The clip today was shot at Tokunoshima airfield and features a Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" (Oscar) Model 2 Otsu.
Unfortunately the full tail marking is not visible and the unit, AFAIK, has not been identified.
In Martin Ferkl's Japanese WWII Aircraft In Colour (REVI publications), a book that should not be missing from the bookshelf of Japanese aviation enthusiasts, there is a beautiful photo of the same aircraft in color.
Again amazing shots !!!!
ReplyDeletePs: The publication described in the article is still available for purchase from Revi on their website.
This is a great series of blogs, George. Excellent studies during the time of shut-down.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Ferkl's book offers outsanding colour profiles. I daresay however (I'm not 100% sure) that the 'colour' photos are digitally post-coloured monochromes. I would therefore not necessarily trust the green camouflage paints.
Thanks Michael. Glad you like the posts.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any evidence to support your claim that the photos in Martin's book were colorized post-war?
I don't have evidence, that's why I'm not 100% sure. What makes me believe so is the unnaturally bright representation of IJN dark green, particularly on page 5. Also the white colour on all pictures is very clear and very white - the white point is often taken as a reference for digital enhancement. I'm working a lot myself with Photoshop and colour pictures, that's why I think that some (or all?) pictures, if not colourized, are at least digitally 'improved'.
ReplyDeleteDifitally "improved" and "colorized" are two very different things. Also, please refrain from making claims without evidence. Especially as that could be demeaning or insulting to the work of people.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a well known person who enjoyed putting down the work of others and spotting "faked" and "doctored" photos with zero evidence and research. If they didn't look "right" to him, then they must have been fake.
So, I would kindly like to ask you, before you claim anything about the photos in Martin's book, to contact him first directly (he's not difficult to find) and ask for his input.
Thanks.
Thank you for posting this series of videos and pics of Japanese aircraft wrecks on Tokunoshima airfield. A number of years ago I searched without result for the location of the Ki-43 Hayabusa pics and many theories were put forward forlocations. Now we know. These pics are not 'colorised'. They were transparencies taken by USN vet Kenneth Bucanan. I think they are Kodachromes whch tend to accentuate the blues and grens at the expense of the yellows and reds.
ReplyDeleteDarryl
I note that there are interesting emblems of an arrow and lightning bolt on those color Ki-43 pics. These markings were often seen on aircraft of 'Shimbu-tai' (Special Attack Units). The aerial photo of Tokunoshima airfield shows the Ki-43 wrecks but there is insufficient resolution to conclusively determine which units they belonged to.
ReplyDeletehttps://s478.photobucket.com/user/mokyme/library/Tokunoshima%20Airfield?sort=3&page=1
Do you have any photograps in Bamban Airfield in Luzon, Philippines
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: no?
ReplyDelete