SOME FAKE BACKGROUND...

The Yokosuka D8Y "Showakusei" (asteroid) was a cousin of the D4Y "Suisei" (comet) by the same manufacturer. Both planes were developed to replace the IJN's ageing Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers. The Suisei was built for speed, with a sleek fuselage and retractable landing gear, and was expected to fill the roles of dive bomber, reconnaissance plane, night fighter and kamikaze. And it was indeed fast -but at the cost of zero armor and a relatively small payload.

The Showakusei, then, looked decidedly less modern with its fixed undercarriage -much like the old Aichi "Val"- but it was designed to be powered by the 2000 BHP Nakajima "Homare" engine. The additional power and the strong, fixed landing gear allowed the plane to take considerably more hardware aloft than its cousin.

ARMAMENT

In addition to its bomb payload of two 500 kg armor-piercing bombs, the Showakusei is fitted with two Ho-401 57 mm autocannons, each with a 20-round magazine, and four 20 cm rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

The Ho-401 cannon saw only limited used during WW2. The only other Japanese airplane to be fitted with one would be the Kawasaki Ki-102, several years later.

The 20 cm RPG's were derived from the IJN's 20 cm mobile grenade launcher. The idea to install them on airplanes probably originated from the Germans, who used their 21 cm "nebelwerfer" RPG's in much the same manner.

FLYING

The Showakusei is easy enough to handle; it manages nicely to take off from IJN carriers, and has no unpleasant surprises for its pilots. Controls are simple and straightforward;

AG1 : folding wings
AG2 : landing hook
VTOL down : flaps
Trim : elevator trim

Other than that, there's not much to tell. Dive brakes and engine cowl flaps are automatic, and the tail wheel steering locks when retracted (just don't forget to retract it after takeoff).

So... just concentrate on aiming & shooting!