Yokosuka P1Y "Ginga" (Frances) - Questions

Our friend Mikhail Agenko has some interesting questions about the Yokosuka P1Y "Ginga" (Frances) we will try to answer.

 

1st question is about canopy, it can be in 2 different variants:

 

 

Most Hasegawa models contains right variation, but Revel and one of Hasegawa’s included both.

When that kind of canopy was introduced?

2nd is about tail wheel - when retractable wheel was replaced with fixed one?

3rd is about colour. All instructions has silver/natural metal as a color for undersurfaces, but is it possible that some planes were painted grey?

And last one is about radio compass antenna - when it was introduced? I believe it was not installed on earlier planes.

I have that scan from Revel instruction, but can’t connect with manufacture times.

 

Answers: The first 15shi prototype was completed in June 1942. Two more prototypes were completed in Kugisho (Yokosuka). They were followed by a number of zoka-shishakuki (pre-production) built by Nakajima the first of which was delivered in August 1943. The exact number of the pre-production aircraft is not know but it could be between 6 and 10. The prototypes had the "early" windshield (right in your picture), retractable tail wheels and multiple exhausts. The Nakajima pre-production and then the mass production aircraft tried to simplify various details to help the mass production of the type. The first pre-production had fixed tail wheel and single exhaust. At some point the exhausts became multiple. 

As you know there were many sub-variants of the type. They tried different engines, armament etc. There is no exact reccord when these changes were tried and introduced and most historians base their conclusions on photos. Therefore it is not clear when exactly the "later" type (left in your picture) windshield was introduced. Same about the radio compass antenna.

Kawanishi built between 96-98 night fighter versions called "Kyoko". The first prototype was finished in early May 1944 and had retractable tail wheel but the mass production aircraft had fixed.

Only photos of some prototypes show "Ginga" with retractable tail wheels. All (but we can't be 100% sure, okay?) the other aircraft had fixed tail wheel. Also, only on some prototypes the single exhausts were installed. "All" the mass produced aircraft had multiple exhausts.

I can't find any photo of a "Ginga" with the later type of windshield. But the only survivor in the US has it. So I would recommend that only relatively few had it. 

My recommendation is to chose a specific aircraft there are clear photos of and build it. 

The most clear photos of "Ginga" bombers show them with unpainted undersurfaces. It is possible that some had gray undersurfaces but I can't say with certainty. NMF is the safe option.

There are a number of very nice and clear "Ginga" photos to chose from and build a very accurate model. Leave a comment and let me know if you're building a bomber or a night fighter and if you need me to recommend a certain aircraft.

Darryl sent over the photo below with the early windshield from this site.

Mikhail is thinking of building the "Ginga" in the photo below from the FAOW Special on the plane.

He added: "I think this is one of the earliest completed planes - retractable tail wheel, no radio compass antenna, no white stripes on tailplane. And 20 mm guns are still not replaced with machine guns."

The caption says that the airplane belongs to the first unit to be equipped with the type, the 521 Kokutai. It's a Model 1, with the retractable tail wheel door barely visible. It's a pre-production or early production aircraft. The white "21" shows the unit the plane belonged to, the "205" is the fifth bomber of the unit. The photo was probably taken in May-June 1944 at the second base of Guam Island.
Another "Ginga" photo from the same unit and probably taken during the same time is on p.59 of the FAOW Special. It has retractable tail wheel, early windshield and multiple exhausts. The tail number is not visible but it could be the same "21-205".

Mikhail also sent over some "Ginga" photos with late style canopy.

 

 

 

I believe it's the same aircraft. It was taken after the war to the USA and survives (?) in the NASM museum. Other sources say that two "Ginga" were taken to the USA from Matsushima and two from Yokosuka after the war but it's not confirmed.