The Nakajima G8N Renzan (Mountain Range) was a heavy bomber designed by the Nakajima Aircraft Company in the concluding stages of World War II. The G5N Shinzan had been termed a disastrous failure. So the Japanese navy decided to take a shot again to build a four-engine strategic bomber. Unfortunately, the prototype of the G8N1 could be completed and appeared seriously late in the year 1944. At that time, the Japanese armies were not having a very good time and their strength was decreasing continuously so the system could never be put in mass production. The production kept on suffering several times due to the shortage of available wartime materials, in particular aluminum. Only 7 in total examples could be manufactured that included prototypes. It was codenamed “Rita” by the Allies.
The first prototype of Nakajima G8N Renzam or Rita appeared in 1944. First production models could appear only in early 1945. The G8N was derived its power from 4 Nakajima-brand NK9K-L 24 Homare 18-cylinder radial engines. Wings were of the low-monoplane type. The wings were mounted just vertically below the fuselage. Its landing gear featured a tricycle. The tail assembly possessed a single rudder fin. The G8N could carry a maximum internal bomb load of nearly 9,000 pounds so it was aptly termed as a heavy bomber. It was designed in such a way that it’s defense could not be hampered much. Six 20mm Type 99 cannons were mounted in two-gun turret assemblies fore, aft and in a ventral turret position. Double Type 2 13mm machine guns were also fitted in the nose along with an additional machine gun in each waist gunner position.
The G8N was an airplane with very good defensive capability with equally good offensive ability. Its range was quite powerful. Sadly for the Japanese armies, the Nakajima G8N would have been very important and could have caused substantial damage had it been developed earlier.
Specifications
| Length: | 75.26 ft (22.94 m) |
| Width: | 106.76 ft (32.54 m) |
| Height: | 23.62 ft (7.20 m) |
| Max Speed: | 358 mph (576kmh; 311 kts) |
| Max Range: | 4,505 miles (7,250 km) |
| Rate-of-Climb: | 1,500 ft/min (457 m/min) |
| Service Ceiling: | 33,465 ft (10,200 m; 6.3 miles) |
| Accommodation: | 10 |
| Hard points: | 0 |
| Empty Weight: | 38,360 lbs (17,400 kg) |
| MTOW: | 59,084 lbs (26,800 kg) |
| Engine(s): | 4 x Nakajima NK9K-L 24 Homare 18-cylinder radial engines generating 2,000 hp each. |
| Armaments: | 2 x 20 mm Type 99 cannon in dorsal turret 2 x 20 mm Type 99 cannon in ventral turret 2 x 20 mm Type 99 cannon in tail turret assembly 2 x 13 mm Type 2 machine guns in nose turret 1 x 13 mm Type 2 machine guns in waist gunner position 1 x 13 mm Type 2 machine guns in waist gunner position Maximum internal bomb load capacity limited to 8,800lbs. |
| Production: | 4 G8N1s |