Yokosuka D4Y Suisei

The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei was designed as a supplement for the Aichi D3A.
==Description==
Yokosuka was the location for the Imperial Japanese Navy’s First Naval Air Technical Arsenal, which began to design a carrier-based single-engine dive-bomber in 1938. The resulting Suisei (comet), based on the Heinkel He 118, was unusual as it was one of few Japanese combat types to be powered by a liquid-cooled engine, in this case a licence—built copy of the German DB 601.
In service from autumn 1942, the type served initially in the reconnaissance role (D4Y1-C), with the dedicated dive-bomber version (D4Y1) entering service in 1943. The type did not fare well against high-performance Allied fighters, and many fell to their guns due to poor protection for the crew and the lack of self-sealing fuel tanks. A total of 2038 were built, the D4Y2 having a more powerful engine while the D4Y4 was a kamikaze suicide-bomber version which carried one 800kg/1761lb bomb. The Allied codename allocated to all versions was “Judy”. Page 125
==Variants==
* D4Y1 prototypes: five, powered by imported 960-hp (716-kW) DB 600G engines
* D4Y1 pre-production: generally as prototypes but with a 1,200-hp (895-kW) Aichi AE1A Atsuta 32 engine
* D4Y1-C: reconnaissance version of D4Y1 with camera in rear fuselage
* D4Y1 Suisei: initial dive-bomber production version; similar to prototypes but with strengthened structure and improved dive brakes
* D4Y1 KAI: as D4Y1 Suisei but equipped for catapult launching
* D4Y2: improved version introducing AE1 P Atsuta 32 engine; armament as prototypes
* D4Y2a: as D4Y2, but rear mounted 0.31-in (7.92-mm) machine-gun replaced by one of 0.51-in (13-mm) calibre
* D4Y2-C: reconnaissance version of D4Y2
* D4Y2a-C: reconnaissance version of D4Y2a
* D4Y2 KAI: D4Y2 with catapult launch points
* D4Y2a KAI: designation of D4Y2a with catapult launch points
* D4Y2-S: night~fighter conversion of D4Y2; bomb racks, rear ﬁring gun and carrier equipment removed; bomb bay sealed; single 20-mm cannon mounted obliquely in fuselage to ﬁre upwards and forwards, and some equipped also with air-to-air rockets
* D4Y3: generally as D4Y2 but powered by the 1,560-hp (1163-kW) Mitsubishi MK8P Kinsei radial engine
* D4Y3a: as above, but with armament of D4Y2a
* D4Y4: single-seat kamikaze attack version of D4Y3; standard forward-firing guns and one 1,764-lb (800-kg) bomb. File 913 Sheet 3
==References==
Category:Japanese
Category:World War 2
Category:Piston engined
Category:Monoplane
Category:Dive Bomber
Category:Multiple crew members
Category:Single engine