Meet 'Judy' - rare D4Y dive bomber in Tokyo.
Without a doubt, the best performing aircraft in its class during World War Two, the excellent Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (Comet), or 'Judy' to the Allies has been added to the site. One of only two complete survivors of this masterful dive bomber, the featured aircraft can be seen at the Yasukuni Jinja Yusukan Shrine in the heart of Tokyo. The photographs were taken many years ago with a 35 mm film camera and are not of the best quality, but are certainly worth adding to the site owing to the rarity of the machine. Unfortunately for the Suisei, despite its excellent performance, being capable of a maximum speed of around 350 mph and a range of over 900 miles, it arrived in 1943, too late to have any impact on the course of the war and is noted primarily for the losses it suffered during the 'Marianas Turkey Shoot' and for its role as a Kamikaze aircraft. Unusual in a Japanese aircraft of the time, the Suisei was initially powered by a licence built Daimler Benz DB 601 engine, the Aichi Atsuta vee 12, which proved troublesome in service. Later models were powered by more commonly found air cooled radial engines. To get a closer look at this rare warbird, click on the image below.
