Design
A successful aerial launched torpedo design needs to account for
- The distance it travels through the air before entering the water
- The heavy impact with the water
The Japanese Type 91 torpedo used aerodynamic tail stabilizers in the air. These stabilizers (introduced in 1936) were shed off when it entered the water. And a new control system (introduced in 1941) stabilized the rolling motion by countersteering both in the air and the water. The Type 91 torpedo could be released at speed of 180 knots (333 km/h) from 20 m (66 ft) into shallow water but also at 204 knots (the Nakajima B5N2's maximum speed) into choppy waves of a rather heavy sea.
Read more about this topic: Aerial Torpedo
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