Shiun = Violet Cloud was called "Norm" after Squadron Leader Norman O Clappison RAAF of the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit.
Klaatu83, e-mail, 21.12.2014 16:10
The Japanese Navy's Shiun had no equivalent anywhere else in the world. It was intended as a high-performance reconnaissance seaplane to be deployed from cruisers or island bases. It's intended mission was to locate targets for attack by waiting submarine flotillas. The Shiun's performance was supposed to be sufficient to evade interception by enemy fighters. The wing floats were retractable and, in case of attack, the center float was designed to be jettisoned in order to increase speed to enable the plane to escape. However, in practice the plane's performance proved insufficient to escape from enemy fighters and the float jettison mechanism did not work. As a result, only 15 were built before the program was cancelled.
Trervor Web, e-mail, 09.02.2012 04:18
Yes 21 guns is incorrect the aircraft had a single moveable gun in the rear cockpit and did normally carry bombs as it was puely a reconnaissance aircraft.
Naga, 09.08.2011 21:14
Is the armament count of 21 machineguns accurate, or was it a mistake?
Naga, 09.08.2011 21:14
Is the armament count of 21 machineguns accurate, or was it a mistake?
daxiong, 21.06.2011 05:54
wing floats were to stay retracted during landing on water, and would then keep the plane afloat.
Mike Dunn, e-mail, 09.05.2011 16:03
Neat design for an aircraft that first flew in 1941! Would have been a hot ship without the floats!!!
Andy, 03.05.2010 05:50
Based on comments in Wiki I reckon the top speed with the float jettisoned would hve been about 340mph or thereabouts.
TinyTim, e-mail, 21.06.2009 01:28
Central float was jettisonable (in order to increase speed in case of being pursued by fighters), and wing floats were retractable. In an event of jettisoning the main float, wing floats were to stay retracted during landing on water, and would then keep the plane afloat.
Is there any data anywhere about the max. speed of this interesting plane in the high speed configuration (i.e. main float jettisoned, wing floats retracted)? I'd be much obliged for seeing one.
