Kaze Tachinu/The Wind Rises: Ka-14

This airplane represents the first masterpiece of Jiro Horikoshi. Ka-14 was the first prototype of A5M, it’s maiden flight took place on the 4th of December 1935. The prototype used inverted gull wings and was fitted with Nakajima Kotobuki 5 engine, in total there were 6 prototypes build. They were using different engines and wing designs leading to the creation of A5M1. The final production version of Model 1 used un gulled wings and was fitted with Nakajima Kotobuki 2 KAI I engine. The design coming from engineer Horikoshi proved to be exceeding all of the specifications shared by the Imperial Japanese Navy and was the first monoplane to serve from an aircraft carrier.