Three years after the disastrous failure of the G5N Shinzan, the Japanese navy again attempted to build a four-engine strategic bomber. Unfortunately, the prototype of the G8N1 appeared late in 1944, too late to be put in mass production. In the last months of the war the disastrous situation of Japanese industry and severe shortages of strategic materials led to the cancellation of the program, with only four Renzans being completed. One of those aircraft was destroyed on the ground during an Allied air raid, and after the war one of the remaining examples was taken to the United States for testing. The few test flights conducted by the Japanese between American bombing raids showed that the G8N Renzan was a good plane, and these results were confirmed by American tests after the war. The aircraft was given the Allied codename of "Rita".
Nakajima G8N1 Renzan
Type: land attack aircraft - heavy bomber
Crew: ten crewmembers
Armament: four 13mm Type 2 machine guns (2 in nose turret and 2 in waist)
six 20mm Type 99 cannon (2 each in dorsal, ventral and tail turrets)
up to 4409 lb (2000 kg) bombs
Reference: Francillon: 442, Mondey:
Specifications:
Length: 75' 3" (22.935 m)
Height: 23' 7.5" (7.2 m)
Wingspan: 106' 9" (32.54 m)
Wing area: 1205.553 sq. ft (112 sq. m)
Empty Weight: 38,360 lbs (17,400 kg)
Loaded Weight: 59,084 lbs (26,800 kg)
Max Weight: 70,879 lbs (32,150 kg)
Propulsion:
No. of Engines: 4
Powerplant: Nakajima NK9K-L Homare 24 18-cylinder radial
Horsepower: 2000 hp each
Performance:
Range: 4639 st miles (4030 naut miles)
Cruise Speed: 320 mph (200 kt) at 13125 ft
Max Speed: 368 mph (320 kt) at 26245 ft
Climb to/in: 26245 ft (8000 m) in 17 min 34 sec
Ceiling: 33465 ft (10200 m)
Production: four G8N1s
