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  C6N1-S Model 11 Myrt Manufacture Number ? Tail 4803
IJN
? Kōkūtai

Click For Enlargement
USAAF c1946

Aircraft History
Built by Nakajima sometime between 1943–1945. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as C6N1 Model 11 Saiun (Myrt) manufacture number unknown. This aircraft was modified by eliminating the observer position and and installing two 20mm cannons mounted obliquely. The U.S. designated C6N1-S (Schräge Musik configuration).

Wartime History
Assigned to an unknown Kokutai (Air Group). No known markings. At the end of the Pacific War, this aircraft was surrendered to the U.S. forces occupying Japan and was selected for further technical evaluation. In early November 1945 embarked aboard USS Barnes (CVE-20) as one of 145 Japanese aircraft and departed November 3, 1945 for the United States.

Postwar
On December 8, 1945 this Myrt arrived at Langley Field, Virgina. Later, transfered from the U.S. Navy (USN) to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). This plane was overhauled at the Air Depot at Olmsted Field (Olmsted Air Force Base) in Middletown, Pennsylvania for flight testing. Details about any flight test are unknown.

In the United States, assigned tail code 4803 and retained the fuselage Hinomaru (Rising Sun) insignia. On the left side of the fuselage below the cockpit was stenciled:

"JAPANESE RECONAISANCE
A.A.F. SERIAL NO. 72-N4803
CREW WT. 600 LBS.
NOT SUITABLE FOR AROMATIC FUEL.
USE [?] OCTANE IF NOT AVAILABLE
GUNS LT TSO. 08-3-1"

Storage
On August 22, 1946, a USAAF pilot flew this Myrt to the foreign aircraft storage area at Orchard Place Airport in Park Ridge, Illinois. During 1949, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) turned over this aircraft and all other foreign aircraft assets at Orchard Place Airport to the National Air and Space Museum (NASM).

Afterwards, disassembled and transported to the NASM Garber Facility and placed into storage where it remains to this day disassembled as the fuselage and engine. This aircraft is not currently on public display. This aircraft is the last surviving example of this aircraft in the world.

In the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) collection, the fuselage is NASM inventory number A19600337000. Also in the collection are the removed arm rests NASM inventory number A19600337001 and removed G-Meter / Accelerometer NASM inventory number A19600337007. The radial engine Nakajima Homare 21 (NK9H, Ha45-21 is NASM inventory number A19600337003.

References
NASM Collections - Nakajima C6N1-S Saiun (Painted Cloud) MYRT
NASM Collections - Arm Rests, Seats, Nakajima C6N1-S Saiun (Painted Cloud) Myrt
NASM Collections - Nakajima Homare 21 (NK9H, Ha45-21), 2-Row, Radial 18 Engine
NASM Collections - G-Meter / Accelerometer, Japanese Navy, Model-2, Nakajima C6N1-S Saiun Myrt
NASM Collections Nakajima C6N1-S Saiun "Myrt" via Wayback Machine January 27, 2008
Classic Wings Vol. 21, No. 5, Issue 98, Page 11
"Only one complete example of the is known to exist, this is a C6N1-S night-fighter variant armed with oblique firing 20 mm cannon and crewed by two, which resides in store with the NASM, Washington DC."
Thanks to NASM / Russell Lee for additional information

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Last Updated
July 21, 2023

 

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