| Aichi Kokuki | |
| Type: | Limited company |
| Industry: | Aircraft manufacturing |
| Fate: | Integrated into Nissan |
| Predecessors: | --> |
| Successor: | Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd |
| Founded: | in Nagoya, Japan |
| Founders: | --> |
| Areas Served: | --> |
| Products: | Aircraft |
| Owners: | --> |
| Parent: | Nissan |
| Website: | Aichi Kokuki corporate website |
was a Japanese aerospace manufacturer which produced several designs for the Imperial Japanese Navy. After the war, the company was reorganized as Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd (愛知機械工業) where they made small kei cars until 1966 when they were integrated into Nissan and developed the Nissan Sunny and Nissan Vanette.
The company was established in 1898 in Nagoya as Aichi Tokei Denki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha (Aichi Watch and Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.). Aircraft production started in 1920,[1] and the company relied initially on technical assistance from Heinkel,[1] which influenced some of their designs. Later, with the prodding and support of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the company started making seaplanes using technology imported from Short Brothers in the UK.[2]
During the inter-war period, Aichi was the beneficiary of technology transferred from Heinkel of Germany. At the time, a team from the League of Nations occasionally visited German aircraft manufacturers to monitor the ban on military aircraft research and production. A Japanese military attache who was a member of the monitoring team, let Heinkel know, confidentially and in advance, of the planned visits. Heinkel thus succeeded in continuing its design on the aircraft ordered by Aichi Aircraft without being spotted.[3]
In 1943 the aircraft division was spun off as Aichi Kokuki Kabushiki Kaisha (Aichi Aircraft Co., Ltd.).[4]
After the war, the company was reorganized, manufacturing kei cars under the Cony brand name in Japan. Its current descendant, Aichi Kikai Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha (Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd.), is integrated with the Nissan corporate structure.[5]
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aichi AB-1 | 1928 | 1 | Single engine biplane airliner |
| Aichi AB-2 | 1930 | 2 | Single engine biplane reconnaissance floatplane |
| Aichi AB-3 | 1932 | 1 | Single engine biplane reconnaissance floatplane |
| Aichi AB-4 | 1932 | 6 | Single engine biplane reconnaissance flying boat |
| Aichi AB-5 | 1[6] | License built single engine biplane floatplane | |
| Aichi AB-6 | 1933 | 1 | Single engine biplane reconnaissance floatplane |
| Aichi AB-7 | 2 | Single engine biplane reconnaissance floatplane | |
| 1 | Single engine biplane dive bomber | ||
| Aichi AB-9 | 1[7] | Single engine biplane dive bomber | |
| Aichi AB-10 | Single engine biplane dive bomber | ||
| Aichi AB-11 | N/A | 0 | Single engine biplane dive bomber |
| Aichi AB-12 | 1934 | 15 | Single engine biplane reconnaissance flying boat |
| Aichi AB-13 | 1936 | 2 | Single engine biplane reconnaissance floatplane |
| Aichi AB-14 | 1937 | 17 | Single engine biplane reconnaissance flying boat |
| Aichi AM-7 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt single engine monoplane reconnaissance floatplane |
| Aichi AM-10 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt single engine monoplane reconnaissance floatplane |
| N/A | 0 | Unbuilt single engine monoplane fighter or unbuilt single engine monoplane sports plane | |
| N/A | 0 | Twin engine monoplane reconnaissance flying boat | |
| Aichi AM-17 | 1938 | 1,495 | Single engine monoplane dive bomber |
| 2 | Single engine monoplane reconnaissance floatplane | ||
| Aichi AM-19 | 133 | Single engine monoplane reconnaissance floatplane | |
| Aichi AM-20 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt single engine monoplane reconnaissance airplane |
| Aichi AM-21 | 1940 | 31 | Twin engine monoplane trainer flying boat |
| Aichi AM-22 | 1942 | 256 | Single engine monoplane reconnaissance floatplane |
| Aichi AM-23 | 1942 | 114 | Single engine monoplane torpedo bomber |
| Aichi AM-24 | 1943 | 28 | Single engine monoplane dive bomber floatplane |
| Aichi AM-25 | N/A | 2 | Twin engine monoplane night fighter |
| Aichi Type H | 2 | License built single engine biplane carrier fighter | |
| Aichi Type 2 Single-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane | 1 | License built single engine biplane reconnaissance floatplane | |
| Aichi Type 15-Ko Reconnaissance Seaplane | 1925 | 4 | Single engine monoplane reconnaissance floatplane |
| Aichi Type 2 Two-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane | 16 | License built single engine biplane reconnaissance floatplane | |