A line-up of Type 2 Single-Seat Fighters or Nakajima Ki-44 "Shoki" belonging to the Akeno Army Fighter School are getting maintained by ground crew members in this photo from a vintage, September 1944, publication. Note the very heavily camouflaged by airbrush "Shoki" and the "Hayabusa" just taking off.
Of interest is the big aircraft in the background, most probably a bomber. It looks like it is sitting on a nose wheel and since there are no IJAAF bombers with tricycle landing gear, what type of aircraft could this be?
4 comments:
Possibly a captured B-24?
How about Kawanishi H8K (I know it's not a JAAF plane but that's what it looks like).
Wind-Swords
It is probably the Douglas DC-4E prototype purchased by Imperial Japanese Airways but secretly examined by Nakajima who based their G5N Shinzan 4 engined bomber on the design.
Darryl
I could see how a captured Allied aircraft could be put to good use at a flying school for fighter pilots.
If not a B-24, possibly a Douglas A-20?
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