Aichi Kokuki

Coordinates: 35°08′02″N 136°53′49″E / 35.1337981°N 136.8969623°E / 35.1337981; 136.8969623 Aichi Kokuki KK (愛知航空機株式会社, Aichi Kōkūki Kabushiki Kaisha, Aichi Aircraft Co., Ltd.) was a Japanese aircraft 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.

Aichi Watch and Electric Manufacturing

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 Flugzeugwerke 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]

Aircraft

Aichi Machine Industry

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]

Automotive contributions

Nissan engines

Transmissions

  • FS6R31 - with synchronous control.
  • F30A / F50A / F70A
  • MFA60 / MFA80
  • W60A
  • R30A
  • MRA70
  • GR6

Vehicles manufactured

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 61.
  2. ↑ Odagiri 1996, p. 216.
  3. ↑ Odagiri 1996, p. 217.
  4. ↑ Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 79.
  5. ↑ "Aichi Kikai manufacturing history". Aichi Machine Industry Website. Aichi Kikai. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
Bibliography

  • Mikesh, Robert C. and Shorzoe Abe. Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-840-2.
  • Odagiri, Hiroyuki. Technology and Industrial Development in Japan. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 1996. ISBN 0-19-828802-6.
  • Aichi Kokuki corporate website
  • "Aichi Kikai manufacturing history". Aichi Machine Industry Website. Aichi Kikai. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.


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