Stargazer

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In 1932, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued a specification for its 7-Shi Land-based Attack. The only known contender (and winner) of that competition was the Hiro G2H1, or Type 95 Land-based Medium Attack, Twin Engine, also commonly known as the "Dai-ko" or "Big Attack." It was a remarkably advanced design for its time, a monoplane bomber which carried a crew of seven and a 1,600-kilo bomb. Eight were produced in 1933, and although it was soon forgotten, its mission, shape and configuration heralded the later 9-Shi / Type 96 Land-based Attack, better known as the Mitsubishi G3M "Nell."
 

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It had some advanced features, but had a few problems:

  • Its engines, the largest that japan could produce at the time, were unreliable.
  • It had some obsolete features: fixed landing gear, fixed-pitch wooden propellers.
  • Belly defense was a (drag-inducing) lowered bin.
In August 1937, after higher-than-anticipated losses of G3Ms over China, 6 G2H were moved to Cheju-Do Island (Korea) and used over China. 24-Oct-37, an engine on a G2H exploded on startup and started a fire that destroyed 4 G2H and damaged another. The 6th was damaged by AA fire 29-Oct-37 and it crashlanded at the Shanghai airfield.

While not a particularly lustrous career, the G2H did give the IJNAF practice with handling large aircraft.

Uncle Ted
 
 
From Putnam's book; Japanes Aircraft 1910-1945.
 

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