H6K4

H6K4

Ki-21-Ia

H6K4

Ki-21-Ia

Japan

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	1.7	2.3

Class:

Bomber

Hydroplane

Torpedo bomber

Research:5 900

Purchase:6 300

Show in game

Description

The H6K4 is a rank I Japanese flying boat/heavy bomber with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB), 1.7 (RB), and 2.3 (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight performance

The H6K4 has decidedly bad flight performance given it's large size. The aircraft has an abysmal top speed, meaning that it can be outrun by most biplanes at it's battle rating. As well, the aircraft has lacklustre acceleration, and an almost-nonexistent climb rate. The aircraft's maneuverability is just as bad, given it's massive size - turning and rolling are all rather difficult maneuvres to perform. The aircraft can feel extremely sluggish (basically a brick with wings) when performing maneuvers, even more so than conventional heavy bombers. The aircraft's camera angle in AB / RB is also extremely weird, as it looks downwards onto the aircraft. On the plus side, the aircraft has a slow stall speed, to permit it's use as a hydroplane.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 4,100 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	311	303	9560	23.3	24.0	5.3	5.3	396
Upgraded	341	325		22.0	22.6	8.9	6.9

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
0	450	520	~3	~2

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 240	< 240	< 240	> 341

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,500 m	1,050 hp	1,123 hp

Survivability and armour

• No armour
• Non-self-sealing fuel tanks (8 in the mid-fuselage, 6 in each wing)

Armaments

Suspended armament

The H6K4 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 12 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 bombs (720 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg Navy Type Number 25 Model 2 bombs (500 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg Navy Type 98 Number 25 bombs (500 kg total)
• 2 x 500 kg Navy Type Number 50 Model 2 bombs (1,000 kg total)
• 2 x 800 kg Navy Type Number 80 Model 1 bombs (1,600 kg total)
• 2 x 800 kg Navy Type 99 Number 80 AP bombs (1,600 kg total)
• 2 x Type 91 Mod.2 torpedoes
• 2 x Type 91 Mod.3 torpedoes

Defensive armament

The H6K4 is defended by:

• 1 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 navy cannon, tail turret (432 rpg)
• 1 x 7.7 mm Type 92 navy machine gun, nose turret (582 rpg)
• 1 x 7.7 mm Type 92 navy machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (582 rpg)
• 1 x 7.7 mm Type 92 navy machine gun, dorsal turret (582 rpg)

Usage in battles

The H6K4 is an interesting aircraft to fly in air battles, given it's massive size, decent defensive armament and ordnance load. The aircraft can be used as a conventional bomber in Air battles, delivering it's large payload on bases. It can also be used in naval battles, with it's large load of two torpedoes and the ability to cap bases. However, no matter what way you play this aircraft, be aware that it is huge. The large size of the aircraft makes it an attractive target for fighters, SPAAs and naval AA guns alike.

The first possible playstyle for the H6K4 is that of a conventional bomber - the aircraft's large payload of 1600 kg (2 x 800 kgs) allows it to destroy bases with ease, However, there are several limitations to this approach that should be considered. Firstly, the aircraft lacks landing gear (because it is a hydroplane), meaning that it is unable to land on conventional airfields. You can still try, but take care to land the aircraft slowly to avoid the risk of crashing. As well, the aircraft only carries two bombs max - this limits the number of bases, or targets, that you can hit. Depending on circumstance, a single bomb may not be enough to destroy a base - in that case, you will need to expend both bombs on a single base.

The second option for this aircraft would be in naval battles. The aircraft's large armament and floatplane abilities allow it to be used as a base-capper. The aircraft carries a pair of Type 91 torpedoes (Mod. 2 or 3) which are highly effective against any target up to destroyer-size. However, these torpedoes will be hard to aim against small targets such as MTBs, as smaller vessels are typically very maneuverable. Note that you may want to attack from afar when flying this aircraft - the aircraft is unarmoured, and any hits from ship-based AA guns may set your large plane on fire.

If being pursued by enemy fighters, the H6K4's massive size and slow speed will prevent it from running away effectively. Thus, your only hope would be the H6K4's defensive armament - this is one sector where the H6K4 excels. Being a Japanese bomber, the H6K is very well armed for it's BR and carries a total of five guns. There are four single 7.7mm machine gun, and a 20mm cannon in the tail position. However, note that the H6K4 doesn't have any defensive positions underneath the fuselage - after all, it is a hydroplane. This means that you are completely vulnerable from underneath. To remedy this, attempt to bait pursueing aircraft above you or behind - this way, they can be hit by the highly-effective 20mm cannon defending the rear.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Turret 7 mm	12 in (mod30)
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs (turret)	17 3/4 in (mod45)
III	Wings repair	Engine		Turret 20 mm	Improved torpedo
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 20 mm cannons (turret)	14 in (mod35)

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Can carry different payloads for different targets, including torpedos
• Can land on water, thus you can capture zones with it in naval battles
• Being able to carry two 800 kg HE bombs is an effective payload capacity for Its battle rating
• Decent defensive armament for the rank

Cons:

• Very slow aircraft that cannot outrun any other plane really
• Defensive armaments has dead-zones which can make it difficult to engage incoming aircraft
• Slow fire rate on the turrets, Type 92 machine guns fire at 600 RPM
• The steering of the aircraft and It's overall flight characteristics is somewhat slow and clunky
• Awkward default camera angle

History

In-game description

A quad-engined all-metal parasol-wing monoplane flying boat. An experimental version, the Type S, made its first flight on July 14, 1936. The plane was approved by the Imperial Japanese Navy as Type 97 Large Flying Boat in 1937. Mass production began in 1938.

The most common variant was model 22 (H6K4), created in 1940. The first 119 planes were fitted with a air-cooled 14-cylinder twin-row radial Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 engine (1000 hp). Afterwards, the slightly more powerful Kinsei 46 was used. The H6K4 carried more fuel than earlier models, increasing its maximum range to 25 hours, or 6000 kilometers. Its fuselage included waist blisters fitted with machine guns, which required a slightly longer tail section.

The H6K4 was armed with four 7.7mm Type 97 (Lewis) machine guns with 582 rounds apiece and, in the tail turret, one 20mm Type 99-I cannon with 432 rounds. The flying boat could carry twelve 60-kg bombs, four 250-kg bombs, or two 800-kg Type 91 Model 1 torpedoes.

A major weakness of all H6K flying boats was the lack of protective armor for the crew and for the fuel tanks. This was sacrificed for the sake of its extended flight range. When the plane started to suffer losses in combat, designers of later Model 22 planes began to focus on protecting the crew.

The H6K flying boat's first combat action was a raid on Wake Island on December 11, 1941. The plane was widely used in the Pacific theater during the first part of the war. The H6K ran long-range reconnaissance missions, convoy escort duty, submarine searches, bombing missions, and search and rescue operations. When the newer H8K arrived, the H6K began to be used mostly as a transport plane. The plane was in operation until the Japanese surrender in 1945.

127 H6K4s were built, out of a total of 217 H6Ks.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the H6K4 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #222 - Pages of History section at 03:55 discusses air combats between the H6K4 and B-17s in the Pacific.

See also

Related development

• H8K2
• H8K3

Aircraft of a similar role, configuration or era

• PBY-5 Catalina
• Sunderland Mk IIIa

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.

Kawanishi Aircraft Company (川西航空機)
Fighters	J6K1
N1K	N1K1-Ja · N1K2-J · N1K2-Ja
Bombers	H6K4 · H8K2 · H8K3
Hydroplane	N1K1 · E7K2

Japan bombers
Navy
Carrier-based attack bomber
B5N	B5N2
B6N	B6N1 · B6N2 · B6N2a
B7A	B7A2 · B7A2 (Homare 23)
Carrier-based dive bomber
D3A	D3A1
D4Y	D4Y1 · D4Y2 · D4Y3 Ko
Shipboard Observation seaplane
F1M	F1M2
Land-based Attack bomber
G4M	G4M1
G5N	G5N1
G8N	G8N1
Flying boat
H6K	H6K4
H8K	H8K2 · H8K3
Land-based Bomber
P1Y	P1Y1
Army
Light	Ki-32
	Ki-48-II otsu
Heavy	Ki-21-Ia · Ki-21-I hei
	Ki-49-I · Ki-49-IIa · Ki-49-IIb · Ki-49-IIb/L
	Ki-67-I Ko · Ki-67-I otsu
Other countries	▅B-17E