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GUYS! No not any of the above.

I need to give you a fairly elementary lesson in J-Aircraft recognition.

Long nose means Nakajima Homare engine. So eithei a C6N Saiun or B6N Tenzan. I would go for it being a TENZAN.

Moky for JEC
 
Nice to see that my answer resulted in the brief discission. Thank you all guys.

Looking at the pic and trying to recognize the plane type I made a focus on a couple of details more. GG and Escuadrilla Azul are right. The antenna mast and the lack of the wing armament are quite major clues. But I paid more of my attention to the shape and layout of the engine exhaust pipes, the characteristic air intake built in the front ring and also the opening for the fuselage MG there. The distance from the wing leading edge at the root there to the engine mount. Additionally I took into cosideration the oil radiator and the lack of the bottom part of the fuselage. The shape of the tail was also the clue. However the major clue was the remnant of the L/G door. It is of the rectangle shape with the square cut at the back top edge. The Ki-84 had the diagonal leading edge at the top because of the wing shape at the wheel bay area. The Ki-115 Tsurugi had different non retracted landing legs looking like the double oleos with the back supports. The other planes mentioned by you above had the L/G doors of the different shape that didn't fit the reguested kite. And at the end .. please have a look at the appearance of the top part of the bulkhead behind the pilot compartment and the protruding part at the front of the cockpit what seems to be the mount of the gunsght scope.

Anyway IMHO Snautzer can add the correct info to the pic if needed.
 
Here is the CinCPOA Recognition data and silohuette for the Yokosuka D4Y3 M33 Judy dive bomber. Note the mid mount wing root which doesn't seem evident in the photo of the wreck.



The reason I previously said it was either a Nakajima C6N Saiun reconnaissance plane or a Nakajima B6N Tenzan bomber was based on the nose. However, on checking the rear fuselage and tailplane position I would now agree that it is indeed a D4Y3 Judy dive bomber. So I must EAT MY WORDS as much as they are distasteful.. The fitting of the antenna over the cockpit canopy is standard for the Judy M33.

A photo in the Moky collection of the same aircraft confirms the ID as a Judy.



Recognition can be tricky, no wonder most USAF pilots called all JNAF aircraft Zeros.

Moky
 
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First of all please have a look at the shape of the air intake built in the front ring. The Judy had the opening fitting to the top ring curvature and the bottom edge was straight and run horizontally. Secondly the Judy had the opening for the fuselage MGs at the top of the ring next to the airintake. The Saiun didn't have them there and the air inatke was of the bended shape both at the top and bottom. What is more the Judy had there two fasteners for the engine cowling while the Saiun had three or four of these there. Also please make focus on the wheel bay. The D4Y had them closer to the wing leading edge while the Saiun moved farther back. The oil radiator of the Judy is more under the fuselage while the one of the Saiun was more on side. The shape and layout of the exhaust pipes for the D4Y is very characterystic and different from the C6N and the B6N.
Regarding your doubt about the low-wing and the mid-wing monoplane type .. you are correct that the D4Y was of the mid mount wing root aircraft while the C6N and the B6N were the low-wing type. But in the pic it may be noticed quite clearly that the bottom of the fuselage was either destroyed or just damaged and removed. You may found the line of the "fuselage belly" just behind the remnants of the L/G door where the dismounted plate panel can be found.
The next difference is the fuselage side panel line at the wing leading edge. Judy had the panel line behind the vent openings running to the leading edge root at about 30cm back while the Saiun didn't have any panel line there. Instead of that she had the panel line at about 35cm in front of the wing leading edge.
The B6N Tenzan Jill , although slightly similar to the wrackage appearance, had different shape of the exhaust pipes and their layout. Also there was the air duct at the top of the engine cowling and the front ring. The air intake was also larger. No MGs outlets there. Additinally the doors of the wheel bays were of different shape. What is more the Jill had the wheel legs with the "fork" for the wheel while the one in the pic has the semi-fork there.
Finally ... a small detail, have a look at the bottom fuselage seen behind the remnants of the wheel bay door where the panel was removed... can you see? There is the small exsertile step. It is exsertiled down diagonally . The kind of the step for Jill and Myrt was longer and moved down, almost vertically. For both kites the steps were located in different place additionally. About three small rectangular windows a the area for the B6N Tenzan I don't mention at all.

So to sum up ... taking all that details into consideration I'm sure that's the D4Y Judy.

Judy


Saiun


Judy


Saiun
 
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