The Nakajima C6N Saiun (彩雲, "Coloured Cloud") was a carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. Advanced for its time, it was the fastest carrier-based aircraft put into service by Japan during the war. The Allied reporting name was Myrt.
The C6N originated from a 1942 Imperial Japanese Navy specification for a carrier-based reconnaissance plane with a top speed of 350 knots (650 km/h) at 6,000 m and range of 2,500 Nautical miles (4,960 km).
The first flight was on 15 May 1943, with the prototype demonstrating a speed of 639 km/h (345 kt, 397 mph). Performance of the Homare engine was disappointing, especially power at altitude, and a series of 18 further prototypes and pre-production aircraft were built, before the Sauin was finally ordered into production in February 1944.
Although designed for carrier use, by the time it entered service in September 1944, there were few carriers left for it to operate from, so most were used from land bases. Its speed was exemplified by a famous telegraph sent after a successful mission: "No Grummans can catch us." ("我に追いつくグラマンなし") The Grumman Carrier-borne F6F Hellcat were not able to catch the C6N Myrt.
A total of 463 aircraft were produced
Operating units of the IJA/IJN.
Naval Air Group
Yokosuka Kōkūtai
121st Kōkūtai
131st Kōkūtai
132nd Kōkūtai
141st Kōkūtai
171st Kōkūtai
210th Kōkūtai
302nd Kōkūtai
343rd Kōkūtai
701st Kōkūtai
723rd Kōkūtai
752nd Kōkūtai
762nd Kōkūtai
801st Kōkūtai
1001st Kōkūtai
Aerial Squadron
Reconnaissance 3rd Hikōtai
Reconnaissance 4th Hikōtai
Reconnaissance 11th Hikōtai
Reconnaissance 12th Hikōtai
Reconnaissance 102nd Hikōtai
Kamikaze
1st Mitate Special Attack Group (picked from 752nd Kōkūtai)
Sairyū Unit (picked from 752nd Kōkūtai, no sorties)
Saiun Unit (picked from 723rd Kōkūtai, no sorties)
Maximum speed: 610 km/h (329 knots, 379 mph) at 6,100 m (20,000 ft)
Range: 5,300 km (2,886 NM, 3,300 mi)
It boasted a very good Service ceiling of 10,470 m (35,240 ft)
Can Climb to 6,000 m (19,700 ft): 8 min 9 sec
Guns: 1× flexibly mounted rearward-firing 7.92 mm Type 1 machine gun