In the final stages of World War II, Japan was struggling to get back on even terms against the Allies with state-of-the-art aviation technology. One such effort was the Nakajima Kikka, Japan’s first jet aircraft, which had a broad base from the Messerschmitt Me 262 of Germany. The Kikka, meaning “Orange Blossom,” was a powerful example of Japanese ingenuity and a bold move against the jet technology that was bursting forth in Europe.
Development of the Kikka was initiated in September 1944 under engineers Kazuo Ohno and Kenichi Matsumura, who were following the directive put forth by the Japanese naval staff. The design included many features of the Me 262—twin-jet and single-seat. However, the Kikka was much smaller, and its wings were foldable to permit concealment in caves, a feature deemed necessary in light of the constant Allied bombing campaigns.
One of the biggest problems with the Kikka was in its propulsion. Preliminary work with the Ne-12 turbojet engine was considered to be poor, thus making way for the Ne-20 engine. This motor, a copy of the German BMW 003 from photographs and notes, produced 1,047 pounds of thrust. While the Ne-20 sufficed for short-burst missions, the turbine blades could not withstand operation for long periods because of a lack of high-strength alloy metals.
The first flight of the Kikka was on August 7, 1945, with Lieutenant Commander Susumu Takaoka at the controls. The 20-minute test flight was without problems and indicated this bomber’s potential. The second flight took place on August 11, whereupon it crashed because the rocket-assisted takeoff units had been fitted at an angle too far forward. This misfortune, combined with the Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945, brought a rapid end to further development.
Although the Kikka had an extremely short operational history, it represented quite an advance technologically for Japan. Thus, the estimated range with a 500 kg bomb load was 205 km, while the speed reached 696 km/h. For comparative purposes, the German Me 262 had a range of 845 km and a top speed of 870 km/h, thereby rating the Kikka somewhat lower in its capabilities.
Several incomplete Kikka airframes were dispatched to the United States for study after the war. Today, two remnants of the Kikka project are preserved in the National Air and Space Museum: one airframe, assembled from multiples incomplete, kept at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Maryland, and another, supposedly constructed for load testing and now on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.
One of the most interesting stories regarding this period in the history of aviation pertains to the Nakajima Kikha, a case that reflects how innovation occurred within Japan under heavy pressure during the late-war period. Though “too little, too late,” the Kikka stands as a testament to human doughtiness—the unrelenting human spirit for technological progress amidst adversity.