The Nakajima J9Y Kikka is one of the more interesting, obscure aspects of World War II flying. It was a Japanese twin-engine jet combat aircraft and the only jet aircraft the country would produce during the war that could lift off under its power. The Kikka never saw combat despite its huge potential.
The Kikka was indirectly influenced by Germany’s Messerschmitt Me 262. Having seen the flight trials of the Me 262 in 1944, Japan’s German air attaché was inspired to have the Japanese develop a similar jet-powered attack aircraft. The design work started in September 1944 under Kazuo Ohno and Kenichi Matsumura, following an Imperial Japanese Navy requirement.
The prototype of the Kikka took to the skies on August 7, 1945, from Kisarazu Naval Air Force Base. This prototype, however, crashed only four days later. Four days later, Japan would surrender to the Allies, thus marking an abrupt end to the development of the Kikka. Only one prototype had flown by the time of surrender, and about 25 units were in various stages of production. Postwar, several Kikkas had been dispatched to the United States for evaluation. Today, it is under restoration for display at the National Air and Space Museum as the sole remaining J9Y.
Although the Kikka never developed beyond the prototype stage, there were some variants in development. For instance, a two-seat trainer version, a reconnaissance variant, and a fighter version that was equipped with two 30 mm cannons.
The Kikka was powered by two Ne-20 axial-flow turbojets that gave it a top speed of 433 mph, a range of 586 miles, and the capability of 39,370 feet. The aircraft was designed to carry a single crew member and had an empty weight of 5,071 lbs. It measured 26 ft 8 in in length, 32 ft 9 in in wingspan, and 9 ft 8 in in height. The armament included two 30 mm cannons and one bomb of up to 1,764 lbs.
In a word, the Nakajima J9Y Kikka stands as a very interesting “might have been” in the annals of military aviation history. Although the development of this aircraft never saw combat, it shows how fast aviation technology was advancing during World War II and how Japan was only trying to catch up with its enemies.