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Copyright 2012 by Brandon Cope  

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Yokosuka P1Y Ginga multi-role medium bomber

On paper, the G1Y was a capable multi-role medium bomber. Unfortunately for the Imperial Japanese Navy, wars are  not fought on paper. The Ginga ("milky way") required an excessive amount of maintenance work to keep it flying, which was beyond Japan's means in the final stages of the war. As a result, the P1Y was built in relatively small numbers and only saw limited use in the final six months of the war.

The P1Y began development in 1940 as a medium bomber with the capability for low-level bombing, dive-bombing and torpedo attacks, but did not fly until 1943. Performance was very good, but it had severe reliability problems which only a great deal of maintenance could off-set. The plane was ordered into production, but monthly production totals were low as attempts to fix the reliability problems were made. This problem was never corrected and the plane finally entered service, almost as an act of desperation, in early 1945. Some 1,000 of the various P1Y1 models were built, with just under 100 more of the P1Y2 versions. It received the Allied code name “Frances”.

The P1Y1 has a crew of three: Pilot, bombardier (who also fires the nose 20mm Type 99 cannon) and radio-operator/gunner (who fires the rear 20mm Type 99 cannon).. The P1Y1 uses 122.6 gallons of aviation fuel per hour at routine usage. The historical maximum range of the P1Y1 was 3,300 miles.

Navy Bomber Model 11

Subassemblies: Medium Fighter-Bomber chassis +4, Heavy Fighter-Bomber Wings +4, 2xSmall AFV Engine Pods +2, three retractable wheels +1.
Powertrain: 2x1,357-kW aerial HP supercharged gasoline engines [Pods] with 2x1,357-kW props, and 1,022-gallon standard fuel tanks [Body and Wings], 4,000-kw batteries
Occupancy: 3 CS Cargo: 2 Body.

Armor
All: 2/3

Weaponry
20mm MediumAircraft AC/Type 99-4 [Body:F] (120)

20mm Medium Aircraft AC/Type 99-4 [Body:B] (120)

Equipment
Body: Large radio receiver and transmitter, navigation instruments, autopilot., bombsight, 2,200-lb bomb bay.

Statistics

HT: 6.
HP: 420 [body], 600 [each wing], 150 [each pod], 40 [each wheel]
 

Design Notes
Design speed was 338 mph. The historical speed has been used, as well as the actual wing area (592 square feet).

The P1Y could carry an 1,800-lb torpedo instead of the 2,200-lbs of bombs.

To reflect the maintenance problems, maintenance interval has been halved (from 20) and HT reduced by 2. If a plane is properly maintained, HT is 8.

Variants

The original prototypes were armed with a 7.7mm machinegun (Aircraft LMGs) in the nose.

The P1Y1a had 1,361-kW engines, which were standard for the rest of the -1 series, and replaced the rear 20mm cannon with a 13mm Type 2 machinegun (Medium Aircraft AC).

The P1Y1b had twin 13mm HMGs in the rear position.

The P1Y1c had one forward and two rear firing 13mm HMGs.

The P1Y1-S was the conversion of about 30 P1Y1's, with four 20mm cannons in oblique mounts forward and upward and one 13mm HMG in the rear position.

The P1Y2-S was a production nightfighter, with two oblique 20mm cannons and one 13mm HMG, It also had 1,380-kW engines.

The various 96 P1Y2 planes were built to the same armament variants as the P1Y1 versions (for example, the P1Y2a was armed the same as the P1Y1a, the P1Y2b as the P1Y1b, and so on). All used 1,380-kW engines.