Nakajima Sakae radial engine

E97797

The Nakajima Sakae radial engine was a widely used Japanese air-cooled aircraft engine of World War II, best known for powering frontline Imperial Japanese Navy and Army fighters and bombers such as the Mitsubishi A6M Zero.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf air-cooled piston engine
aircraft engine
radial engine
aircraftCategoryPowered carrier-based bombers
single-engine fighters
applicationType military aircraft
configuration 14-cylinder double-row radial
coolingSystem air-cooled
countryOfOrigin Japan
cylinderArrangement two-row radial
designCountry Japan
designGoal lightweight high-output naval fighter engine
engineCycle four-stroke
era 1930s
1940s
famousFor powering the Mitsubishi A6M Zero in early Pacific War campaigns
fuelType aviation gasoline
geopoliticalBlock Axis powers
historicalSignificance key powerplant of early-war Japanese air superiority fighters
ignitionSystem spark-ignition
manufacturer Nakajima Aircraft Company
notableApplication Mitsubishi A6M Zero NERFINISHED
Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (early prototypes)
Nakajima B5N torpedo bomber NERFINISHED
Nakajima C6N reconnaissance aircraft NERFINISHED
Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa NERFINISHED
notableTheaterOfUse Pacific Theater of World War II NERFINISHED
notedFor good power-to-weight ratio
reliability
use in frontline Japanese fighters
operatingEnvironment aircraft engine nacelle or cowling
powerOutputRange approximately 900 to 1,200 horsepower
primaryUser Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
Imperial Japanese Navy
productionCountry Japan
propulsionType propeller-driven aircraft
role carrier-based aircraft powerplant
fighter aircraft powerplant
light bomber powerplant
technologyType reciprocating internal combustion engine
usedBy Imperial Japanese Army Air Force
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
Japanese army aviation
Japanese naval aviation
usedDuring Pacific War
usedInConflict World War II
valveType overhead poppet valves

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Nakajima B5N
engineType
Mitsubishi A6M Zero
powerplant
Nakajima Sakae 11 ("Nakajima Sakae engine family")
variantOf

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