The Mitsubishi G4M was upgraded a few
times during its production life. The plane shown here is the G4M2A
Model 24 which entered service in mid-1943. It had more powerful
engines with 4-blade propellers, larger bomb bay and fuel tanks,
redesigned wings and change in armament. The main advantages of the
revised design were the substantially increased range and ability to
carry the mega Type 91 torpedo (it was almost as big as a mini-sub).
The G4M was also fitted with radar which allowed more accurate searches
for targets. The radar antennae can be seen on the plane here - on
either side of the tail and in the nose. The G4M2 would have
encountered the Vought F4U Corsair
fighter. Here is a 57 second video
of a theoretical encounter.
MITSUBISHI G4M2A Model 24 "Betty"
Class: Medium Bomber
Crew: 7
Engine: 2 x Mitsubishi MK4T Kasei 25 14-cylinder twin-row radial (1,800 hp each)
Max Speed: 272 mph
Climb Rate: 1,800 ft/min
Service Ceiling: 29,360 ft
Range: 3,700 miles
Armament: 4 x .303 inch machine gun (nose, cockpit, left and right fuselage)
Model Scale: 1:120