Osprey Combat Aircraft 22 : Mitsubishi Type 1 Rikko 'Betty' Units of World War 2

The most produced Japanese bomber of the war (2446 built), the G4M saw action on every front from the first day of the Pacific conflict through to VJ-Day. Built by Mitsubishi for the Imperial Japanese Navy, the 'Betty's' very long range made it a key weapon during the opening year of the war. However, to achieve this range, the aircraft was built with very little protective armour for its crew, or fuel tanks, and Allied pilots soon exposed its extreme vulnerability. Indeed, its propensity to burst into flames when under fire earned it the nickname 'the Flying Lighter'. In the first in a series of books examining the key Japanese aircraft of World War 2, Dr Osamu Tagaya details the aircraft's extensive combat history, and lists all the units which operated the bomber. Text by Osumu Tagaya with illustrations by Mark Styling.