058B - Inside Japanese Floatplanes

Most float planes (seaplanes) were used by Naval forces as scouts to detect the movements of enemy capital ships and invasion forces. As shown here, there were a large variety of float planes, each tailored for specific tasks in the air fleet.   
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 NAKAJIMA A6M2-N “Rufe”
YEAR OF DESIGN: 1940
LENGTH:  33 feet 2 inches
WINGSPAN:  39 feet 4 inches
MAX AIRSPEED: 235 MPH
CEILING: 32,300 feet

TYPICAL ARMAMENT
2 x 7.7 mm wing-mounted machine guns
2 x 20 mm fuselage-mounted machine guns
2 x wing-mounted 132-pound bombs
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Although a direct variation of the A6M Model from Mitsubishi, Nakajima was mainly responsible for seaplane production of this model throughout the war. The A6M2-N featured a high service ceiling, which provided safety. Still, the Rufe was equipped with ample firepower and two small bombs, just in case she found herself up against enemy forces.
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KAWANISHI H6K “Mavis”
YEAR OF DESIGN: 1938
LENGTH:  84 feet 3 inches
WINGSPAN:  131 feet 2 inches
MAX AIRSPEED:  211 MPH
CEILING:  31,520 feet

TYPICAL ARMAMENT
3 x 7.7 mm wing/fuselage-mounted guns
1 x 20 mm machine gun in rear turret
 [Usually equipped with 300 rounds each]
2 x wing-mounted 1760-pound torpedoes
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Since the Mavis was comparable in size to a bomber and used a crew of 9,,it was used for long-range reconnaissance, able to fly for 24-hours with a range of over 4,100 miles. Also, the Mavis often carried two Long Lance Torpedoes and was, able to operate as a Torpedo Bomber.
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