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Kyushu J7W Shinden (Brilliant Lightning).
Ah, those “if only…” thoughts! But history cannot live with conditionals. Still, looking at this aircraft, it’s hard not to keep thinking: “If only this aircraft was ready in time, and it was produced in the sufficient numbers…” Then all those giant fires in Tokio and other Japanese cities, those atomic “mushrooms” over Hiroshima and Nagasaki might not have happened. The powerful engine, the robust design, four Japanese most advanced 30mm Type 5 guns, the peak altitude of 12.000m, and the speed up to 750 km/h: all this would have made this aircraft a dreaded bomber killer. Moreover, the engineers had anticipated the installation of the Ne-130 turbojet engine, which made the interceptor’s parameters even better, in particular the rate of climb.
But only two prototypes were made in reality, and one of them managed to take off. However, not all the tests were completed before the end of the war. After the war the American specialists with the help of the Japanese engineers restored the prototype and made some flight tests. The Americans were amazed with the extraordinary qualities of the aircraft, and its maneuverability in particular. This aircraft embodied all the achievements of the advanced engineering, starting from the “duck”, the original aerodynamic scheme.
Thanks to PacificStorm, now everyone can feel how good this interceptor could have been.
Kyushu J7W Shinden in the "Pacific Storm"
(screw, jet)
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