×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024)
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
MODERN AIR FORCES
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
WWII AIRCRAFT
X-PLANE AIRCRAFT
Aviation / Aerospace

Aichi B8A Mokusei (Jupiter)


Dive Bomber / Torpedo Bomber Aircraft Proposal [ 1945 ]



The proposed Aichi B8A was to become smaller and faster land-based version of the original B7A Ryusei carrierborne attacker for the IJN.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/16/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The primary torpedo bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the start of World War 2 (1939-1945) were two separate designs, the Nakajima B6N "Tenzan" and the Kugisho D4Y "Suisei" - both being detailed elsewhere on this site. By the time these two platforms had hit the frontlines, work was already underway on an all-new torpedo-/bomb-delivery platform becoming the classic Aichi B7A "Ryusei" (also detailed elsewhere on this site). First-flying in May of 1942, just 114 of these aircraft were completed as losses to the Japanese carrier force began to mount - this, in turn, relegated the new aircraft to a land-based dive-bombing role before the end of the war in 1945.

Against this backdrop, Aichi Kokuki was approached in 1945 with a new specification for a new attacker design designated "AM-26". The lack of aircraft carriers within the IJN inventory (and thus being forced to move forward with a carrier-less strategy) meant that certain features common to carrier-borne aircraft were nixed from the new design, namely the complex folding wings. What IJN authorities sought was a highly-capable bombing platform with suitable self-defense measures coupled with inherently good performance and handling - all built to a smaller specification than seen in Aichi's earlier limited-run B7A series - a lighter-weight aircraft would help produce a faster, more maneuverable fighter-like bombing platform.

Aichi engineers went to work by evolving their existing B7A3 production variant to expedite project and cleanly fit the requirements of the new IJN specification. This resulted in a warplane that mimicked the form and function of the earlier torpedo bomber though finished off with simpler, straight-lined wings without the wing-folding component. The mainplanes were retained just ahead of midships in a low-mounting. To this was added an engine housed at the nose and, aft of this installation, was the two-man cockpit (tandem-seating) under a "greenhouse-style" canopy typical of Japanese warplanes of the era. The cockpit sat at the aircraft's center mass. The tail would incorporate a traditional, proven triple-plane arrangement and ground running was by way of a retractable "tail-dragger" configuration.

Metal would be used to skin the most important sections of the structure while fabric would cover the control surfaces on the wings.

The Mitsubishi MK9A air-cooled radial piston engine with an output of 2,200 horsepower was to power the aircraft, presumably driving a four-bladed propeller unit at the nose as in the B7A.

The armament suite encompassed a mix of cannon, machine guns, bombs, and torpedoes. 2 x 30mm Type 5 series automatic cannons were to be installed at the wings (one gun per wing member) while a single 13mm Type 2 air-cooled machine gun (on a trainable mounting) would be featured in the rear-facing cockpit. Up to 1,754lb of drop-ordnance could be carried, this being either conventional drop bombs (for dive-bombing) or a single torpedo (for ship strikes). All told, the aircraft would have the capability to strafe targets, engage in air-to-air combat, bomb ground targets, or sink surface targets - making for an all-in-one-solution much-needed at this point in the war.

With preliminary work quickly completed by Aichi engineers, the aircraft then fell to Japanese authorities who liked what they saw and selected the design for adoption/production. The aircraft would be taken into inventory under the designation of "B8A" and assigned the name of "Mokusei" (meaning "Jupiter").

However, all this came all too late for the aircraft as the end of the war in August of 1945, in turn, spelled the end of the B8A Mokusei, keeping the B8A as another one of the war's late "paper airplanes" destined to never see the light of day.

Specifications on this page are estimates make on the part of the author.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Service Year
1945

Origin
Imperial Japan national flag graphic
Imperial Japan

Status
CANCELLED
Development Ended.
Crew
2

Production
0
UNITS


Aichi Kokuki KK - Japanese Empire
(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of modern Japan Imperial Japan (cancelled)
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
Maritime / Navy
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.
X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.


Length
36.9 ft
(11.25 m)
Width/Span
45.1 ft
(13.75 m)
Height
12.3 ft
(3.75 m)
Empty Wgt
7,716 lb
(3,500 kg)
MTOW
13,889 lb
(6,300 kg)
Wgt Diff
+6,173 lb
(+2,800 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Aichi B8A production variant)
Installed: PLANNED: 1 x Mitsubishi MK9A air-cooled radial piston engine developing 2,200 horsepower driving a four-bladed propeller at the nose.
Max Speed
376 mph
(605 kph | 327 kts)
Ceiling
42,651 ft
(13,000 m | 8 mi)
Range
1,212 mi
(1,950 km | 3,611 nm)
Rate-of-Climb
2,000 ft/min
(610 m/min)


♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Aichi B8A production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
PLANNED:
2 x 30mm Type 5 automatic cannons in wings (one gun per wing).
1 x 13mm Type 2 air-cooled machine gun on trainable mounting in rear cockpit (aft-facing).

Up to 1,764lb of air-dropped stores to include conventional drop bombs or a single torpedo.


Supported Types


Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun
Graphical image of an aircraft automatic cannon
Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition
Graphical image of an aircraft aerial torpedo


(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 3


B8A ("Mokusei") - Base Series Designation.
AM-26 - Original project designation,
B8A1 - Assumed first-run production batch operational designation (not officially used).


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery



1 / 1
Image of the Aichi B8A Mokusei (Jupiter)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)