re: #138 Dark_Falcon

The I-400’s aircraft, the Aichi M6A Seiran (it did not receive an Allied codename) was notable as the only Japanese strike aircraft to use a inline engine. However, that also points to the tech problems Japan faced, as the engine was a licensed copy of the German Daimler-Benz 601 series.

Actually points more to the Japanese Navy’s familiarity and trust in radial engines than failure of the Japanese tech base. The Kawasaki version of the engine, used in the Army’s Ki-60 “Tony” fighter, was of a superior finish to the Aichi engine. In fact, most navies that operated piston-powered aircraft relied on radial engines before jets took over, as they were easier to build, had better reliability, and were more resistant to battle damage than straight-line engines favored by land-based aircraft.