Aichi E11A Japanese Flying Boat

The Aichi E11A was an Imperial Japanese Navy flying boat used during the first year of World War II for maritime patrol duties. The Allied reporting name for the type was “Laura”; the Japanese Navy designation was “Type 98 Reconnaissance Seaplane”. The Type 98 was quite similar to the earlier E10A Type 96, whose allied name was “Hank”. Only 17 were built. It was designed to be launched from cruisers or battleships in order to spot their shellfire at night. The Type 98s were soon diverted to communications and transport duties.