The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia

Photograph of Japanese Kinsei 51 aircraft engine

U.S. Navy. Via Francillon (1979).

The Mitsubishi Kinsei ("Golden Star" or "Venus") was an air-cooled fourteen-cylinder double row radial engine with a 140mm bore and 150mm stroke. Total volume was 1980 cubic inches (32.4 liters). It was based on the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp design and was considered highly reliable by the Japanese, though some veterans claim it had a slight tendency to leak oil from the cylinder heads. The Ha-101 and Ha-112 were very similar engines manufactured for the Japanese Army.

Model	Horsepower	Wattage	Notes
3	910 hp	679 kW	Also known as the [Ha-33] 3.
41	1075 hp (takeoff) 990 hp (9200 feet)	802 kW (takeoff) 738 kW (2800m)	Also known as the [Ha-33] 41. The 42 was a mirror engine for use on the G3M3 "Nell"
43	1000 hp (takeoff) 990 hp (9200 feet)	746 kW (takeoff) 738 kW (2800m)	Also known as the [Ha-33] 43.
44	1070 hp (takeoff) 1080 hp (6560 feet)	798 kW (takeoff) 805 kW (2000m)	Also known as the [Ha-33] 44.
51	1280 hp (takeoff) 1200 hp (9845 feet) 1100 hp (20,340 feet)	954 kW (takeoff) 895 kW (3000m) 820 kW (6200m)	Also known as the MK8A in naval service or by the joint designation [Ha-33] 51. Possibly known as the Ha-112-I in Army service. One of hte most widely used of all Japanese aircraft engine models.
54	1300 hp	969 kW	Also known as the [Ha-33] 54.
62	1560 hp	1163 kW	Also known as the MK8P or [Ha-33] 62.
Ha-101	1500 hp (takeoff) 1340 (15,090 feet)	1118 kW (takeoff) 999 kW (4600m)	Also known as Army Type 100
Ha-112	1300 hp (takeoff) 1200 hp (9.845 feet) 1100 hp (20,340 feet)	969 kW (takeoff) 895 kW (3000m) 820 kW (6200m)	Also known as [Ha-33] 42.
Ha-112-II	1500 hp (takeoff) 1250 hp (19,030 feet)	1118 kW (takeoff) 932 kW (5800m)	Also known as Army Type 4. Added a two-stage supercharger. Known as the Kinsei 61 in Navy service and may be essentially identical with the Kinsei 62.
Ha-112-II Ru	1500 hp (takeoff) 1250 hp (26,900 feet) 1000 hp (32,810 feet)	1118 kW (takeoff) 932 kW (8200m) 746 kW (10,000m)	Known as the Kinsei-Ru or MKiP-L in Navy service. Added a turbosupercharger.

This family of engines was used on the A6M "Zero", B5M "Mabel", D3A "Val", D4Y "Judy", G3M "Nell", H6K "Mavis", E13A "Jake", E16A "Paul", Ki-21 "Sally", Ki-43 "Oscar", Ki-46 "Dinah", Ki-100 "Tony", and Ki-102 "Randy".

American experts who examined Sakae and Kinsei engines in aircraft wreckage at Pearl Harbor described them as "like a Swiss watch", comparing their workmanship favorably with Allied aircraft engines.

References

Francillon (1979)

Goodwin and Starkings (2017)
Gunston (2006)
Peattie (2001)

Werneth (2008)

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Kinsei Aircraft Engine