Specialized cylindrical hangar with vertical split door. Despite their ultimate failure to alter the course of the war, the i 400 class submarine remains a powerful symbol of wartime innovation.
I-400 Class Submarine Rapid Assembly Design: The Innovative Cylindrical Hangar System
Innovative Aircraft Launch and Recovery Launching aircraft from a submarine required a procedure that was as complex as it was novel. Recovery involved guiding the plane back to the deck, where it would be disassembled and stored within the hull, a process demanding precision and calm seas to avoid damage to the fragile seaplanes.
Three Aichi M6A1 Seiran floatplanes per vessel. Each vessel measured 400 feet in length, displacing over 6,500 tons submerged, a size that forced compromises on operational stealth.
I-400 Class Submarine Rapid Assembly Design: The Cylindrical Hangar and Aircraft Launch Process
By the time the boats were ready, the tides of war had turned, and the missions were ultimately cancelled. The I-400 class would submerge to periscope depth, where the hangar door would open and the M6A1 Seiran would be rolled out onto the catapult.
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