Aichi B7A Ryusei

The Aichi B7 Ryusei was designed as a response for a requirement of 1941 for a carrier-borne attack bomber that would replace the Nakajima B6N Tenzan and the Yokosuka D4 Suisei that were already in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy.
They were designed to serve in the projected Taihö-class carriers that the first one was already being built in 1941.
It was designed by Chief Engineer Toshio Ozaki who chose a mid-wing arrangement in order to provide space for an internal bomb bay and ensure enough clearance for the four bladed propeller. This, and the need of foldable wings, turned into the necessitiy of having inverted gull wings, like the famous F-4U Corsair, in order to shorten the length of the main landing gear. The wing had also extendable ailerons with a ten-degree range of deflection, which could be used as auxiliary flaps. It was also equipped with dive brakes underneath and outboard of the fuselage.
It was powered by a 2000hp Nakajima Homare 23 radial engine, which was an advanced version of the one requested by the requirement, that was the 1825hp Nakajima Homare 12. There were also some plans to fit it with a 2200hp Mitsubishi Mk.9 Radial that would be named B7A3 Ryusei Kai.
Thanks to its internal bomb bay, it could carry two 250Kg bombs, six 60Kg bombs or a single type 91 torpedo. It was also armed with two 20mm type 99 Model 2 in the wing roots and one defensive 7.92mm Type 1 machine-gun in the rear cockpit. Later models replaced the 7.92mm Type 1 machine-gun with a 13mm Type 2.
It flew for the first time as a prototype in May 1942 and, in spite of its weight and size, it outperformed the mighty A6M Zero as it was fast and highly maneouvrable. However, due to problems with the NK9C Homare engine, and necessary modifications that were needed to be made to the fuselage, it couldn't enter production until two years later in May 1944. Nine prototypes of the B7A1 version were completed and 80 production version of the B7A2 were completed before an earthquake destroyed Aichi's factory. Another 25 aircrafts were produced by the 21st Naval Arsenal at Omura.
In June 1944 the IJN Taihö, the only Japanese aircraft carrier able of operating the B7A, was sunk in the battle of the Philippine Sea before any of the B7A could be embarked. That's why it was relegated to operate from land-based airfields, mainly with the Yokosuka and 752nd Air Groups. Only other one carrier was completed that could operate the B7A, the IJN Shinano, but it was sunk in November 1944 by an American submarine.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_B7A
2. http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=442