G3M2KAI

[elcid]

G3M2 Kai high-altitude reconnaissance plane

The G3M2 Kai was a high-altitude reconnaissance version of the G3M produced just before the Japanese entry into the Second World War. It was given a power operated aerial camera with a 50cm lens, which took a picture every 15 seconds. They were designed to operate at altitudes between 25,000 and 30,000 feet, which made them very difficult to intercept. The first G3M2 Kai conversions were carried out in February 1941, and by April enough aircraft had been produced to equip three reconnaissance squadrons. These squadrons operated from Peleliu, Truk, Tinian and Hainan Islands, and were used to fly reconnaissance missions over British, French and American territories in the Pacific, starting with the Philippines.

[JeffroK]

cID
 
You could at least credit where you cut 7 pasted your quote from.
 
WW2 aircraft.net have
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aircraft-pictures/japanese-bombers-transport-aircrafts-25938-2.html
 
During 1941, the prospect of war with the Americans and their allies began to seem increasingly likely, and in the spring of that year the IJN formed up a special unit, equipped with G3M2s modified with a camera in the belly, to perform covert reconnaissance missions over the Philippines, Guam, and New Britain. The aircraft were painted light grey-blue overall; they lacked national insignia and any other identification markings. Mission accomplished, the special unit was disbanded in the summer of 1941.

As the date is real specific, summer of 41 for which hemisphere, it could be that they were not in use at 7/12/41

[el cid again]

Hmmm - well OK fine - but that isn't where I learned about the aircraft. It was
Francillon's Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War that put me onto it in the first place.
I learned more at the National Diet Library and the Mitsubishi Aviation Museum, where
I was able to build a database of most aircraft types in the period.