref name="Francillon-446" /> Aircraft designed by the arsenal are usually designated by the manufacturer's letter "Y" for "Yokosuka".{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

An example of the above is the [[Yokosuka D4Y|Yokosuka D4Y1]] which was mainly produced by Aichi. The D4Y1 and later models were also produced by the {{Nihongo|[[Hiro Naval Arsenal|11th Naval Arsenal]]||Dai-Jūichi Kaigun Kōkū-shō}} at [[Hiro Naval Arsenal|Hiro]].<ref name="Francillon-446" />

==Aircraft==
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2021}}
[[File:Kugisho Ne-20.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Ishikawajima Ne-20|Ne-20]] Jet engine manufactured by Yokosuka, Displayed in [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center]] Air Museum<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/ne-20-naval-air-technical-arsenal-kugisho-turbojet-engine|title=Ne-20, Naval Air Technical Arsenal, Kugisho Turbojet Engine|website=Smithsonian Air Space Museum}}</ref>|alt=]]

;Torpedo bomber
*[[Yokosuka Twin-engined Seaplane]] - 1916 biplane torpedo bomber; first Japanese twin-engine aircraft
*[[Kugisho B3Y|B3Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 92 Carrier Attack Bomber|九二式艦上攻撃機|}} -1933 biplane torpedo bomber
*[[Yokosuka B4Y|B4Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 96 Carrier Attack Bomber|九六式艦上攻撃機|}} - 'Jean' 1936 biplane torpedo bomber

;Dive bomber
*[[Yokosuka D2Y|D2Y]] - prototype dive bomber, lost to the [[Aichi D1A]]  
*[[Yokosuka D3Y|D3Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Venus|明星|Myojo}} or {{Nihongo3|Type 99 Practice Bomber Model 12|九九式練習用爆撃機一二型|}} - 1945 two-seat dive bomber/trainer based on the [[Aichi D3A]]
*[[Yokosuka D4Y|D4Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Comet|彗星|Suisei}} - 'Judy' 1942 two-seat carrier-based dive bomber
*[[Yokosuka D3Y|D5Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Venus ''modified''|明星改|Myojo-kai}} - Kamikaze version of the D3Y

;Reconnaissance aircraft
*[[Yokosuka Nakajima Tractor]] - 1915 reconnaissance seaplane
*[[Yokosuka Ho-gō Type B Seaplane|Ho-gō Type B Seaplane]] - 1916 reconnaissance seaplane
*[[Yokosuka Ho-gō Small Seaplane|Ho-gō Small Seaplane]] - 1917 reconnaissance seaplane
*[[Yokosuka Ro-gō Type A|Ro-gō Type A]] - 1918 reconnaissance floatplane 
*[[Yokosuka D4Y|D4Y1-C]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 2 Carrier Recon Aircraft Model 11|二式艦上偵察機11型|}} - 1942 ship-based reconnaissance version of D4Y, produced by Aichi
*[[Yokosuka E1Y|E1Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 14 Recon Seaplane|一四式水上偵察機|}} - 1923 reconnaissance floatplane
*[[Yokosuka Tatsu-gō Reconnaissance Seaplane|Tatsu-gō Reconnaissance Seaplane]] - 1925 reconnaissance seaplane prototype
*[[Yokosuka 1-gō Reconnaissance Seaplane|1-gō Reconnaissance Seaplane]] - 1925 submarine-based reconnaissance seaplane
*[[Yokosuka E5Y|E5Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 90-3 Recon Seaplane|九〇式三号水上偵察機|}} - 1930 reconnaissance floatplane
*[[Yokosuka E6Y|E6Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 91 Recon Seaplane|九一式水上偵察機|}} - 1933 submarine-based reconnaissance floatplane
*[[Yokosuka E14Y|E14Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 0 Small Recon Seaplane|零式小型水上偵察機|}} - 'Glen' 1941 submarine-based reconnaissance floatplane
*[[Yokosuka R1Y|R1Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Dawn Cloud|暁雲|Seiun}} - prototype reconnaissance aircraft
*[[Yokosuka R2Y|R2Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Cirrus Cloud|景雲|Keiun}} - 1945 prototype reconnaissance aircraft

;Flying boat
*[[Yokosuka H5Y|H5Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 99 Flying Boat|九九式飛行艇|}} - 'Cherry' 1939 maritime reconnaissance flying boat
*[[Yokosuka H7Y|H7Y]] - 'Tillie' 1939 prototype flying boat

;Trainer
*[[Yokosuka I-gō Type A|I-gō Type A]] - 1920 seaplane trainer
*[[Yokosuka K1Y|K1Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 13 Trainer|一三式練習機|}} - 1925 biplane trainer
*[[Avro 504|K2Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 3 Primary Trainer|三式陸上初歩練習機|}} - Japanese-built Avro 504
*[[Yokosuka K4Y|K4Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 90 Primary Trainer Seaplane|九〇式水上初歩練習機|}} - 1933 floatplane trainer
*[[Yokosuka K5Y|K5Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 93 Intermediate Trainer|九三式中間練習機|}} -'Willow' 1934 biplane trainer

;Transport
*[[Mitsubishi G3M|L3Y]] - {{Nihongo3|Type 96 Land based Transport Aircraft|九六式陸上輸送機|}} - Yokosuka-built transport version of [[Mitsubishi G3M]]

;Special purpose
*[[Yokosuka MXY1|MXY1]] - 1939 experimental parasol monoplane for aerodynamic research; built by Watanabe
*[[Yokosuka MXY1|MXY2]]
*[[Yokosuka MXY3|MXY3]] - experimental radio-controlled target glider (drone)
*[[Yokosuka MXY4|MXY4]] - experimental radio-controlled target aircraft (drone)
*[[Yokosuka MXY5|MXY5]] - transport glider
*[[Kyushu J7W Shinden|MXY6]] - unpowered gliders for development of the [[Kyushu J7W Shinden|Kyushu J7W]]
*[[Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka|MXY7]] - {{Nihongo3|Cherry Blossom|櫻花|Ohka}} - 'Baka' 1945 rocket-powered ''kamikaze'' attack aircraft
*[[Yokosuka MXY8|MXY8]] - {{Nihongo3|Autumn Grass|秋草|Akigusa}} - training glider based on the Mitsubishi J8M; known as '''Ku-13''' in IJA service
*[[Yokosuka MXY9|MXY9]] - {{Nihongo3|Autumn Flower|秋花|Shuka}} - motorjet powered version of MXY-8 (project only)
*[[Yokosuka P1Y|MXY10]] - ground non-flying decoy of P1Y
*[[Mitsubishi G4M|MXY11]]  - ground non-flying decoy of [[Mitsubishi G4M]]

;Bomber
*[[Yokosuka P1Y|P1Y]] {{Nihongo3|Galaxy|銀河|Ginga}} - 'Frances' 1944 twin-engine bomber
*{{Nihongo3|Milky Way|天河|[[Yokosuka Tenga|Tenga]]}} - jet-powered version of the P1Y (project only)

==References==
{{commons category|Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal}}

===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*Francillon, R.J. ''Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War'', Putnam, London, 1970, SBN 370 00033 1
*Mikesh, Robert and Shorzoe Abe. ''Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941''. London: Putnam, 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-840-2}}

{{Yokosuka aircraft}}
{{Japanese Naval Districts}}

{{coord missing|Kanagawa Prefecture}}

[[Category:Yokosuka]]
[[Category:Imperial Japanese Navy arsenals]]