The Nakajima Aircraft Company (中島飛行機株式会社, Nakajima Hikōki Kabushiki Kaisha) was a prominent Japanese aircraft manufacturer and aviation engine manufacturer throughout World War II.
It continues as the car and aircraft manufacturer Subaru.
The Nakajima Aircraft company was Japan's first aircraft manufacturer, and was founded in 1918 by Chikuhei Nakajima, a naval engineer, and Seibei Kawanishi, a textile manufacturer, as Nihon Hikoki (Nippon Aircraft). In 1919, the two founders split and Nakajima bought out Nihon Aircraft's factory with tacit help from the Imperial Japanese Army. The company was renamed Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1919.
Koizumi plant, near Nishi-Koizumi station. Critically damaged by American bombardment on April 3, 1945. Currently a Sanyo plant.
After World War II
After Japan's defeat in World War II, the company was forced to close, as the production and research of aircraft was prohibited by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. This had a severe impact on Nakajima as one of the two largest aircraft manufacturers in Japan; the second was Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). Unlike MHI, Nakajima did not diversify into shipbuilding and general machinery, and so was forced to dissolve into a number of spin-off companies set up by its former managers, engineers, and workers. As a result, leading aeronautical engineers from the company, such as Ryoichi Nakagawa, helped transform Japan's automobile industry.
Ki-118 - short-range fighter modified from the Mitsubishi A7M (project only)
Ki-337 - two-seat fighter (project only)
Ki-201 - Karyū (火龍, Fire Dragon) - prototype 1945 Army jet fighter/attack aircraft with strong resemblance to the German Messerschmitt Me 262, project only
Sakae (栄, Prosperity) - powered both the Mitsubishi A6MZero, and its own Nakajima Ki-43Oscar fighters. Known as Type 99 in Army service and NK1 in Navy service
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