| Sakae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nakajima Sakae engine on a Mitsubishi Zero | |
| Type | Piston aircraft engine |
| Manufacturer | Nakajima |
| First run | 1939 |
| Major applications | Mitsubishi A6M Nakajima Ki-43 Kawasaki Ki-48 |
| Number built | 30,233 |
| Developed from | Nakajima Ha5 |
| Developed into | Nakajima Homare |
The Nakajima Sakae (栄, Glory) was a two-row, 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine used in a number of combat aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II.[1]
The engine was designed by Nakajima Aircraft Company with code name NAM, as a scaled-down and advanced version of the previous NAL design (Army Type 97 850 hp radial engine, Nakajima Ha5).[2] The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force called the first of the series the Ha25 (ハ25) and later versions were designated Ha105 and Ha115, in the Hatsudoki designation system and Ha-35 in the unified designation system, while the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service designation was Nakajima NK1, with sub-types identified by Model numbers; thus Nakajima NK1 Sakae 10, 20 and 30 series.
A total of 21,166 were made by Nakajima; 9,067 were manufactured by other firms.
A small number of original Sakae powerplants are on display in aviation museums, usually mounted into the airframes of restored Mitsubishi A6M Zeros. Only one airworthy Zero worldwide still flies with a restored Sakae powerplant, the Planes of Fame Museum's A6M5 example, bearing tail number "61-120".[3][4]
Data from TAIC Manual [5]
