# Aichi E16A

The Aichi E16A Zuiun (瑞雲 "Auspicious Cloud", Allied reporting name Paul) was a two-seat reconnaissance seaplane operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

## Design and development

The Aichi E16A originated from a 1939 specification for a replacement for the Aichi E13A, which, at that time, had yet to be accepted by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS). Disagreements about the requirements in the 14-Shi specification prevented most manufacturers from submitting designs, but, in 1941, a new 16-Shi specification was drafted by the IJNAS around the Aichi AM-22 design, which had already been made by Aichi engineers Kishiro Matsuo and Yasuhiro Ozawa.
The first AM-22, which first got the experimental designation Navy Experimental 16-Shi Reconnaissance Seaplane and later the short designation E16A1, was completed by May 1942 and was a conventional, low-wing monoplane equipped with two floats. It had the unusual (for a seaplane) feature of being equipped with dive brakes, located in the front legs of the float struts, to allow it to operate in a secondary role as a dive bomber.

## Variants
### E16A1 Experimental Type 16 reconnaissance seaplane (16試水上偵察機, 16-Shi Suijō Teisatsuki)

    Initial named Experimental Type 14 two-seat reconnaissance seaplane (14試2座水上偵察機, 14-Shi 2-Za Suijō Teisatsuki). 3 prototypes produced. Mounted 1,300 hp (970 kW) Mitsubishi MK8A Kinsei 51 engine, 2 × forward-firing 7.7 mm (.303in) Type 97 machine guns, 1 × rearward-firing 7.7 mm Type 92 machine gun.

### E16A1 Zuiun Model 11 (瑞雲11型, Zuiun 11-gata)

    General production model. Mounted 1,300 hp (970 kW) Mitsubishi MK8N Kinsei 54 engine, 2 × forward-firing 20 mm Type 99-2 cannons, 1 × rearward-firing 13 mm Type 2 machine gun.

### E16A2 Provisional name Zuiun Model 12 (仮称瑞雲12型, Kashō Zuiun 12-gata)

    Initial named Zuiun Model 22. Single prototype with a 1,560 hp (1,160 kW) Mitsubishi MK8P Kinsei 62 radial engine. One plane converted from E16A1, incomplete.

## Operators
### Japan

* Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
* Naval vessel
** Battleship Ise, supplied from 634th Kōkūtai.
** Battleship Hyūga, supplied from 634th Kōkūtai.
* Air unit
** Kitaura Kōkutai
** Yokosuka Kōkutai
** 634th Kōkutai
** 801st Kōkutai
** 301st Reconnaissance Hikōtai
** 302nd Reconnaissance Hikōtai

## Specifications (E16A1 Zuiun Model 11)

Data from Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War
General characteristics
* Crew: 2
* Length: 10.833 m (35 ft 6 in)
* Wingspan: 12.81 m (42 ft 0 in)
* Height: 4.791 m (15 ft 9 in)
* Wing area: 28 m$^2$ (300 sq ft)
* Empty weight: 2,945 kg (6,493 lb)
* Gross weight: 3,900 kg (8,598 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 4,553 kg (10,038 lb)
* Powerplant: 1 × Mitsubishi MK8D Kinsei 54 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 970 kW (1,300 hp) for take-off
             895 kW (1,200 hp) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
             820 kW (1,100 hp) at 6,200 m (20,300 ft)
* Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller
Performance
* Maximum speed: 439 km/h (273 mph, 237 kn) at 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
* Cruise speed: 333 km/h (207 mph, 180 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
* Range: 1,176 km (731 mi, 635 nmi)
* Ferry range: 2,420 km (1,500 mi, 1,310 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
* Rate of climb: 10 m/s (2,000 ft/min)
* Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 4 minutes 40 seconds
* Wing loading: 139.3 kg/m$^2$ (28.5 lb/sq ft)
* Power/mass: 0.25 kW/kg (0.15 hp/lb)
Armament
* Guns:
** 2 fixed forward-firing 20 mm (0.787 in) Type 99 Mark 2 machine guns in the wings
** 1 flexible rearward-firing 13 mm (0.512 in) Type 2 machine gun for the observer
* Bombs:
** 250 kg (551 lb) of bombs