HISTORY
Japan's
first aircraft manufacturer, it was
founded in 1918 by a naval engineer,
Chikuhei Nakajima, and a textile
manufacturer, Kawanishi Seibi as
Nihon Hikoki (Nippon Aircraft). In
1919 the two founders split and
Nakajima bought out Nihon Aircraft's
factory with tacit help from the
Imperial Japanese Army. The company
was renamed Nakajima Aircraft
Company in 1919.
Nakajima
Aircraft Company's manufacturing
facilities consisted of the
following:
- Tokyo
plant
-
Musashino plant
- Donryu
plant
- Ota plant,
near Ōta Station. Critically damaged
by American bombardment on February
10, 1945. Currently a Fuji Heavy
Industries plant.
- Koizumi
plant, near Nishi-Koizumi station.
Critically damaged by American
bombardment on April 3, 1945.
Currently a Sanyo plant.
After
Japan's defeat in World War II the
company had to close down since
production and research of aircraft
was prohibited by the Supreme
Commander of Allied Powers. This had
a severe impact on Nakajima because
it was one of the two largest
aircraft manufacturers, together
with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
(MHI). Unlike MHI though, it was not
diversified into shipbuilding and
general machinery, and so, had to
dissolve into a number of spin-off
companies set up by former managers,
engineers, and workers. As a result,
leading aeronautical engineers from
NAC, such as Nakagawa Ryoichi,
helped transform Japan's automobile
industry.
The company
was reborn as Fuji Heavy Industries,
maker of Fuji Rabbit scooters &
Subaru automobiles.
Source:
Wikipedia
|
