© 1997 Joao Paulo
Julião Matsuura
Aichi B7A Ryusei (Shooting Star)
Allied Code Name: "Grace"
(Scanned from René J. Francillion "Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War" - Putnam - 1979)
UNITS ALLOCATED
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.
- 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).
- 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.
