"Okinawa 1945" colour - video

Perhaps you've seen these videos before, perhaps you haven't. In any case, here they are.

I found them on YouTube, HERE, and the source as they explain is the ROMANO-ARCHIVES'.
And here's the link one more time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2lgrnMIMAk

 

 

 

 

 Let's see some interesting stills.

A Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia". Note the gun camera mount on the wing.

Another "Sonia" of an unknown unit.

"Sonia" and Tachikawa Ki-36 "Ida"

"Sonia" canopy and cockpit

 

And a surprise; a Mitsubishi Ki-109. This video was taken at the Kurume airfield, Fukuoka prefecture. The particular type was used from that airfield to escort ships travelling between Shimonoseki and Busan in Korea. It was designed as an interceptor but the performance left much to be desired so most of them were set aside to be used in attacks against the Japan mainland invasion fleet. 

These two stills below show the tail gun of a "Hiryu", perhaps the tail of the above Ki-109.

Tachikawa Ki-94-I RC by "Josef"

Fantastic model and brilliant video I found HERE. Unfortunately the full name of the modeller is not mentioned. Enjoy!

 

 

Aichi E16A1 "Zuiun" in 1/1

The Aichi E16A1 "Zuiun" (Paul) in 1/1 we first saw during the Shizuoka Hobby Show is ready and is on display in Fuji-Q Highland amusement park from June 17 until July 30. 

Below is the poster ("Super Multi Sea Plane"??? Only for those who can decipher Japanglish) and a few photos from Chuita- (Twitter).

 

 

 

VIPS - Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" - video

According to the narrator of this short news clip from the NHK collection dated January 26, 1944:

"On January 7 Mr. Subhas Chandra Bose arrived by aircraft to Burma. Another piece (in the chess game) for the liberation of Asia has been moved together with Japan. With Ba Maw, the two Heads of State are working to change the battle conditions in the Burma front. Mr. Bose feels in his heart that the day to advance to Delhi is coming close and he is visiting the Indian Citizen Army.

On the same day Capt. Lakshmi, the leader of Indian women, and others came to Burma and met with Prime Minister Ba Maw who congratulated them for their relocation to his country and pledged to defeat their common enemies. Prime Minister Tojo has also repeatedly pledged to give his support in the liberation of India. At long last the battlefield is moving to the Burma front."

 

 

 

 

Of interest is the Mitsubishi Ki-21-II Otsu "Sally" bomber Bose is travelling with.  It is not an MC-20 or Ki-57 transport as it still has the glazed nose and no fuselage windows for the passengers. Note that the dorsal turret has been removed and faired over. Note also the heavy camouflage and the tail marking that could be of the headquarters section of the 5th Air Division  (Hikoshidan Shireibu Hikohan).

Nakajima J1N1-S "Gekko" (Irving) by Miro Herold

This is my latest built, a Nakajima J1N1-S "Gekko" (Irving) belonging to the 321st Kokutai 321 based on Tinian in 1944. It is the old but not bad Fujimi kit in 1/72.

- Miro Herold -

 

 

  

 

WOW!!!

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center by Wind Swords

A couple of weeks ago I was able to visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It is here that restoration work is done. Inside the 71,000 m2 facility are many historic aircraft, including some rare Japanese WWII aircraft, such as the only surviving Nakajima J1N1 "Gekko" and Aichi M6A1 "Seiran".

My only criticism of the exhibits is that some are very well lit while others are in shadow or there are very bright lights behind some of the aircraft making it difficult to get a good photograph.

 

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Wind Swords

 

MXY-7 Model 22 Ohka with the Hitachi thermojet engine as the propulsion unit. Never introduced to combat.

 

Ki-45 "Toryu" (Nick) fuselage. I believe this is the only left in the world and unfortunately there are no wings to complete the aircraft.

 

M6A1 "Seiran" submarine launched attack bomber. Completely restored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J7W1 "Shinden" experimental navy fighter. This was only the forward fuselage and the canard wings laying beside it. The rest of the aircraft is in storage. If only this was the next restoration project!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the "Kikka" jet plane that was hanging in the main Smithsonian museum. It is still in need of a restoration (it does not have its engines).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures are of the worlds only surviving J1N1 "Gekko".

 

These pictures are of the museum's N1K2-J "Shiden-Kai". The restoration is every bit as good as the J1N1 "Gekko". But the plane is covered in the shadow of the B-29 over it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures are of the museum's collection of Japanese army and navy aircraft machine guns. The weapons were kept behind a glass case with descriptive placards. I took close ups of the placards so I could identify each of the guns. I had to turn off my flash and get the right angle in order to avoid reflections on the glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much Wind Swords for the report and the excellent photos.

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 004 - and the winner is....

In 1/72 scale:
Zbigniew Malicki: 3.93
Derek Cooper: 3.63
Fabio Balzano: 3.94
Calin Ungureanu: 4.67
DizzyFugu: 4.08
Leon Kloke: 3.62
Danilo Renzulli: 4.22 

ALEX TRAN with 4.8

In 1/48+ scale:
Mark Jahsan: 4.05
Fabrizio Tommasini: 3.69
Jean Barby: 4.7
Allan "The Kit Slayer" Jeffery: 4.27
Michael Thurow: 4.6
Miroslav Zajíc: 4.59
Cameron Lohmann "Fluffysmodels": 4.48

AND MICHAEL FURRY with 4.95

Congrats to both winners!!!
Every other contestant gets a free decal set cortesy of Arawasi.

 

Thank you all for participating to our contest with your beautiful models. As you have noticed our contests are rather free of strict rules. Anybody can vote and actually we encourage the participants to vote. We want to believe that we are all gentlemen who don't vote based on friendship, country or personal interest. Let's remember this is a modelling contest, not Eurovision. All of us in Arawasi believe this is a way for all of you to show your models and hoping this is a learning experience you are all encouraged to ask questions, give and take advice and accept constructive criticism. As we are sure you have noticed we have and will hold regular contests. So if you didn't do well this time, don't lose heart, improve yourself and participate in the next one! Or if you actually hate all of this, just send over photos of your model and we will put them up out of contest.

Most important thing is to BUILD, BUILD BUILD!

Artist - Vladimir Martinicky (5)

Vladimir sent over three brilliant paintings this time featuring IJAAF fighters. Enjoy!

Check his past work, here, here, here & here.

Moc ďakujem.