The Naval Air Technical Arsenal, Kugisho, designed and manufactured the Ne-20 for Japan's first jet aircraft capable of taking off under its own power, the Nakajima Kikka (Orange Blossom). The project was a hurried response to Japan's loss of air superiority at the 1944 Battle of the Marianas. The Ne-20 was an indigenous design, but the German BMW 003 turbojet engine was a major influence.
The first flight of the twin-engine Kikka was on August 7, 1945. Test pilots attempted a second flight before the Japanese surrender on August 15. Only a few of the engines under construction were saved. This one was removed from the second aircraft prototype, which was confiscated by American forces at the end of World War II.
Transferred from the U.S. Navy
Date: 1945
Country of Origin: Japan
Physical Description:
Type: Turbojet
Thrust: 4,657 N (1,047 lb) at 11,000 rpm
Compressor: 8-stage axial
Combustor: Annular
Turbine: Single-stage axial
