Main Description

The Kitakenchiku Air Service, Type-94 Fighter, short designation A10K "Kitakaze," met the aircraft design specifications set forth by Kenkuni High Command for a cheap, robust fighter. However, the Kitakaze would be the last Kenkuni design to feature a fixed landing gear. It would also be the last military design to feature two-bladed propellers and rifle-caliber machine guns as a primary armament. However, it would be the first aircraft to feature their home-built throttle governer which would become standard for all future fighters built by Kitakenchiku Aviation, also known as the Hand-Actuated Propeller. Kitakenchiku's aviation designs would be of a traditional, mixed construction. The aircraft fuselage, from the aft cockpit bulkhead forward, was made of aluminum. The wings and tailboom were completely made of wood, except for the steel fuel tanks.

Hand-Actuated Propeller

In this design and all future Kitakenchiku aircraft, the pilot's throttle hand would control an oil valve, which regulated the flow to the propeller. Should the oil pressure drop below a specified value, a spring would open the throttle to the extent by which oil pressure would return to normal. This caused the manifold pressure to raise in response. As a result, the pilot himself would not operate the engine.