The Maeda Ku-1, long designation Maeda Army Type 2 Small Glider, was a small
twin boom
A twin-boom aircraft has two longitudinal auxiliary spars, or “auxiliary booms” , that may contain ancillary components such as fuel tanks and/or provide a supporting structure for other items. Typically, twin tailbooms support the tail ...
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese
military glider
Military gliders (an offshoot of common gliders) have been used by the militaries of various countries for carrying troops ( glider infantry) and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft wer ...
. It was primarily used for training, and was superseded by the
Kokusai Ku-7, which was effectively a scaled-up version of the design.
Approximately 100 were produced.
Design and development
Professor Hirosho Sato of the Imperial university engineering college at Kyushu designed an assault glider for the
Imperial Japanese Army
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
(IJA) in response to news of airborne assaults in Europe. The prototype was manufactured by
Maeda Aircraft Corporation and designated Ku-1 (Ku - from ''Kakku'' - to glide). Once accepted for production the glider was given the long designation Maeda Army Type 2 Small Glider.
The Ku-1 was built almost entirely from wood / plywood and was a high-wing glider with twin boom tail sporting a fin and rudder at the end of each boom, with a tail-plane and elevator between the boom ends. The fuselage pod was given a streamlined shape, but with flat sides and a cockpit for two forward of the wing. The undercarriage consisted of two spatted main-wheels on short axles either side of the fuselage, with skids at nose and tail ends of the fuselage pod. The booms, attached to the wing centre-section, were wire-braced horizontally and the fins were braced by short struts on the inboard faces. Passengers and cargo were housed in the cabin below the wing, aft of the cockpit. The three piece wing consisted of the centre-section, attached to the fuselage pod and two outer panels which were tapered and carried the ailerons for roll control.
Variants
;Ku-1-I:Baseline production glider;100 built.
Specifications (Ku-1)
See also
*List of aircraft of World War II
The list of aircraft of World War II includes all of the aircraft used by countries which were at war during World War II from the period between when the country joined the war and the time the country withdrew from it, or when the war ended. Airc ...
*List of World War II military gliders
This is a complete list of Second World War military gliders. Only vehicles that reached at least the prototype stage are included in this list.
Argentina
* I.Ae. 25 Mañque, 13 soldliers and 2 crew. 1 built
Australia
* De Havilland Australia DHA ...
References
{{Japanese Army Glider Designation System
Ku-01, Maeda
1940s military gliders
Ku-1
Twin-boom aircraft