Itoh Emi 13
| Industry | Aviation training |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1919 |
| Founder | Otojiro Itoh |
| Headquarters | Tsudanuma , Japan |
The Itoh Emi 13 was a Japanese two-seat trainer aircraft developed specifically for the Itoh flying school, introduced in two distinct versions during the years 1920 and 1921.
Design and development
Beginning in mid-1919, the flying school operated by Otojiro Itoh at Itoh Airfield in Tsudanuma primarily utilized the Itoh Emi 9 as its standard two-seat trainer. Designer Tomotari Inagaki then developed an enhanced successor model that retained the same Hall-Scott V-8 engine as its powerplant. Construction of the Emi 13 took place between the summer of 1919 and spring of 1920.
The Emi 13 was built with a wooden structure covered in fabric and featured a two-bay biplane configuration supported by parallel interplane struts. Its rectangular wings were equipped with overhung ailerons exclusively on the upper wing. The wing was mounted above the fuselage on outward-leaning cabane struts, and the fuselage included a wide trailing edge cut-out to improve visibility from the rear cockpit. The lower wings were attached directly to the lower longeron of the fuselage.
The aircraft’s nose housed a V-8 engine with its upper components exposed, complemented by a narrow rectangular radiator situated on the port side just aft of the engine. Unlike the Emi 5, which had separate cockpits, the Emi 13 featured tandem seating within a single open cockpit—placing the student beneath the central wing and the instructor near the trailing edge—to facilitate better communication. The fuselage aft section displayed rounded upper decking. Its conventional tail assembly included horizontal stabilizers mounted atop the fuselage, supported by struts from below, along with a small triangular fin and a large rounded rudder equipped with a prominent horn balance.
The landing gear consisted of a single axle fitted with large wheels suspended by rubber springs on a cross-braced frame. This frame incorporated forward legs and trailing drag struts attached to the lower longerons. A tall tailskid was installed beneath the leading edge of the tailplane.
Operational history
To showcase its performance, the Emi 13 competed in an Imperial Flying Association event held in Tokyo during August 1920, where it achieved fourth place awards for both speed at and altitude of .
By late 1920, as the Hall-Scott engine approached the end of its operational lifespan, Inagaki redesigned the aircraft to accommodate a water-cooled Curtiss OX-5 V-8 engine. This revised version, known as Emi 13 no.2, was completed by Itoh in 1921 and subsequently became the primary trainer used at the flying school.
Variants
- Emi 13 no.1
- The original variant powered by a Hall-Scott engine, first flown in 1920.
- Emi 13 no.2
- The updated model fitted with a Curtiss OX-5 engine, introduced in 1921.