Originally posted by hogenbor
In the manual of the game (yes I did BUY it!) the same specs are listed as given in this thread. However, combatting B-29's might still have been quite tricky as the Shinden's engine was not rated for high altitude. I believe that it was stated that 1000 of the 2000 horsepower remained at 20.000 feet, but that's a rough guess. Furthermore I really do not know how much power a good high altitude fighter like a P-47 or late Bf-109 has at 20.000 feet...
There are reports that the Japanese considered installing a jet engine in the Shinden at a later stage but nothing came of this.
Desperation knows no bounds. Typically, the Shinden was a product of this. In prototype form, it logged just 45 minutes of flight time before the war ended. Even if had appeared earlier (a virtual impossibility for the Japanese aircraft industry at the time), most B-29 raids had switched to night ops at medium altitudes. Any Shinden pilot had better be carrying one hell of a flashlight.
While the Japanese were trying to solve overheating of an already unreliable engine (in its Shinden installation), the Americans were already deploying ultra-fast fighters such as the P-51H. With the P-47N already in theater in considerable numbers, plus hordes of P-51Ds, untried Japanese designs were a drop in the bucket. We should not forget that Marine F7F-2N night fighter Tigercats where in the region, and the first squadrons flying the monster F8F-1 Bearcat was just days away from arriving on carriers.
Had Truman not ordered the use of the atomic bomb, it is possible that some Shindens may have actually got into combat. However, with almost no development time, these would likely have been a greater hazard to the Japanese pilots than to the Americans. Even worse, most of these pilots would have been inexperienced and insufficiently trained.
Meanwhile, while Japan struggled, two American jets, the P-80A Shooting Star was in full production and the McDonnell FH-1 Phantom was progressing very well in its test program.
Give the Kyushu design team credit though, they didn't lack for creativity and innovation. Ultimately, they lacked the resources and time to do much more than they did.
My regards,
Widewing
