c.1945 can someone Paleeese identify this aircraft

gary1954 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:09 pm

Greetings all, I have acquired this photo, and am having difficulty identifying said flying machine.
I am hoping that one of you wixards will be able to pull the wabbit out of the hat.
I do know that the picture was taken in the South Pacific, though I know not where eggzackly.

Sorry, the pony went to the glue factory, I would give a hoof, but alas, I don't have a hoof to give.

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

Easy one. Give us a harder one next time!

That is an Aichi B7A Ryusei, code-named, "Grace" by the allies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_B7A

Ztex · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:23 pm

Yep...looks like a Grace to me...

http://www.daveswarbirds.com/Nippon/Japanese.htm

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

BTW, there is only one left in existence, not surprisingly, at the NASM's collection at the Garber facility:

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b ... -nasm.html

shrike · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:28 pm

Aichi B7A Ryusei (Grace)

gary1954 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:58 pm

Thanks guys, I knewI'd gt an answer here. I looked through the Japanese fleet of a/c but I guess the website I looked
through was inadequate.
Thanks again.

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:09 pm

warbird1 wrote:

Easy one. Give us a harder one next time!

Well, it took me a five minute rummage through the bookshelves and Wiki Japanese a/c list, to find a bunch had beaten me to it!

Maybe I should've started by saying 'Grace'. Hem. :lol:

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

gary1954 wrote:

Thanks guys, I knewI'd gt an answer here. I looked through the Japanese fleet of a/c but I guess the website I looked
through was inadequate.
Thanks again.

No problem, glad we could help. Now, where is my pony? No pony, O.K., I'll take a Mustang instead, and not the horse! Hahaha!

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

JDK wrote:

warbird1 wrote:

Easy one. Give us a harder one next time!

Well, it took me a five minute rummage through the bookshelves and Wiki Japanese a/c list, to find a bunch had beaten me to it!

Maybe I should've started by saying 'Grace'. Hem. :lol:

Ladies and gentlemen, tip your waiters well.....I'll be playing here all week.

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:38 pm

warbird1 wrote:

Ladies and gentlemen, tip your waiters well.....I'll be playing here all week.

Only because one L Nielsen refused the gig. Well, actually he didn't answer.

gary1954 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:13 am

I was wondering if this airframe is the same one in the picture, as my original picture shows her with a white star and bar on the empenageeeee.
Also in the background, Corsairs can be seen, so this could be a clue maybe.

I found this on the National Air and Space Museum website.

Inventory number: A19630360000.
Dubbed the Allied code-name GRACE, the B7A2 Ryusei was the largest and heaviest Japanese carrier-based attack aircraft to fly in World War II.
The GRACE flew on shapely wings bent near midspan to provide clearance for a large propeller that spanned 3.5 m (11 ft).
GRACE flew and handled as well as it looked, but the B7A2 never played a significant role in the Japanese war effort.
Transferred from the United States Navy.
Manufacturer: Aichi Aircraft Company (Aichi Kokuki KK)
Date: 1944
Dimensions:
Overall: 410 x 1150cm, 3810kg, 1440cm (13ft 5 7/16in. x 37ft 8 3/4in., 8399.5lb., 47ft 2 15/16in.)
All-metal with monocoque fuselage Single-engine, torpedo bomber, shoulder-mounted, gull wing with folding outer panels and conventional cruciform tail.
Display Status:
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum, it is either on loan or in storage

Of this is the sole surviving example, wouldn't the Museum want to "know" where it is?...

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

gary1954 wrote:

Display Status:
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum, it is either on loan or in storage

Of this is the sole surviving example, wouldn't the Museum want to "know" where it is?...

It's been at the Paul Garber storage facility for years. It's most likely still there unless it was recently moved to Udvar-Hazy storage.
Here's a couple small pics. I have some better ones on my home computer.
http://photo.starnet.ru/Thematic_Wallpa ... Ryusei.jpg

http://photo.starnet.ru/Thematic_Wallpa ... usei_0.jpg

Regards,

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:52 am

gary1954 wrote:

...
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum, it is either on loan or in storage

Of this is the sole surviving example, wouldn't the Museum want to "know" where it is?...

They do. That's just a default setting on a (public) catalogue system.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 1:29 am

COOL, I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT PIC BEFORE!!

Canso42 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:03 pm

I was about to comment that it was probably in pieces in storage.

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c.1945 can someone Paleeese identify this aircraft

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