038B - Inside the Mitsubishi G4M

CLASS: Medium Bomber

CODENAME: “Betty”

YEAR OF DESIGN: 1939

LENGTH: 65 feet, 6 inches

WINGSPAN: 81 feet, 8 inches

MAX AIRSPEED: 265 MPH

CEILING: 27,890 feet

TYPICAL ARMAMENT

1 x 20 mm Type 99 Cannon in Tail Turret

4 x 7.7 mm Machine Guns

[1 in Nose, 1 in Tail, dual-mounted in top turret]

[Each gun equipped with 200 rounds].

1 x 1892-pound aerial torpedo

 –= or =-

Approx. 2100 pounds of bombs in varying arrays.
.

.

The Betty served two very distinct purposes during World War II. In the light of the Japanese Navy’s proficiency at developing high-quality aerial torpedoes during the late 1930s, the G4Ms were outfitted as the Navy's counterpart to the B5N “Kate” torpedo planes, which were just undergoing large-scale production. Secondly, the Betty became one of the mainstays of high-level bombing operations, both over land and out at sea.
.

Although the Betty had a maximum airspeed of 265 MPH compared to the Kate’s 233 MPH and a top carrying capacity almost 100 pounds greater than the B5N Kate, it suffered in armor protection. Often, the G4M could be destroyed with small caliber artillery, earning it the nickname “Flying Zippo” by American pilots and gunners, due to its ability to light on fire quickly, like the popular cigarette 'Zippo' brand cigarette lighter of that era,
.

In response, the G4M was mostly used as a high-level bomber, performing various bombing missions on both cities and enemy ships with much greater effectiveness.