Ishikawajima Ne-20

Ne-20
	Ishikawajima Ne-20
Type	Turbojet
Manufacturer	Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries
First run	1945
Major applications	Nakajima Kikka
Number built	c.5

The Ishikawajima Ne-20 (Japanese: 石川島ネ-20) was Japan's first turbojet engine. It was developed during World War II in parallel with the nation's first military jet, the Nakajima Kikka.

Design and development

The decision to manufacture this engine came about because of the unsuitability of two earlier powerplants selected for the Kikka, the Tsu-11 and the Ne-12. The Ne-20 was made possible by Imperial Japanese Navy engineer Eichi Iwaya obtaining photographs and a single cut-away drawing of the German BMW 003 engine.

Only a small number of these engines, perhaps fifty, were produced before the end of the war. Two of them were used to power the Kikka on its only flight on August 7, 1945. Only a few of the engines under construction survived. It was also planned to use the engine to power a version of the Ohka kamikaze weapon, but this was not implemented before the end of the war.

Variants

Ne-20: Standard production engines
Ne-20-Kai: Up-rated version

Engines on display

Ishikawajima Ne-20 turbojet on display at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Three Ne-20s have been preserved to the present day, one at Ishikawajima-Harima's internal company museum in Tanashi, and two at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Specifications (Ne-20)

Data from Turbojet History and Development 1930–1960 Volume 2:USSR, USA, Japan, France, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Hungary^[1]

General characteristics

Type: Turbojet engine
Length: 2700 mm
Diameter: 620 mm
Dry weight: 470 kg

Components

Compressor: 8-stage Axial compressor
Combustors: Annular combustion chamber
Turbine: 1-stage axial turbine

Performance

Maximum thrust: 475 kgf (4.66 kN, 1,047 lbf) at 11,000 rpm
Specific fuel consumption: 1.5 lb/(lb h)
Thrust-to-weight ratio: 1.01

References

^ Kay, Anthony L. (2007). Turbojet History and Development 1930–1960 Volume 2:USSR, USA, Japan, France, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press. p. 258. ISBN 9781861269393.

Bibliography

Goodwin, Mike & Starkings, Peter (2017). Japanese Aero-Engines 1910-1945. Sandomierz, Poland: MMPBooks. ISBN 978-83-65281-32-6.

External links

Kugisho Ne-20, Naval Air Technical Arsenal, Turbojet Engine -National Air and Space Museum

[Kayvol2-1] Kay, Anthony L. (2007). Turbojet History and Development 1930–1960 Volume 2:USSR, USA, Japan, France, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press. p. 258. ISBN 9781861269393.

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