Mitsubishi Isshikirikko Mitsubishi Isshikirikko Type 11 “Betty” Tamiya-61049

Description

The Mitsubishi G4M “Isshikirikko”, was a Japanese long-range bomber based on land.
To compensate for the ship forces of its navy, restricted by the treaties of London and Washington, where the major naval powers of the time (Great Britain, USA, Japanese Empire, France and Italy) agreed to reduce their fleets, the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to support its naval operations from coastal bases. For this it was necessary to have Bombers that had a large radius of action, so these airplanes had to be able to accommodate a large fuel load and be very light. The latter was achieved by minimizing the protection of the aircraft and its defensive weapons.
The Isshikirikko used two 1530 hp radial engines: the Mitsubishi Kasei type 11, which allowed it to reach maximum flight speeds of 420 km/h and to have a range of 4,200 km.
More than 2,400 units of this aircraft were built throughout the war. These aircraft participated in the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse. It was also these planes that transported the Japanese delegation to sign the surrender of their country in 1945.