Скачать или смотреть Making A Superplane, But "Backwards": Kyushu J7W Shinden

In this video, we take a look at the Kyushu J7W Shinden, a Japanese fighter and interceptor from late-World War II. We first talk about the concept of a "backwards" plane, how it is technically meaningless, and why some designs are made "backwards". We then talk about the most well known "backwards" planes, in the XP-54, XP-55, and XP-56, and how all of them failed. We then move to Japan's attempt to field a "backwards" fighter, spurred by a need to protect the Japanese homeland.

We talk about how the Japanese Navy was initially hesitant to accept the J7W design, due to its unconventional nature. We talk about the process that led to it getting accepted, the odd choice of manufacturer, the rapid prototype production, and the delays of the Shinden's first flight. We talk about the underwhelming initial flights of the Shinden, and how its performance didn't matter at all, due to the end of the war. We end by talking about if the Shinden was worth pursuing in the first place.