Aichi B7A

The Aichi B7A Ryusei (Japanese: 愛知 B7A 流星, "Shooting Star") was a large and powerful dive bomber and torpedo bomber produced by Aichi Kokuki KK for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Given the codename Grace by the Allies, it first flew in 1941, but problems with the delivery of the engines meant that it was not produced in numbers until too late to affect the outcome of the war. There were no aircraft carriers left for it to fly from, and only 114 aircraft were produced.

Although the B7A carried a weapons load no greater than its predecessors, it displayed fighter-like handling and performance, besting the Mitsubishi Zeroes in service at the time. Had it been produced early and in greater numbers, it would have proved a considerable adversary to the United States Navy's fighters.

The powerplant was a 1,825 horsepower (1,360 kW) Nakajima NK9C Homare 12 18-cylinder radial engine, and the aircraft featured a 'bent' wing - an inverted gull-wing somewhat reminiscent of the German Junkers Ju 87 - to give clearance for the propeller without requiring the use of long main undercarriage legs.

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Designation Series	B1M - B2M - B3Y - B4Y - B5N - B5M - B6N - B7A
Related Lists	List of military aircraft of Japan

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