Similar to the Messerschmitt Me 262 but smaller. This was the only WWII Japanese jet aircraft capable of taking off on its own power. Only two flights were made before development was terminated.
Initially propelled by two Ishikawajima Tsu-11 "motor jet". Also known as, "Campini" motor jet after the Italian Secondo Campini.
The Tsu-11 consist of an inverted inline engine which drives a compressor. Fuel is injected into air flow creating thrust similar to an after burner. The engine is a 110 hp air-cooled four-cylinder Hitachi Hatsukaze Ha 11 which is basically a license-built Hirth HM 504.
More information and photos on the Tsu-11 can be found on the Aircraft Engine Historical Society webpage on the Tsu-11
This source states...
Engineering analysis of the engine during the restoration process suggested that the fuel injection and combustion probably contributed little to the power of the engine, with most of the thrust being produced by the compressor.
The Tsu-11 was also used to extend the range of the Kugisho MXY7.
One source list the thrust of the Tsu-11 as 440 lbs. This sounds very optimistic to me given that most of the thrust was produced by the blower. As a references a Cessna 172 with a 150 hp Lycoming produces about 450 lbs of static thrust.
The Tsu-11 was soon replaced with a pair of Ne-12 turbojets. But the Ne-12 failed to produce the needed thrust.
With information on the German BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet, the Japanese were able to build a similar axial-flow turbojet of 1,047 lbs thrust.
First flight of the first prototype was on Aug 7, 1945. Four days later the first prototype was damaged in an aborted takeoff.
The second prototype, this photograph, was almost ready for flight when the development of this aircraft was terminated, Aug 15, 1945.
