Japanese WWII a/c designation

I am guessing "Kitai Bango" = Machine Number.  This nomenclature was used by the Imperial Japanese army.

The navy had a different system which described the plane type, model number, manufacturer, and version.  For example, the A6M2 Zero was a fighter, the 6th fighter model by Mitsubishi, and the 2nd variant.

My memory is fuzzy, but for the first letter:

A = Fighter (Attakku?  )

B = Carrier Based Bomber

D = Dive Bomber

G = Land Based Bomber

H = Flying boat

J = Interceptor

And the second letter:

A = Aichi

K = Kawanishi

M = Mitsubishi

W = Kyushu

Y = Yokosuka Arsenal

And so on and so forth.  The Army used a much simpler system!

G nailed it -- the prefix 'Ki' is an abbreviation of 'Kitai,' meaning 'airframe,' and was used only by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.

Note also that 'Ki' should be read as one word, not as separate letters.

The IJN system was very similar to the USN system, but the IJA system markedly different than that used by the USAAC/USAAF which at least differentiated airframe types by their role.

Correcto mundo Greg!  It's "Kee", not "Kay Eye".  A common mistake that even I used for many years.

Thanks folks,mystery in my head solved.

Real G

It's "Kee", not "Kay Eye".  A common mistake that even I used for many years.

I think most of us did! Since most of us 'wingnuts' grew up talking about "bee eff 109's" and "em ee 262's," it was a perfectly natural mistake. It often takes hearing a native-speaker pronounce any oft-used word -- or town name -- to realize what we may have been mangling most of our lives....

[Like...Ta-MEE-ya or Ta-MY-ya?? Or even, Saint LOO-is or Saint Loo-EE??? ]

Indeed.  TA-me-ya, not Ta-MAI-ya.  

And for the MaK fans, Strahl, not Shu-to-ral!    I really thought it was Shu-to-ral back in 1985.

I do wonder why the IJA and IJN had such disparate numbering systems for their aircraft.  I guess the US was similar, the USAAC had a much simpler system than the USN.

Across the world in two countries:

"What kind of airplanes do we have men?"

"AAARMY planes Sir!!!"

The pre McNamara USN aircraft designations could be quite confusing, not to mention spread out over from biplanes to supersonic jets.

F4B - a Boeing biplane fighter

F4C - a Curtiss biplane fighter

F4D - a Douglas delta wing jet fighter

F4F - a Grumman monoplane piston engine fighter

F4H - McDonnel's original classic multi role supersonic twin jet fighter

F4U - Chance Vought's classic inverted gull winged piston engine Corsair