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Nippon (ニッポン, Nippon) was a converted Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 21 bomber operated by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper and used to make a round-the-world flight in 1939.
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The round the World flight
Nippon took off from Haneda airport in the district of Kamata in Tokyo on 25 August 1939, flew around the globe and returned to Tokyo, after 55 days, on 20 October 1939 having flown 52,886 km (32,862 mi; 28,556 nmi) in 194 flying hours.
The aircraft
Nippon had the armament removed, was equipped with the latest autopilot and could carry 5,200 l of fuel enabling it to fly continuously for 24 hours.
Flight course
Tokyo - Chitose - Nome, Alaska - Fairbanks, USA - Whitehorse - Seattle - Oakland, USA - Los Angeles - Albuquerque, USA - Chicago - New York - Washington D.C - Miami - San Salvador, El Salvador - Cali, Colombia - Lima - Arica - Santiago - Buenos Aires - Santos (Brazil) - Dakar - Agadir Morocco - Casablanca, Spain - Rhodos, Greece - Basra (Iraq) - Karachi - Kolkata, India - Bangkok - Taipei - Haneda, Tokyo
Specifications (Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 21)
Data from The Mitsubishi G3M "Nell"; Imperial Japanese Navy Bombers of World War Two;
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Occupants
There were seven occupants in total.