Aichi D3A - Part Four

Thanks to their maneouvrability, as the war progressed, many Vals were pushed into the role of interceptors where they survived thanks to the initially mentioned maneouvrability.
In june 1942 the prototype on an improved version was tested, it was powered by a 1299hp Kinsei 54 engine. However, as that engine was more powerful, the aircraft's range was reduced so additional fuel tanks were added in order to make it to reach the Salomon islands. It was known as the Aichi D3A2 and it started to replace the D3A1 in autumn 1942, rendering the D3A1 obsolete and being sent to training units.
When the better Yokosuka D4Y Suisei entered into service, the D3A2 were destined to land-based units or to smaller carriers where the Suisei couldn't operate due to it's fast landings. The D3A2 were actively employed by the Japanese in the Battle of the Philippines in late 1944 but, as they were seriously outdated, they suffered heavy casualties. By that date, both D3A1 and D3A2 were relegated to training duties in homeland Japan, where some units were modified into dual-control airplanes (we haven't found any pic or blueprint about that version though) and some of them were employed in kamikaze missions.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_D3A
2. http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=296

Aichi D3A - Part three

The most famous action of the Aichi D3A Val was the attack on Pearl Harbour and all the subsequent aeronaval battles that happened 10 months after. They achieved various big successes like scoring an 80% of hits in their raids on the Indian Ocean against Royal Navy warships. They managed to hit two British heavy cruisers and an aircraft carrier with their bombs in April 1942.
Generally they acted together with the Nakajima B5N Kate torpedo bomber making their combination of dive bombing and torpedo runs, very effective. Without counting Pearl Harbour strike, the Vals were responsible for the sinking of 14 allied warships, among them 10 destroyers, 2 heavy cruisers, one aircraft carrier and one armed merchant cruiser. Certainly a true record that make of the Val the Axis airplane that destroyed more allied ships.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_D3A
2. http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=296

Aichi D3A "Val" - Part Two

In December 1939 the Japanese Navy ordered the Val to be manufactured as the Navy Type 99 Carrier Bomber Model 11. Production models differed slightly from the prototypes as the wings were a little bit shorter and they were powered by either a 1000hp Kinsei 43 or 1070hp Kinsei 44. The initial stability problems were solved by adding a long dorsal fin-strake that started in the middle of the rear fuselage making the airplane highly maneouvrable.
It was armed with two forward firing 0.303in (7,7mm) Type 97 machine guns plus one defensive 0.303in Type 92 machine gun placed in the rear, at the observer's position. It could carry a single 250Kg bomb under the fuselage, between the landing gear, that was swung out under the propeller using a trapeze. It had capacity for two additional 60Kg bombs placed in underwing racks.
They started their carrier qualification trials on board of Akagi and Kaga carriers during 1940 and they had their baptism of fire operating from land bases in mainland China.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_D3A
2. http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=296

Aichi D3A1 "Val" - Part One

Time for returning to the A letter! This time we bring you an iconic Japanese dive bomber from the World War 2.
During 1936 the Imperial Japanese Navy issued an specification for a monoplane dive bomber that could replace the biplane Aichi D1A. Aichi, Nakajima and Mitsubishi presented their designs and only Aichi and Nakajima were granted with prototypes building permissions.
The D3A was inspired by the Heinkel He.70 and it's fixed landing gear wasn't a problem when flying at low speed because the drag was unappreciable so, in order to make the design simpler and easier to manufacture, it wasn't changed. It was expected to be powered by the 709hp Nakajima-Hikari 1 radial engine.
In December 1937 the first prototype was completed and in January 1938 it flew for the first time, however the first tests were disappointing: it was underpowered and was very unstable, specially in wide and tighter turns that would normally lead to a snap roll. The dive brakes were also a problem as they added excesive vibration and slowed down the dive too much.
In order to fix all those problems, a second prototype was built. It was fitted with a 839hp Mitsubishi Kinsei 3, the cowling was redesigned and the vertical tail was enlarged to fix the maneouvrability problems. Wings were also enlarged and the tips were washed-out to cope with the snap rolls. Dive brakes were also replaced with new, more strengthned ones. All those changes fixed almost of it's problems except for the directional stability, but it was, however, enough to make it win against it's most direct rival, the Nakajima D3N1.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_D3A
2. http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=296