D4Y Suisei Comet Judy

D4Y Suisei Comet Judy
Country	Japan
Role	Dive bomber
First flight	December 1940t
Built	2038

Photo gallery of a D4Y Suisei Comet Judy, The Yokosuka (横須賀?) D4Y Suisei (彗星 “Comet”) Navy Type 2 Carrier Dive bomber was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Its Allied reporting name was “Judy”. The D4Y was one of the fastest dive-bombers of the war, and only the delays in its development hindered its service, while its predecessor, the slower fixed-gear Aichi D3A remained in service much longer than intended. Despite limited use, the speed and the range of the D4Y was nevertheless valuable, and the type was used with success as reconnaissance aircraft as well as for kamikaze missions.

Source: D4Y Suisei Comet Judy on Wikipedia

D4Y Suisei Comet Judy
Photographer	Unknow
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	76

D4Y Suisei 1

D4Y Suisei 2

D4Y Suisei 3

D4Y Suisei 4

D4Y Suisei 5

D4Y Suisei 6

D4Y Suisei 7

D4Y Suisei 8

D4Y Suisei 9

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Yokosuka D4Y Suisei ‘Judy’ Walk Around
Photographer	Cees Hendriks
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	86

Yokosuka D4Y Suisei

The Fastest Dive Bomber of the Pacific

The 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)
Role	Dive Bomber / Reconnaissance / Night Fighter
Crew	2 (Pilot and Navigator/Radio Operator)
Engine	1 × Aichi Atsuta AE1P (1,400 hp) — Licensed DB 601
Maximum Speed	550 km/h (342 mph) at 5,250 m
Service Ceiling	10,700 m (35,100 ft)
Armament	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.