A fully illustrated study of the Nakajima Ki49 ''Helen'', the twin-engined bomber of the Pacific War, from Japanese aviation expert George Eleftheriou.
The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (''Dragon Eater''), codenamed ''Helen'' by the Allies, was a twin-engined Japanese bomber designed to undertake daylight attacks without the protection of escort fighters. Consequently, while it was officially known as the Army Type 100 Heavy Bomber, its formidable defensive armament and armour were so heavy that they restricted the Ki-49 to payloads comparable to those of smaller medium bombers.
While only five heavy bomber sentai (regiments) were equipped with the ''Helen'', the over 800 Ki-49s built between 1941 and 1944 saw extensive action in Burma, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, northern India and north Australia.
In an act of desperation, a small number of ''Helens'' were even employed, unsuccessfully, as kamikaze aircraft against US Navy warships operating off the
