User blog comment:Leader1623/Best singled engined bombers of WWII/@comment-27015223-20151105221401/@comment-12494172-20151105230445

It is faster, more maneuverable, better armed defensively, longer ranged, has superior altitude performance and is also capable of taking up the role of not only a dive bomber but that of a torpedo bomber. It also had the ability to mount extra gun pods to take up a ground attack role. It was a dive bomber that could out turn a Hellcat. That also had a swift roll (according to US pilots) and was relatively fast, if compared to opposing bombers it was a speed demon.

Maximum Speed: 567 kph

800 kg of ordinance (to my knowledge of internal stowage) or 1 800 kg externally mounted torpedo

The Hellcat can do 621 kph

Now let us compare it to any other american single engine bomber of ww2.

The Helldiver, the fastest american dive bomber can do 467 kph.

So the B7A must be fragile! Because it is Japanese! It is a high speed dive/torpedo bomber with an internal bomb bay. How on earth is it possible for any good dive bomber that does not disintegrate in it's dive be fragile. Not to mention an internal bomb bay!

American pilot reports say it is fast and suprisingly maneuverable, able to outurn a Hellcat! It also dives well.

From what I can gather this means that while it does carry an inferior bomb load, the high speed (for a bomber), maneuverability and heavy weapons loadout will give it a much higher survivability against opposing fighters. Which makes for a more tactically flexible aircraft. However this advantage is less useful when you already have full air superiority and isn't actually that great when you realize bomber crews don't know the first thing about dogfights.