Fujimi 722535 B7A1 Ryusei (Grace)

The Aichi B7A is a Japanese single-engine inboard torpedo plane and dive bomber with an inverted gull wing low wing design (similar to the Ju-87 Stuka) with a late WWII metal structure. In 1941, the naval aviation of the Japanese Empire introduced very high technical requirements for a deck bomber to replace Nakajima B6N bombers and Yokosuka D4Y dive bombers. The new planes were to operate from Taiho-class aircraft carriers. Aichi's response was the AM-23 project. In May 1942. the first of nine B7A1 prototypes took off. However, construction work was constantly delayed due to problems with the Nakajima NK9C Homare 12 engine. As a result, it was not until April 1944. the plane went into series production as the B7A2. The machine turned out to be very good and easy to pilot, and had excellent performance. Although production was planned in three factories, only two started serial production, building only 105 aircraft (including the Aichi factory 80; the Naval Armament Works 25). The machines had to operate from land-based airfields, as at that time the Japanese navy did not have a serviceable carrier. Technical data: length: 11.49m, wingspan: 14.4m, height: 4.07m, maximum speed: 567km / h, rate of climb: 9.6m / s, maximum range: 3038km, maximum ceiling: 11250m, weapons: fixed-2 cannons Type 99 caliber 20mm, 1 machine gun Type 13 caliber 7,92mm, an underslung torpedo weighing 800 kg or the same bomb load.