Shipbucket

Artwork published by His Majesty's Stationery Office in the 'Back Them Up!' series of posters.

Welcome to the next Shipbucket challenge! Just as trench warfare defined the first world war, strategic bombing became characteristic of the second. Almost every power resorted to strategic bombing in one way or another. According to the United States Strategic Bombing Survey, Allied bombers dropped 1,415,745 tons of bombs on Germany alone. Your task, chosen by popular vote, is to draw a Second World War heavy bomber. These machines were at the forefront of the Allied bombing effort towards the end of the war. Your heavy bomber should represent a fictional type which saw active service during the Second World War, or an equivalent conflict in the same time period. It can be an alternate design for a real-life air force, or it could be the product of a completely fictional nation. Please read the design requirements and challenge rules before posting a submission. Do note that outlandish and non-serious entries are no longer permitted. If you wish to explore a concept which pushes the limits of the challenge, feel free to ask if it is permissible.

Design Requirements

1. Your submission should depict a fictional heavy bomber.
2. The heavy bomber must be in active service at some point between 1 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
3. The main role of the bomber should be the destruction of infrastructure and industry in the homeland of an enemy country.
4. The empty weight of the heavy bomber should exceed 11,000 kg (24,251 lb or 1.1 Grand Slams).

Challenge Rules

1. Each participant may submit up to three images.
2. At least one image must depict the participant’s design in active service at some point between 1 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
3. Every image must be an FD template modified to include the participant’s art. Templates which include a data sheet are allowed.
4. No more than three views are allowed in each image.
5. If two or three views are included, they must depict the same aircraft, in the same configuration, at the same point in time.
6. All art must be in FD scale and conform to the same drawing and shading rules as official Shipbucket styles.
7. A textual description accompanying each submission is permitted, but not necessary.
8. Non-serious entries, or entries substantially deviate from the challenge requirements, are not allowed.
9. Off-topic posts will be reported to the relevant authorities.

This challenge will run until the 10th of May, ending at 23:59 UTC-12 (International Date Line West).
A countdown timer can be found at this link.

A poll will be held after this date. This normally occurs within an hour of the deadline. Members of the Shipbucket community will have an opportunity to rate each submission. Please provide honest and meaningful scores for each entry. Responses which grant maximum scores to a select group of entries, and minimum scores to all other entries, will be deleted. Members of the community who manipulate the results in such a fashion may also be subject to a permanent ban. Scores will be allocated in four categories, each with a scale of 1 to 10. They are:

• Drawing Quality - The overall quality of the drawing. One might consider detailing, shading, and accuracy.
• Design Realism - How realistic is the design presented? Any accompanying text may be considered.
• Originality - Does the submission present a new and unique design, or is it a copy of an existing one?
• Suitability - Are the requirements of the challenge satisfied by the design? Does it suit them well?

BH2 Vulture

_________________

Okamoto ES-60 Tusru

Crew: 9 (Pilot, Co-pilot, Bombardier, Flight Engineer, Navigator, Radio Operator, Radar Observer,Central Fire Control, Tail Gunner)
Length: 42 ft 3 today in (44.5 m)
Wingspan: 54 ft 4 in (68.9 m)
Empty weight: 170,400 lb (77292,1398 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 300,000 lb (136077,711 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Ayumi AV-100 24 cylinder coupled V engines, 4,000 shp
Propellers: 4-bladed Eiko contra-rotating propellers

Performance
Maximum speed: 370 mph (595 km/h)
Endurance: 9–14 hours
Service ceiling: 45,931 ft (14,600 m)

Developed as the ultimate long-range heavy bomber, the Okamoto ES-60 Tusru for its time was the largest and most capable heavy bomber in the world, originally conceived under the armies 1942 modern bomber program, the ES-60 much like it's predecessor the ES-40, was designed primarily as a night bomber, meaning that defensive Armament and armor was exchange for added Bombay capacity, with its bombay capacity putting other aircraft such as the Lancaster and even the B29 to absolute shame, another remarkable aspect of the ES-60 was it's sheer size, with a wingspan of 68 m, it would remain the largest production bomber aircraft until the introduction of the American B36 in 1949.


due to its incredible size the ES-60 would go on to serve in various roles throughout the rest of the 20th century, with the aircraft finding much early success as a high altitude recon aircraft due to it's the service ceiling of 140,00 m, however by the mid 50s with the proliferation of long-range anti-aircraft missiles, it would be retired from this role, but the aircraft would continue to serve quite prominently as a aerial refueling aircraft well into the late 90s with the final examples being retired on the 16th of October 1998.

the ES-60 would also be adapted to carry Zipang nuclear deterrent, in the form of the type 54 nuclear bomb, with this particular model of the aircraft being designated as the ES-60 E, however it would not last in this role for very long, quickly being replaced by the much newer jet-powered ES-70 in 1958

_________________
Work list: 1. various pre-1900 Zipang ships 2. Some protected cruisers and other miscellaneous projects

The Nargana Bureau's Heavy Bomber Number 3



I can't be asked to do anymore work on this, so have this basically incomplete entry. I'm done.

By 1942, Hymuth was near total collapse. With the Army entirely exhausted after the previous two-year counteroffensive, the Hymuth capitulation seemed inevitable, and preparations were already being made in Feora to take in remnant Hymuth armies and government officials. But still the Nargana Design Bureau soldiered on. Continuing off proposals from 1941 and 1940, the Bureau drafted three heavy bomber designs by early 1942. Despite the sorry state of the Hymuth Imperial Airforce, these proposals, likely in an act of desperation and defiance, were greenlit for prototyping the same year.

Built in total secret, with parts painstakingly manufactured by hand when manufactories were bombed or captured, the three prototypes were completed in late 1942, mere weeks before the capture of Ibesia and the final capitulation of the Imperial government. With no fighter force to defend them, and no targets to bomb, these bombers had no choice but to attempt a desperate escape to safety in Feora. Flying in the dead of night, three bombers took off from an unmarked dirt runway in October of 1942, flying separate from one another to avoid all being shot down at once. Only two would make it. Aufzenian air patrols would find and shoot down Number 2 somewhere over Heoria.

On arrival, the Feorans would struggle to find a use for their new acquisitions. First assigning them to their few existing heavy bomber squadrons, they would be reassigned to one of Chief of the Feoran Air Force David Alkani's pet projects: the Orchestra. A squadron of one-offs and prototypes, Heavy Bombers 1 and 3 would largely perform level-bombing runs on fortified Aufzenian positions, with no manufacturing targets that they could bomb.

Ultimately, Feora would too fall to combined Trans-Oceanic advances. With Alkani's fall from grace in 1947, the Orchestra, now consisting of only 4 aircraft, would be disbanded. Soon after, Nargana Number 3 would be lost after sustaining significant damage while grounded by Aufzenian fighters. Left behind by the Feorans, Nargana Number 3 would fall into Aufzenian hands, but would be left to rot in the hangar it was found in.

Humei Bomber, Fifth in series, Navy, First Model (H5S1)

Crew: 11 (Pilot, Co-pilot, Bombardier, Flight Engineer, Navigator, Radio Operator, Gunner, Gunner, Gunner, Remote-control Gunner, Remote-control Gunner)
Length: 153.54 ft (46.8 m)
Wingspan: 213.25 ft (65 m)
Empty weight: 149,089.81 lb (67,626 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 367,010.142 lb (166,473 kg)
Powerplant: 6 × Humei JJ-60 36-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 5,000 hp
Propellers: 4-bladed Risong propellers

Performance
Maximum speed: 410 mph (660 km/h)
Endurance: N/A
Service ceiling: 31,850 ft (9,710 m)

Contrary to popular belief the Kunchai Regime Army could not dispatch all of the State's enemies. Most notably, the ones who resided across the Grey Sea. As a result of this lack of foresight in regards to who the state's opponents would be, Chief Central Minister of the State Kunchai would order for the design and development of a long-range bomber that could reach nations such as Yamatai. The only company possessing the technical knowledge and capabilities to heed such an order was the Humei Aircraft Group, the primary bomber producer of Kamdai. Night and day Humei designers toiled designing what would ultimately become the H5S1, a long-range bomber capable of carrying more than forty thousand pounds of ordinance in its central bomb bay. Although the aircraft survived the designing board and went into production, a combination of fuel rationing instituted by the state and shortages meant the H5S1 could only ever be used in medium-range sorties. Although this defeated the very purpose for which the H5S1 existed, it did however allow for it to conduct bombing missions at full capacity, inflicting immense damage upon industrial and military targets. Its service would come to an end with the Liberation War, with the remaining airframes pressed into brief service with the People's Defense Army Air Force and then promptly retired.

_________________
Wansui!

Schlemmer Flugzeugwerk Sc99 Donnervogel

The Sc99 Donnervogel (Thunderbird) was the Schlemmer Flugzeugwerke proposal for the Amerikabomber capable of striking the United States (specifically New York City). It was designed with triple 12,000 capabilities – 12,000 kg bomb load, 12,000 km range, and a 12,000 m cruising altitude. Although it was originally designed as a straight wing, piston-powered aircraft, it eventually evolved into a swept wing aircraft powered by eight BMW 018 axial-flow turbojet engines, each with 7,700 lbs of thrust. This led to it being called Das Deutsch Stratosphärenfestung (The German Stratofortress) after the war.

The fuselage design of the Sc99 was similar to that of the Junkers EF123 as the Schlemmer Flugzeugwerke was located near the Junkers factory in Dessau, and the two companies had a history of working together with the former producing subassemblies for the Ju188 and Ju288. The first flight of the Sc99 V1 took place from Flugplatz Dessau on 7 December 1943. Performance and flying qualities were generally acceptable, with the exception that the original twin tail did not provide adequate yaw control for combat conditions. The subsequent V2 through V5 were built with a large, single tail; but V1 was not modified and performed as a test bed for other aircraft systems including crew systems and armament.



The first production Sc99A-1 flew on 19 June 1944. The aircraft carried a load of six 2,000 kg dummy bombs to an altitude 12,250 m, but fuel consumption was greater than anticipated. Therefore for long-range operational missions, the aircraft would be limited to what ordnance could be carried in the forward bomb bay, approximately 6,000 kg; and the aft bomb bay would house a 6,000 liter auxiliary fuel tank.
The aircraft was armed with a total twelve MG131 machine guns. Four were located in FDSL 131/1B remote-operate turrets, two on each side of the fuselage. Six were located in FDL 131Z turrets, two on the lower side of the fuselage and one on the upper fuselage. The final two were housed in a tail turret.
Only a small number of Sc99 aircraft were made in two variants.
-Sc99A-1: 15 aircraft used for strategic bombing
-Sc99A-2: 5 aircraft fitted with FuG 200 Hohentwiel maritime patrol radar for maritime interdiction, in addition to their strategic bombing role.

The first operational five Sc99A-1s were assigned to KG40 and were used to attack the allied invasion fleet several times during Operation Dragoon with mixed results. Sc99A-1s sank a single LST and damaged three as well as several other smaller vessels. Three Sc99A-1s were lost to antiaircraft fire and allied fighters. The other two returned to base, but one was written off due to significant damage. Following Operation Dragoon, the remaining Sc99A-1s and Sc99A-2s were split between KG40 and KG100. The aircraft were used successfully to down several allied bombers by flying over them at higher altitude and dropping fragmentation bombs over the allied bombers. In late 1944, ten Sc99A-1s of KG100 raided English cities several times causing moderate damage and loss of life. No aircraft were lost due to their cruising altitude of 12,000m and speed. All available Sc99s were used during Operation Boldenplatte, and several were lost conducting lower level attacks on allied air bases. Additionally, multiple Sc99s were lost during allied raids on Luftwaffe bases or in accidents. At the time of Hitler’s suicide on 30 April 1945, there were only four serviceable Sc99s. Two of these aircraft took part in the Sc99’s most famous mission, Operation Wutanfall. Following Operation Wutanfall, a single Sc99A-2 was captured by the United States after the pilot landed at NAS Wildwood, New Jersey following the news of Germany’s unconditional surrender.

After the war, the Sc99A-2 was flown to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland and assigned to the United States Navy for test and evaluation. The aircraft served in that role until at least 1949 and was used by the United States Navy to test drop dummy ASM-A-1 Tarzon and Mark IV nuclear bombs. Following 1949, it is unknown what happened to the aircraft. Various theories range from an explosion over the Chesapeake Bay, scrapping the aircraft on site after the conclusion of testing, or that Boeing was given the aircraft to use during the development of the B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress. Rumors persist that the aircraft, along with the SA-4000 bomb, was sent to the Pacific Theater in July 1945 to serve as a backup aircraft for the 509th Composite Group or to be used in a third nuclear strike in the event that Japan did not surrender after the first two. No official sources can confirm this, however.

General Characteristics
-Crew: Approx. 12
-Length: 36.7 m (120 ft – 5 in)
-Wingspan: 38.37 m (125 ft – 11 in)
-Height: 9.8 m (32 ft – 2 in)
-Empty Weight: 56,250 kg (124,010 lb)
-Max. Gross Weight: 118,250 kg (260,696 lb)
-Powerplant: 8 x BMW 018 axial-flow turbojet engines, each with 7,700 lbs of thrust

Performance
-Max. Speed: 100 km/h (621 mph)
-Range: 12,000 km (7,456 km) with 6,000 kg bomb load
-Service Ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)

Guns
-12 x MG131 machine guns in remotely operated turrets

Bombs
-12,000 kg (26,455 lb) of bombs

Operation Wutanfall



Following Adolf Hitler’s death on 30 April 1945, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring devised a plan to strike one final blow to the United States prior to the formal surrender of Germany, which was anticipated to occur any day. This was dubbed Operation Wutanfall (“fit of rage”). Göring ordered the final four serviceable Schlemmer Flugzeugwerk Sc99 Donnervogel aircraft to depart unoccupied Germany for Stavanger in occupied Norway. At Stavagner, the aircraft would be loaded with the two untested prototypes of the SA-4000 radiation bombs for an assault on New York City, although this was not disclosed to the aircrews until after arriving at Stavagner.

The four Sc99 aircraft were readied, and the most experienced crews assigned to them for this final mission. The aircraft were to depart air bases singly on the night of 3 May 1945. One aircraft was destroyed on the ground earlier in the day by allied aircraft. Another aircraft departed from an airfield near Berlin but never reached Stavagner. It is unknown whether the aircraft suffered a mechanical issue and crashed or was brought down by allied aircraft.
Sc99A-1 from KG100 (Wk. Nr. 623746) and Sc99A-2 from KG40 (Wk. Nr 647348) reached Stavagner on the morning of 4 May 1945. Both crews were then informed that they would be conducting a bombing raid on New York City using a wunderwaffe with unimaginable destructive power. Each Sc99 was loaded with one SA-4000 radiation bomb, and the aft bomb bay was fitted with a 6,000 liter auxiliary fuel tank. This would give the aircraft adequate range to bomb New York City and return to Norway or continue to land in South America.

The aircraft departed Stavagner just at approximately 2300 on 6 May 1945 bound for New York City. The aircraft were off the coast of Greenland on 7 May 1945 when the aircraft were radioed by General Franz Böhme and informed that all German forces in Norway surrendered unconditionally to the allies, and that they should as well. The crews of both aircraft discussed what action to take. The pilot of Wk. Nr. 623746 broke formation and declared intention to attempt to fly to Argentina. No credible reports exist that the aircraft ever made it there. The pilot of Wk. Nr. 647348, Oberstleutnant W. E. Hausner contacted allied forces and declared his intention to surrender his aircraft and crew to the United States.

United States forces ordered Hausner and his aircraft to land at Newark Army Airfield in New Jersey. Hausner replied that his aircraft was carrying a hazardous cargo and wished to land in a less populated area. Fearing the United States might send aircraft to shoot him down over the far away from land over the North Atlantic, Hausner did not mention the aircraft was carrying a nuclear weapon. United States forces then ordered Hausner to land at Naval Air Station Wildwood, New Jersey. B-24 Liberator aircraft departed Dow Army Airfield, Maine to meet Hausner’s aircraft off the coast of Nova Scotia and escorted it until it could be met by P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft from Millville Army Airfield, New Jersey. Off the coast of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, Hausner’s aircraft was met and escorted by F4U-1D Corsairs of VBF-151 for final landing at NAS Wildwood.

It was not until the aircraft landed, and the crew questioned, that it was learned that the aircraft was carrying a nuclear weapon. The German crew cooperated and assisted United States forces in defusing the SA-4000 bomb. The crew was interred at Fort Dix, New Jersey; and the bomb was reportedly taken to Alamogordo, New Mexico. The aircraft was eventually flown to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland where it was inspected by United States Navy and United States Army engineers and test pilots and used for testing post-war.

_________________
A.K.A. Das_Schlemm


Worklist:
FD Scale USN/USMC/USCG Aircraft
SB Scale USN Ships
Trainbucket Anthracite Railroads

Rapp R. 173 Fast Strategic Bomber

Heston 416 Blackadder
General Characteristics
Crew: 8
Length: 26.3 m
Wingspan: 31.5 m
Empty weight: 18,959 kg
Max takeoff weight: 29,000 kg
Powerplant: 4 × Ryder Eldridge V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines, 1,250 kW each
Propellers: 3-bladed

Performance
Maximum speed: 490 km/h
Maximum range: 5,300 km
Service ceiling: 21,000 ft

Armament
6 x 12.7 mm Ordnance Mk. II machine gun
5,000 kg of bombs (6,000kg maximum)



Originally developed as a long-range passenger aircraft by Heston, the project were taken over by the Royal Aviation Service and hastily reworked to meet the demand of a strategic bomber capable of hauling at least 4000kg payload over 5000 km. Due to their nature as a converted airliner, the Heston 416 were lightly built for their size and crucially underarmed due to limitations imposed by the airframe. Nonetheless, the aircraft were deemed capable enough and entered service in 1941. The type quickly gained nickname of "Blackadder", part because the engine omitted loud rattling noise and occasional smoke, and also being wholly unpopular among servicemen. The light defensive armament left the aircraft vulnerable to hostile aircraft, necessitating heavy fighter escort. Thus, the Blackadders were employed for low-level night bombing raid against cities deep within enemy territory and performed admirably thanks to their somewhat high speed and good climbing characteristics. Over 700 aircraft were built and served throughout the war, and relegated to secondary roles after more capable aircraft took over before being retired by the war's end in 1948.

Fokker T. VI "Flying Citadel"
Crew: 13 (Pilot, Co-pilot, Bombardier/Nose Gunner, Flight Engineer, Navigator/Cheeks Gunner, Radio Operator/fixed rear machinegun Gunner, Front Belly Gunner, Rear Belly Gunner, Top front Gunner, Top rear Gunner, 2 Side Gunners, Tail Gunner), Fokker T. VI G has crew of 14 (additional front gunner)
Length: 22.3 m
Wingspan: 32.1 m
Empty weight: 40,737 lb (18,478 kg)
Gross weight: 58,000 lb (26,308 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 66,138 lb (30,000 kg)
Powerplant: x4 Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" turbosupercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 310 kph
Combat Range: 3500 km
Service ceiling: 8,500 m
Amament: Fokker T. VI E: 8x2 M2 50.cal machineguns and 2 single M2 50 Cal (cheeks) and a single front 50 cal, Fokker T. VI G excahnges cheeks and front machine guns for a dedicated turret dropping one M2 MG
Bombload: 6000 kg
Avionics
H2S PPI radar (operated by navigator who is also cheek gunner)

devolopment of Fokker T.VI started shortly after fall of United Kingdom of Netherlands and Wallonia, Dutch Army due to concerns of inevitable war with Impire of Japan required a bomber which would share as much parts to most modern British and American bombers for logistical and operational concerns but which would also be as good or superior in reach, bombload and maybe, armament, Fokker picked Halifax bombers which they were devoloping with close tights with British - redisigned its fuselage to acomidate more bombs and crew as well as replaced engines with American R-1820 and wings, resulting - Fokker T.VI which were immideately brought to production a month after it's first flight at June 1940 and acceptance tests, by 1942 there were 425 T. VIs and 200 of them at island of Hainan which was under Dutch crown since 1850's, since 1940 to 1945 3400 bombers were produced most of them in Kaap (South Africa) and US factories, they were mainly used against Japan from 1941 to December 7th 1944 (when war in Pacific ended) in a devistaing effect, one of the notable events were a bombing of Hiroshima in April 1943 which completely wiped the city out of the earth with a same result of bombing of Nagasaki in June resulting 45,000 death in Hiroshima and 75,000 death in Nagasaki, some bombers used 6000 kg "Voor" ("For") HE bombs. Those bombers were the only bombers in allied disposal that could carry atomic bombs and reach Japan, but after Japanese surrender in December 7th 1944 they were used on atomic bombing of Germany instead in April 1945 by the US

Fokker T. VI E, the early and most produced variant


Fokker T. VI G, the late variant with "liberation stripes" which were used when those bombers passed through Netherlands which was a battleground in Spetember 1944

Okajima G6O

Crew: 10 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier/nose gunner, flight engineer/dorsal turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunner (2), ventral turret gunner, tail gunner.
Length: 26,98m
Wingspan: 37,33m
Empty weight: 18.750kg
Max takeoff weight: 34.075kg
Powerplant: x4 Mitsubishi Kasei24 radial engines, 1.850 hp each
Maximum speed: 482km/h at 8.800m
Combat Range: 5.800km (2.000kg payload), 5.500km (2.800kg payload), 4.900km (4.500kg payload), 3.200km (6.000kg payload), 1.300km (8.000kg payload)
Armament: 6x 13mm machine guns + 2x 7.7mm machine guns
Bombload: 6.000kg (8.000kg overload)


G6O1-J

Crew: 11 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, nose gunner, flight engineer/dorsal turret gunner, radio operator, ventral gondola gunner (2), ventral turret gunner, aft dorsal turret gunner, tail gunner.
Length: 26,98m
Wingspan: 37,33m
Empty weight: 18.841kg
Max takeoff weight: 28.166kg
Powerplant: x4 Mitsubishi Kasei24 radial engines, 1.850 hp each
Maximum speed: 506km/h at 8.800m
Combat Range: 5.500km
Armament: 5x 20m cannons + 7x 13mm machine guns


G6O2

Crew: 10 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier/nose gunner, flight engineer/dorsal turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunner (2), ventral turret gunner, tail gunner.
Length: 26,98m
Wingspan: 37,33m
Empty weight: 19.069kg
Max takeoff weight: 34.304kg
Powerplant: x4 turbosupercharged Nakajima Homare21 radial engines, 2.041 hp each
Maximum speed: 568km/h at 10.700m
Combat Range: 4.100km (4.500kg payload)
Armament: 2x 20mm cannons + 8x 13mm machine guns
Bombload: 6.000kg (8.000kg overload)



For two years, between late 1943 and late 1945, The Okajima G6O, better known to the allies as "Rachel", was the only Axis heavy bomber in service in the Pacific Ocean. During this timeframe, it earned a fearful reputation, second only to that of the Thiarian Caproni-Atlantach 11C, as one of the best assets the Axis could field in the war.
Koko no Kaigun expressed interest for a long-ranged heavy bomber as early as 1939, but no domestic projects were started until mid 1941, when the Japanese Nakajima G5N proved to be a failure due to lacking performance, engine unreliability and design complexity. Both Okajima and Enomoto were tasked to develop a new airplane under a 5-5-5 performance goal: delivering a 5.000kg payload over a range of 5.000km with a 500km/h top speed. Enough, on paper, to hit as far as Pearl harbor or Alaska even when taking off from Kokoan airfields. Enomoto eventually halted developement midway through mock-up phase as Okajima was already far ahead with four prototypes being assembled by fall 1942. Kokoan designers also had the chance to evaluate one of the B-17s the Japanese had captured during the invasion of the Philippines. Elements of the American bomber went into the bombsight mechanism, main landing gear and, later on in the G6O2 model, the tail turret. The first airframe was ready in December 1942 and first flew on January 16th 1943. A mid-wing monoplane with a large wingspan, the G6O1 was powered by four Mitsubishi Kasei21 radials each generating 1.850hp. In addition to all its fuel tanks being self-sealing, it had a main defensive armament of six 13mm machine guns: four in two twin turrets, one ventral and one dorsal, plus one in the nose and one in the tail. Two 7.7mm pieces were also fitted in two offset waist positions to add some extra protection from enemy fighters. Its bomb bay could easily carry up to 6.000kg of bombs, or even 8.000kg bordering overload, fitting all types of ordinance available, from 60 to 820kg bombs. Two 850kg torpedoes (1.080kg ones on the G6O2) could also fit, but the type was never used in this role. Operationally the plane had a top speed of 482km/h at an 8.800m celiling and a 4.900km range with a 4.500kg bombload. Slightly less than what was requested, but still enough for the aircraft to be considered very satisfactory and immediately ordered into production. Moreover, with the Aleutians and Midway occupied by Kokoan forces by that time, even notwithstanding the reduced range, the aicrafts could hit even further into American territories. Air raids against eastern Hawaiian targets like Pearl Harbor had been removed from the plans by that time however. US air power in the area was considered as being too extensive.
Another potential problem that emerged during developement concerned escorting the bomber on its missions. When operating on maximum range, no Kokoan fighter kould keep up all the way (the J6I2 heavy fighter had a combat radius of 1.300 km, compared to the 2.400km of the G6O1).
In a similar manner to the Japanese G4M/G6M duo, Okajima modified the basic G6O1 airframe by deleting the bomb bay and adding a ventral gondola housing two twin 20mm cannons. The tail gunner also swapped its 13mm piece for a 20mm. A second dorsal turret was also added. All for a total armament of five 20mm and seven 13mm barrels. Top speed and range were slightly higher, at 506km/h and 5.500km. The so called G6O1-J Yokutan goei sentoki (wingtip convoy fighter) first flew in July 1943 and was in service by November of the same year.



By september 1943 Koko no Kaigun had recieved enough G6O1s to form a squadron and the aircraft made its combat debut on October 12 1943. Taking off from Adak island 40 G6O1s of the 132nd and 159th Kokutai arched over the Bering Sea and bombed Anchorage, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Field, dropping almost 150.000kg of conventional and fragmentation bombs on the target. Achieving almost a completed and unexpected surprise, with only four bombers not coming back, the first bombing of Anchorage was a resounding propaganda success for Koko and a great embarassment for the US military, whose intel had previously reported that Koko had no aircraft with enough range to even attempt such a raid.
The G6O1 had proved itself to be very sturdy and capable of absorbing a significant amount of damage while still be able to fly, and in lieu of the success just achieved Koko no Kaigun decided to go forward with further attacks. Anchorage was then hit again on October 27 and November 19. The last attack saw the Americans better prepared, resulting in 13 bombers lost despite their Yokutan escorts were now part of the formation. Koko no Kaigun thus chose to step back from its high-end propaganda targets and focus on other more feasible military objectives: Kodiak and Fort Mears were hit on November 30 and December 11. Losses immediately plummeted to more acceptable figures.
During the rest of the bloody Aleutian Campaign, more properly escorted G6Os repeatedly and relentlessly hit Fort Morrow, Cape field, Fort Glenn, Cold Bay, Fort Meyers and Dutch Harbor. Hampering US military advancements from December 1943 to May 1945. In the rest of the Pacific, the bombers were used to hit enemy positions in the Solomons, Port Moresby, Darwin and other northern Australian strategic targets (an average of 5 times each month between March and November 1944). Recerche was not spared either, with Hopetoun hit three times on April 21st, June 4th and June 26th 1944.
The exploits the aircraft managed to achieve in its first sorties immediately attracted the interest of Koko' Army as well, promptly requesting to get some deliveries of the type in order to boost their war efforts. The first aircrafts started to join their ranks by the end of 1943. Eventually, about a fifth of the total G6O production saw service with Koko no Rikugun. Those units were extensively used in China and the Southeast Asian theater, especially during the Burma Campaign.
Due to the rapidly increasing numbers of more modern American fighters in the theatre and steadily increasing attriton rates, Okajima started developement of an improved G6O2 model during the second half of 1944. The tail turret was completely redesigned with the single 13mm piece replaced by a twin 20mm cannon. The nose turret switched from a single to a twin 13mm machine gun and the waist positions got upgunned from 7.7 to 13mm. Both dorsal and ventral turrets were replaced with improved ones capable of faster traverse end elevation rates. All for a total of two 20mm cannons and eight 13mm machine guns of defensive armament. An extra set of radar recievers was also added near the tail to better detect incoming enemy planes, and a few more armor plates were added to improve crew protection.
Engine-wise, the Kasei radials were replaced by turbosupercharged Nakajima Homare24 of 2.041hp, capable of pushing the plane at a much faster speed of 568km/h at a ceiling of 10.700m. which made them much more impervious to interception by enemy fighters. Range with a 4.500kg payload decreased to 4.100km, but the loss in combat radius was not considered detrimental as US forces were now much closer to Koko's mainland. The G6O2 made its first flight in March 1945 and became operational in August. Too late and in too little numbers to truly make an impact on the war. Out of a total production of 1.144 units, 976 were of the G6O1 model, plus 85 G6O1-J and 83 G6O2.



When Koko uprisings started, in November 1945, there were still around 400 G6Os of all types still operational around the Pacific. Of them, 156 survived to the end of the war, most of the others being destroyed on the ground during bombings or through acts of sabotage. After inspection by US engineers, 25 were considered being still airworthy without the need of repairs of mainenance work. Six of those airframes were taken for post-war evaluation and testing by the United States and UK (the Soviets were denied access by weirdly granting a request from Koko's provisonal government). Most of the test examples and damaged aircrafts left in Kokoan hands were later stored, disassembled or scrapped, both for materials and by surrendering terms conditions. A couple eventually survived: One of the four aircrafts flown in the united States is reported still laying disassembled at the Smithsonian Institution storage facility in Suitland, Maryland. Koko managed to salvage one of its damaged surviving G6O2s, later restoring it to its proper wartime appearance. Although not airworty, the plane has been on display at the Hoshiguma Air Museum since the early 70s.



edit 1, May 6th: changed G6O2 colour from brown to black.
edit 2, May 10th: fiexd typos on the text.

_________________
My Worklist
Sources and documentations are the most welcome.

-Koko Kyouwakoku (Republic of Koko)
-Koko's carrier-based aircrafts of WWII
-Koko Kaiun Yuso Kaisha - KoKaYu Line (Koko AU spinoff)
-Koko - Civil Aviation