The Aichi Kokuki Ha-70 Seiran (lit. Clear Sky Storm) developed two years earlier was sound in terms of design, but was plagued by issues largely stemming from a lack of experience in developing supersonic heavy-weight aircraft as well as designing cockpits with side-sticks as opposed to center, with the aircraft being well-liked by pilots for it's handling, but with many complaining about the right-hand-side controls that required them to either 'twist' their left hand over akwardly to use or release their grip on the joystick. In further addition, the fighter's outboard hardpoints and wingtip launchers caused overstressing issues with the wings during high-g maneuvers, limiting the aircraft's performance at high speeds if not shearing them off entirely. A tempoary solution was not to load the outboard hardpoints at all, one that worked, but also limited the fighter's deliverable payload. As a result, a completely new fighter had to be designed; in effect an upgraded version of the older aircraft, it features more heavily reinforced wings and the removal of the wingtip/outer hardpoints, instead mounting up to six hardpoints within the fuselage to consempate, an improved cockpit interior mounting all controls not mounted on the joystick to the left side, allowing for much better usage, and two wing-moutned hardpoints with either single, dual, or triple-launch racks.
In keeping with the principle set forth by it's predecssor, the Ha-72-Kai was designed to be a highly versatile aircraft due to it's simple yet advanced design, combining the latest advances in avionics and radar technologies within a simple, versatile airframe designed to do virtually any role expected of an aircraft within it's size range, fulfilling virtually every role from fighter escort, fleet air defense, suppression of enemy air defenses, air interdiction, close air support, aerial reconnaissance, and everything in between.

Edelweiss currently operates 3,000 aircraft.

Overview
Role: Multirole combat fighter
Origin: Japan
Manufacturer: Aichi Kokuki, Mitsubishi
First flight: 17th April 1971
Introduction: March 1972
Operators: Japanese Imperial Air Arm, Naval Air Arm (Japan), Marine Air Arm (Japan), Edelweiss Royal Air Force
Developed from: Aichi Ha-70
Produced: 1971-current
Number built: est 700 (not counting exports)

General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Wingspan: 39.1ft (11.9m)
Length: 51.3ft (15.6m)
Height: 13.2ft (4.0m)
Empty Weight: 27,000 lb (12,266 kg)
Loaded Weight: 37,000 lb (16,782 kg)
Gross weight: 44,500 lb (20,185 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 68,000 lb (30,844 kg)
Wing Area: 436.6ft2 (40.6m2)
Powerplant: 2x Nakajima Sora low-bypass afterburning turbofan engines, 14,590 lbf (64.9 kN) thrust each dry, 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN) with afterburner

Performance
Top speed: ~Mach 2.5 (1400 kts, 1611 mph, 2592 kph) at high altitude
- Mach 1.2, 800 kts (921 mph; 1,482 km/h) at sea level
Cruise speed: 600 kts (690 mph, 1111 km/h)
Range: 1300nmi (1496 mi, 2407 km) standard load under cruise speed
Ceiling: ~65,000 ft (20,000 m)
g-limits: +9.7
Wing Loading: 98.9lbs/ft2 (482.8kg/m2)
Power/Weight Ratio: 7.027

Armament
1x 30mm Type 67 aircraft heavy aircraft rotary autocannon (1,500rds)
9 external hardpoints, 8 missile slots (+2 with double-rack hardpoints)

Type 57 anti-ship/anti-air missile
Type 58 anti-air missile (obsolete)
Type 70 anti-air missile
Type 68 2,100lb (952 kg) guided bombs
Type 97 2,700lb (1,224 kg) bombs
Type 70 oxygen torpedoes
Type 59 air-to-surface missiles
Type 70 rocket pods
Type 72 anti-air missiles
up to 3 × 600 gal (2,300 L) external drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time

Countermeasures
2x Type 57 flare launchers
- Mikasa Avionics Mi-70 IFF interrogator
- Mikasa Avionics Ha-68 electronic warfare pods
- Aichi Ha-62 electronic warfare warning set

Ha-63 radar warning receivers

Avionics
1x Aichi Ha-55 heads-up-display
1x Mitsubishi Mi-60 aircraft air/surface-search radar
- Mikasa Avionics Mi-70 air/surface-search radar pods

Variants
Ha-72 Type 01: Base, standard model, the initial batch of aircraft delivered to the Naval Air Arm.
Ha-72 Type 02: A version equipped with better electronic warfare suite and weaponry. Due to the fighter's modular design, however, Type 01 versions can and are being outfitted to Type 02 specifications.

Controls
AG1: Radar (not mine, it's made by ASBE. Credits to the dude)
AG2: drop the drop tank (should be obvious since it's listed in the cockpit)
AG6: Arrestor gear
VTOL: Flaps lol
Other: fly the thing like any other plane (standard flight controls)