Itoh Emi 29
| Industry | Aviation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1923 |
| Products | Civil transport aircraft |
The Itoh Emi 29 "Taihoku-go" was a Japanese civil transport aircraft from the 1920s, designed with an enclosed cabin accommodating two passengers. Recognized as Japan's inaugural "limousine"-style airplane, the single example briefly served on the Osaka to Tokyo route.
Design and development
Constructed in 1923 for Wen-Ta Shie, a Taiwanese aviator under Japanese administration, the Taihoku-go represented Japan's pioneering civil aircraft to feature a limousine-type enclosed passenger compartment. Comparable European designs appeared after World War I, often involving either adapted military surplus planes or specifically built models such as the 1919 Westland Limousine. Notably, this aircraft positioned the pilot in an open cockpit situated above or ahead of the passenger cabin.
The Emi 29 was configured as a two-bay biplane with wooden wings covered in fabric, braced by parallel interplane struts and a short cabane structure. Both upper and lower wings had ailerons connected externally. Propulsion came from a 220 hp Hispano-Suiza 8B water-cooled V-8 engine, equipped with side-mounted radiators located behind the engine and fuel tanks housed within the central section of the upper wing. The pilot's cockpit was placed forward and separated from the glazed cabin designed for two passengers, which was mounted atop the upper fuselage longerons. The fuselage featured plywood skinning aft of the cabin, transitioning to fabric covering further back. Its conventional tail assembly included a tailplane with balanced elevators mounted on top of the fuselage and a triangular fin fitted with a balanced rudder.
The landing gear consisted of a wide-track fixed undercarriage with main wheels connected by a single axle supported by V-shaped struts attached to the lower fuselage longerons, accompanied by a tailskid.
Operational history
Operated by Tozai Teiki Kokukai on the Tokyo to Osaka route, the Taihoku-go experienced only limited service.