Manchuria Airplane Manufacturing Company
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation, Military aircraft manufacturing |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Fate | Defunct |
| Headquarters | Harbin , Manchukuo |
Area served | Manchukuo, Japan |
| Products | Military aircraft, aircraft engines, maintenance and repair services |
| Owner | Nakajima Aircraft Company (parent company) |
| Parent | Nakajima Aircraft Company |
The Manchuria Airplane Manufacturing Company (in traditional: 滿洲國飛行機製造株式會社; shinjitai: 満州国飛行機製造株式会社; Japanese Hepburn: Manshū Koku Hikōki Seizō Kabushiki Kaisha; Chinese) was an aviation producer based in Manchukuo during the 1930s and 1940s, focusing mainly on military aircraft and their parts. It was frequently referred to as Manshū or Mansyuu.
History
Founded in late 1938 under the oversight of the Japanese government, Manshū functioned as a subsidiary of Japan's Nakajima Aircraft Company, with its principal manufacturing facility located in Harbin, Manchukuo.
From 1941 to 1945, Manshū completed 2,196 airframes, ranking eighth among Japanese aircraft manufacturers, including 798 combat planes. The company also produced 2,168 aircraft engines, placing it sixth among Japanese engine makers. Beyond manufacturing, Manshū offered maintenance and repair services for both the Manchukuo Air Force and the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force units stationed in the region.
Licensed production
Under licensing agreements, Manshū built several Japanese aircraft models, such as:
- Kawasaki Ki-10 ("Perry") fighter
- Kawasaki Ki-32 ("Mary") light bomber
- Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu ("Nick") twin-engine fighter
- Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien ("Tony") fighter
- Kawasaki Type 88 (KDA-2) light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft
- Mitsubishi Ki-15 ("Babs") reconnaissance plane
- Mitsubishi Ki-30 ("Ann") light bomber
- Mitsubishi Ki-46 ("Dinah") reconnaissance aircraft
- Manshū Super Universal, licensed version of the Fokker Super Universal
- Nakajima Ki-27 ("Nate") light fighter (1,379 units produced)
- Nakajima Ki-34 ("Thora") transport aircraft
- Nakajima Ki-43Ia Hayabusa ("Oscar") fighter
- Nakajima Ki-44Ia Shoki ("Tojo") fighter
- Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate ("Frank") advanced fighter (94 units produced)
- Nakajima Ki-116, also identified as Manshū Ki-116 advanced fighter
- Nakajima Type 91 (NC) fighter
- Tachikawa Ki-9 ("Spruce") intermediate trainer
- Tachikawa Ki-54 ("Hickory") advanced trainer
- Tachikawa Ki-55 ("Ida") advanced trainer
Independent designs
Several aircraft were designed independently by Manshū, including:
- Manshū Hayabusa I, II, and III airliners (30 units manufactured)
- Manshū Ki-79, an advanced trainer derived from the Nakajima Ki-27 design
- Manshū Ki-71, a prototype dive bomber (known to Allies as "Edna")
- Mansyū Ki-98, a conceptual high-altitude interceptor featuring a twin-boom design
Among these models, only the Ki-79 advanced trainer proceeded to large-scale production under the designation Army Type 2 Advanced Trainer.