The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Storm Dragon) was designed early in 1938 to replace the JAAF's successful Mitsubishi Ki-21 heavy bomber which, in fact, was only just entering service with task forces based in China and Manchuria, Later code-named 'Helen', the Nakajima Ki-49 was a workmanlike design but was destined to be just not good enough for the conditions prevailing over the various fronts in 1942, when the initial production Ki-49-I (Army Type 100 Heavy Bomber Model 1) started operations with the 61st Flying Regiment in China.