Nakajima and Aichi built roughly 310 modified W.33s for Japan between 1922 and 1925. Naval high command valued them, while pilots criticized inadequate directional control and poor downward visibility from the cockpit. Replacement began in 1927, and the aircraft were nominally retired by 1928, although some entered civilian use. Other airframes may have served covert insertion missions under a civilian appearance, but the available evidence does not firmly establish that interpretation. Their ability to land in varied locations makes the idea plausible without proving it occurred. A stronger case would require contemporary documentation or firsthand testimony tied to the operations, rather than retrospective inference.
Chapter · 1:16:38-1:19:30
W.33 service in Japan and the limits of the evidence
Japan built hundreds of W.33 derivatives, but pilot complaints accompanied their service and claims of later covert use remain uncertain.