D4Y Suisei Comet Judy

D4Y Suisei Comet Judy
Paese	Giappone
Ruolo	Bombardiere subacqueo
Primo volo	Dicembre 1940t
Costruito	2038

Galleria fotografica di una cometa D4Y Suisei Judy, The Yokosuka (横須賀?) Il bombardiere D4Y Suisei (彗"Cometa") Navy Type 2 Carrier Dive era gestito dalla Marina Imperiale Giapponese. Il suo nome in codice alleato era "Judy". Il D4Y fu uno dei bombardieri in picchiata più veloci della guerra, e solo i ritardi nel suo sviluppo ostacolarono il suo servizio, mentre il suo predecessore, il più lento Aichi D3A a marcia fissa rimase in servizio molto più a lungo del previsto. Nonostante l'uso limitato, la velocità e la portata del D4Y erano comunque preziose, e il tipo fu utilizzato con successo come aereo da ricognizione e per missioni kamikaze.

fonte: D4Y Suisei Cometa Judy su Wikipedia

D4Y Suisei Comet Judy
Fotografo	Inconsapevole
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	76

D4Y Suisei 1

D4Y Suisei 2

D4Y Suisei 3

D4Y Suisei 4

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D4Y Suisei 6

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D4Y Suisei 8

D4Y Suisei 9

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Yokosuka D4Y Suisei ‘Judy’ Walk Around
Fotografo	Cees Hendriks
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	86

Yokosuka D4Y Suisei

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The Fastest Dive Bomber of the Pacific

Le Yokosuka D4Y Suisei was a radical departure for Japanese naval aviation. While previous designs like the D3A “Val” relied on fixed gear and maneuverability, the Suisei was built for raw speed and streamlined efficiency. Inspired by the German Heinkel He 118, it featured an internal bomb bay and a liquid-cooled engine—a rarity for Japan. It was so fast that early models were used exclusively for high-speed reconnaissance, as they could outrun almost any Allied fighter they encountered in 1942. However, its lack of armor and self-sealing fuel tanks earned it a darker reputation among pilots as a “flying torch.”

Attribute	Technical Specification (D4Y2 Model 12)
Ruolo	Dive Bomber / Reconnaissance / Night Fighter
Equipaggio	2 (Pilot and Navigator/Radio Operator)
Motore	1 × Aichi Atsuta AE1P (1,400 hp) — Licensed DB 601
Velocità massima	550 km/h (342 mph) at 5,250 m
Service Ceiling	10,700 m (35,100 ft)
Armamento	2 × 7.7mm Type 97 (Nose) & 1 × 7.92mm Type 1 (Rear)
Internal Bomb Bay	1 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb
External Stores	2 × 30 kg or 60 kg bombs under the wings

Design Engineering: The German Heart & Japanese Spirit

Liquid-Cooled Gamble: The D4Y1 and D4Y2 used the Aichi Atsuta engine, a licensed version of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601. This allowed for a very narrow, aerodynamic nose but proved to be a maintenance nightmare in the humid, salt-air environments of carrier decks.
Internal Bomb Bay: Unlike the SBD Dauntless or the “Val,” the Suisei kept its primary 500 kg bomb inside the fuselage. This reduced drag significantly, allowing it to maintain fighter-like speeds even when fully loaded.
The Radial Pivot (D4Y3): Reliability issues with the liquid-cooled engine eventually led to the D4Y3 variant, which swapped the sleek nose for a bulky Mitsubishi Kinsei 62 radial engine. While it lost some of its aerodynamic elegance, the reliability and ease of maintenance skyrocketed.
The Glasshouse Canopy: The crew sat under a long, multi-paneled greenhouse. The navigator/observer had a specialized downward-facing window to spot targets and assist in high-altitude reconnaissance missions.

Operational History: From Midway to the Divine Wind

The Silent Scout: Two pre-production Suiseis were present at the Battle of Midway aboard the Soryu. They were used to scout for the American fleet, and their speed meant they could penetrate enemy airspace and return with Intel before interceptors could close the distance.
The “Flying Torch”: Because weight was prioritized over protection, the Judy lacked self-sealing fuel tanks. A single burst of incendiary fire from a Hellcat or Corsair often resulted in the plane erupting into a massive fireball—the “Comet” living up to its name in a tragic way.
Night Fighter Variant (D4Y2-S): Some Suiseis were converted into night fighters. They removed the bomb equipment and installed a 20mm Type 99 cannon behind the pilot, firing upward at an angle (similar to the German Schräge Musik) to hunt B-29 bombers.
The Final Variant (D4Y4): Near the end of the war, the D4Y4 was produced as a dedicated “Special Attack” (Kamikaze) aircraft. It was stripped of its rear seat and carried a massive 800 kg bomb semi-recessed into the fuselage, often equipped with rocket boosters to accelerate its final dive.