Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Nakajima G8N1 "Renzan"


Nakajima G8N1 "Renzan" (N-40) could also carry a pair of torpedoes just like Nakajima G5N "Shinzan". IJN seemed to think aircraft as additional power to the Combined Fleet, so IJN "G" series was designed to help battleships. "G" means "rikujo kohgekiki"(=land based attack plane) which can carry not only bombs but also torpedoes. As you might know, Yokosuka P1Y "Ginga" was able to do both dive-bombing and torpedo attack. But since US Navy started to use VT fuse as a defence weapon, I think it became very hard for such large planes to get closer to US ships.

A basic description would be of a four engined heavy bomber designed too late to be the Navy's first four engine bomber. Specification was issued in 1943. First prototype was flown on Oct.23, 1944. Three other prototypes were completed over the next few months. Number three was destroyed by allied aircraft and program was canceled because of material shortages. One was evaluated in US after the war. Power was four Nakajima NK9K-l Homare 24 radial engines. Aircraft were finished overall training orange with unpainted cowling with black on the leading edge of the cowls and black spinners.

Nakajima G8N1 Renzan (Mountain Range) or Rita as known by the allies: Normal crew of ten; Armament-Twin 20mm Type 99 cannon in power operated dorsal, ventral and tail turrets; two 13mm Type 2 machine-guns in a power operated nose turret and one flexible 13mm Type 2 machine-gun in each of the port and starboard beam positions. Bomb load: normal four 250kg(551 lb)bombs-maximum, two 2000kg(4,409 lb)bombs. Maximum speed 320 kt at 8,000m(368 mph at 26,245ft);Max range 4,030 nautical miles(4,639 st miles)Four G8N1's built. Some additional info...prior to the cancellation of the G8N1 bomber, the design had been modified to allow the use of this aircraft as the parent aircraft for the Ohka 33 Special Attack suicide aircraft (which was an enlarged Ohka mod.22).Powerplant for the Ohka 33 was to be a Ne-20 turbojet. Weight with Warhead listed at 800 kg (1,764 lb).

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