Aichi B7A Ryusei

The Aichi B7A Ryusei (流星, "Shooting Star"), codenamed "Grace" by the Allies, first flew in May 1942 (December 1942 according to Japanese sources) and entered production in the spring of 1944. Designed to replace both the D4Y dive bomber and B6N torpedo bomber in a single airframe, it was the most capable Japanese carrier attack aircraft of the war.

The B7A2 was powered by the Nakajima Homare 12 engine rated at 1,825 hp, giving it a maximum speed of 567 km/h – as fast as the Zero fighters then in service. Its armament included two 20mm wing cannons and one rear-facing 13mm machine gun, and it could carry an 800 kg torpedo or an equivalent bomb load. The inverted gull wing design gave it excellent stability for dive bombing while the torpedo capability made it a versatile multi-role attacker.

Production was badly disrupted by the Tonankai earthquake of December 7, 1944, which damaged Aichi's Nagoya plants, and by B-29 raids, which devastated the Funakata factory in June 1945. By war's end, only 114 aircraft had been completed (9 B7A1 prototypes and 105 B7A2 production models, 25 of them built by the 21st Naval Air Arsenal at Omura). The sinking of most large Japanese carriers meant the Ryusei never had a proper operational opportunity despite its impressive capabilities.