In April 1932, the
Imperial Japanese Navy issued a specification for a replacement for its current carrier-based fighter, the
Nakajima A2N, asking for designs from both
Mitsubishi and
Nakajima. Unlike the
biplane which was to be replaced, both competitors submitted
monoplanes, with Nakajima offering a version of its
Type 91 parasol-wing fighter, already in production for the
Japanese Army. Mitsubishi assigned design of its contestant to a team led by
Jiro Horikoshi, which created the first low-wing
cantilever monoplane to be designed in Japan, the Mitsubishi 1MF10. The 1MF10 was of all-metal construction, with a
monocoque duralumin fuselage, with duralumin wing structure covered in fabric, with the pilot accommodated in an open cockpit. The aircraft was powered by a
Mitsubishi A4 two-row 14-cylinder
radial engine driving a two-bladed propeller. It had a fixed
tailwheel undercarriage. ==Specifications==