The B6N was a conventional-looking aircraft, but was in some respects superior to Allied torpedo-aircraft of the same period. The Tenzan ("Heavenly Mountain") was a slender and clean-lined machine with no internal weapons bay. The torpedo was carried offset to the right, with the large oil cooler offset to the other side. The big Mamori engine of the B6N1, driving a four-blade Hamilton-type propeller, underwent severe vibration and overheating. Although it was kept in service it was replaced in production by the the B6N2. The lower power of the older and well-tried Kasen engine was compensated for by improved streamlining, which gave less drag.
Tenzans went into action for the first time in late 1943, off Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. At the major Battle of the Philippine Sea the air complement of the Mobile Fleet's carriers included some 80 B6Ns. Towards the end of the war some Tenzans were equipped with radar for night torpedo attacks on Allied shipping. Additionally, many Jills were employed in kamikaze attacks on the US fleet, especially during the Okinawa campaign in April and May of 1945.
Origin: Nakajima Hikoki KK
Type: Three-seat carrier-based and land-based torpedo-bomber
Dimensions: Span 48' 10" - Length 35' 8" - Height (B6N1) 12' 2" (B6N2) 12' 6"
Weight: 6,636 lb empty, 11,464 loaded (normal) 12,456 loaded (maximum).
Engine: (B6N1) One 1,870 hp Nakajima Mamori-11 14-cylinder two-row radial.
(B6N2) One 1,850 hp Mitsubishi Kasei-25 14-cylinder two-row radial.
Armament: One x 7.7 mm machine-gun, manually-aimed, in rear cockpit
One x 7.7 mm machine-gun, manually-aimed by middle crew member, in rear ventral position
One 800 kg torpedo (18-inch) - or six x 100 kg bombs - under fuselage
Aichi B7A Ryusei (Shooting Star)
Allied Code Name: "Grace"
UNITS ALLOCATED
752nd and Yokosuka Kokutais.
TECHNICAL DATA
Description: Single-engined carrier-borne torpedo and dive-bomber. All-metal construction with fabric-covered control surfaces.
Accommodation: Crew of two in tandem enclosed cockpits.
Powerplant:
One Nakajima NK9B Homare 11 eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 1,800 hp for take-off, 1440 hp at 1,800 m and 1,560 hp at 6,400 m, driving a constant-speed four-blade metal propeller (B7A1 protorypes).
One Nakajima NK9C Homare 12 eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 1,825 hp for take-off, 1,670 hp at 2,400 m and 1,560 hp at 6,550 m, driving a constant-speed four-blade metal propeller (production B7A2).
One Nakajima NK9H-S Homare 23 eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 2,000 hp for take-off and 1,570 hp at 6,850 m, driving a constant-speed four-blade metal propeller (one experimental B7A2).
One Mitsubishi MK9A ([Ha-43] 11) eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 2,200 hp for take-off, 2,070 hp at 1,000 m and 1,930 hp at 5,000 m, driving a constant-speed four-blade metal propeller (B7A3).
Armament:
Two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannon and one flexible rear-firing 7.92 mm Type 1 machine-gun (B7A1 and early production B7A2).
Two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannon and one flexible rear-firing 13 mm Type 2 machine-gun (late production B7A2).
Bomb-load: one 800 kg torpedo or up to 800 kg of bombs.
Production: A total of 114 B7As were built as follows:
Aichi Kokuki K.K. at Funakata:
9 B7A1 prototypes (May 1942-Feb 1944)
80 B7A2 production aircraft (May 1944-July 1945)
Dai-Nijuichi Kaigun Kokusho at Omara (Sasebo):
25 B7A2 production aircraft (Apr 1944-Aug 1945)
Although the numbers are not LARGE they are for Japan whose total aircraft production numbers were WAY lower than say the US. These aircraft are also historically significant and would represent a nice addition to AH
Brady
[ 08-17-2001: Message edited by: brady ]
[ 08-17-2001: Message edited by: brady ]
