Mitsubishi G4M

The G4M

The Mitsubishi G4M was a bomber aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was called "Betty" by the Allies for it's codename and was known as "Hamaki" ("Cigar") by Japanese Navy pilots.

It was known for its good performance and range, as well as its lightness. It however had almost a complete lack of protection for the crew and had no armor plating or self-sealing fuel tanks. American fighter aircraft took advantage of this during their confrontation of the Pacific War.

Mitsubishi G4M Media

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  A Mitsubishi G4M1; with a non-standard roundel - a white square instead of the white circle surrounding the hinomaru.

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  IJN aviators pressed home a torpedo attack against American ships off Guadalcanal on 8 August 1942, suffering heavy losses. The plane on the left at extreme low-level (approximately five meters) was flown by Jun Takahashi.

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  Betty bombers during an air raid over Darwin, Australia.

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  The tail section of Yamamoto's G4M1 wreck, c. 1943

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  A largely-intact G4M - minus its tail section - which crashed into the sea off the coast of Tulagi on 8 August 1942

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  Early production G4M1s of Kanoya Kōkūtai with the original shape tail cones.

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  Mid- or late-production G4M1 Model 11s with the propeller spinners and rubber ply beneath the wing fuel tanks.

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  A G4M2a Model 24 Hei captured by RAF flying over Malaya

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  721st Kōkūtai G4M2e bomber carrying an Ohka (image of a plastic model)

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  G4M2e Model 24 Tei launching a suicide Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka "Baka" (wind tunnel model experiment)