In 1917, Chikuhei Nakajima set up the “Airplane Institute” at Ojima Town in Gunma Prefecture. In 1918 they built their first airplane; the “Nakajima Type 1” with a U.S.A. made engine.
In 1917, Chikuhei Nakajima (33 years old at that time), who retired as Engineering Captain of the Navy, contemplating developing a public aircraft industry, set up the “Airplane Institute” at Ojima Town close to Ota Town in Gunma Prefecture (currently Ota City). The building was a simply remodeled sericultural hut along the Tone River. In the beginning, there were only nine members, but in the following year they built their first airplane; the first “Nakajima Type 1” with a U.S.A. made engine. But the first Type 1 sadly crashed after take off. The second Type 1 also failed, and the third one finally did take off, but hit a ditch upon landing and also crashed. In that age, it was said that there was a pasquinade in Ota Town, “Too much paper money, too high a price for rice. Everything goes up, except Nakajima planes”.
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