The Luigi Scarano Collection Pt. 3

Here are some pictures of my Nakajima Ki-44 "Shoki", Hasegawa 1/48 model, 85 Sentai, Lieutenant Colonel Wakamatsu Yukiyoshi. - Luigi Scarano

 

Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" (Oscar) - Akeno Army Aviation School

A line up of Akeno "Hayabusa" warming up their engines just before take-off. They are all Model 2Koh early. The serial number of the falcon in the foreground is partially visible; "38" something. The one in the background has the Akeno school tail marking and the number "48" right above it. The wheel wells look unpainted.
Note their different camouflage patterns directly over the NMF surfaces. 

The Luigi Scarano Collection Pt. 2

Nakajima Ki-84 "Hayate" (Frank). Hasegawa 1/48 scale, decals Sky Model, Captain Ogawa Tomojiro, 103 Sentai.

Tachikawa Ki-54 "Hickory"

A vintage photo from a September 1944 magazine. 

"Wild Eagles reading letters from home under the wing of their beloved plane".

Actually we are not 100% sure about the type of the aircraft. We believe it's a "Hickory", possibly Ki-54Hei transport, with the wheel covers removed. The landing gear of the Ki-54 is very similar with the one Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily" had but the lack of cowling gills points to a Ki-54. Feel free to send us your thoughts.

Vintage ads

Two vintage fountain pen ads today. Don't forget to visit the links for more interesting information about the companies.

Hoe and sword - Pen and sword

Ideal for giving consolation at the front

PILOT FOUNTAIN PENS

From 2.00Yen

More about the "Pilot" company, here.

Superior domestic product

ZEBRA PEN

Modern technology. Good writing. Excellent materials. Long life.

Avialable at stationary and department stores

Tokyo, Co. Ltd, Ishikawa fountain pen points manufacturer

Check here for more about the "Zebra" pen company.  

Sopwith 2 Reconnaissance

In March 1918 two Sopwith Strutter Model 1 built in France by Lioré et Olivier were imported by Japan. They were tested as reconnaissance or twin-seat fighter showing exceptional performance in multiple roles. The IJAAF immediately made plans to have them produced locally so the Balloon Research Group based in Tokorozawa imported engines and started building them. The first was completed in November 1918 and by next year ten more were built. In March 1920 the Tokorozawa brunch of the Army depot started building the type and by the end of the year they had built five more. In total, two were imported and 15 were built in Japan.

 The photo from a vintage postcard bellow was taken in Mikatahara airfield.

I don't think the guy in the middle could have chosen a more inappropriate moment to scratch his balls!

The Luigi Scarano Collection Pt. 1

Luigi Scarano, from Cava de' Tirreni - Italy, shared with us photos of his beautiful models. First up his 1/48 Hasegawa Nakajima Ki-43-IIKo "Hayabusa" with Fine Molds decals belonging to the 50th Sentai and piloted by 2nd Chutai leader Capt. Miyamaru Masao, August 1943, Sungai Petani airfield, Malaya.

The kanji on the tail of the 50th Sentai Hayabusa did not follow any particular pattern. Some had bird names, others had weather related or spiritual subjects and some even the names of the pilots' wives. In the case of Capt Miyamaru's Hayabusa the kanji can be read as "Myo" or "Tae" and could mean "exquisite" or more probably it's just a female name. 

Grazie mille Luigi!

ARAWASI NEWS & 97Sen

After a few days of silence it is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that we announce that as of today our move to the new Arawasi headquarters, in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, Kanto region, is finally completed. All our friends who would like to contact us by post should first get in touch by email to get our new snail address.

Please note that the email address for this blog is: arawasi_g2@hotmail.com 

After more than a year and 200+ posts we continue stronger and more organised than ever. The average of 19 posts per month will continue but we would like to ask for your support by at least leaving the occasional comment; helps us to feel you closer!

Stay tuned for even more interesting photos, translations, research, articles, artwork, modeling subjects and more. And don't forget that this blog is open to any Japanese aviation (until the end of WWII) related contribution: photos of your models, material or even just questions.

Thank you all for your support, comments or just visits this past year.

A photo today from a vintage magazine showing a line-up of 97Sens, probably belonging to a training school, having their engines started.

Tachikawa Ki-54 "Hickory"

More Tachikawa Ki-54 "Hickory" photos today, all from a vintage publication.

A Ki-54Ko belonging to the "Rikugun Koku Tsushin Gakko" (Army Aviation Communication School) just before taking off on another training flight. The school was located in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. The katakana "ロ" (RO) above the unit marking indicates that this is probably the second aircraft of the school or the second aircraft of the type belonging to the school. It was very common for IJAAF schools to use the more traditional "I-RO-HA" numbering system for their aircraft.

This system was actually the older order of the 47 kana characters (Hiragana & Katakana, here) and its first usage dates back to the Edo period. Around 1720, the firefighter groups Tokyo neighbourhoods around Sumida river had named themselves after this system. There was for example the "I Gumi"  (1st group), "RO Gumi" (2nd group) etc.

The "I-RO-HA" numbering system was recited as a song to make it easier to memorise and goes like this:

I-1, RO-2, HA-3, NI-4, HO-5, HE-6, TO-7//CHI-8, RI-9, NU-10, RU-11, WO-12

WA-13, KA-14, YO-15, TA-16, RE-17, SO-18//TSU-19, NE-20, NA-21, RA-22, MU-23

U-24, YI-25, NO-26, O-27, KU-28, YA-29, MA-30//KE-31, FU-32, KO-33, E-34, TE-35

A-36, SA-37, KI-38, YU-39, ME-40, MI-41, SI-42//YE-43, HI-44, MO-45, SE-46, SU-47

Occasionally IJAAF units wrote on the tail the first kana of the pilot's name. In order to understand which of the two a kana on a tail is meant to signify, first the "I-RO-HA" system should be consulted. If the corresponding number is too high (over 20 for example) then it would mean that it probably comes from the pilot's name since units with a lot of aircraft didn't really bother with songs and prefered the Arabic numerals.

Inside the cabin of a "Hickory"

A Ki-54 belonging to the Mito Rikugun Hiko Gakko (Mito Army Aviation School) is just back from a shooting training flight for machine gunners.

 

Visitors - The "Soviet" connection

"A Soviet aeroplane flew to Tokyo from Moskow, a distance of 10,000 kilometers in 12 days."

"Top-Left: Pilot Shestakov and Mechanic Fufaiev being given a hearty welcome at Tachikawa, September 1.

Top-Right: The airmen were presented with flowers.

Center-Left: Major Abe, hero of the Asahi European flight, welcome M. Shestakov.

Center-Right: The plane landing at Okayama, August 31."

"Right-in-Oval: A welcome dinner was given at the Tokyo Asahi Office, September 2. Dr. Shinomura, Director of the Asahi, addressing the guests. 

Lower-Left: The plane being led by an Asahi plane over Hakone mountain range.

Lower-Right: A welcome dinner at Heijo [Pyongyang]."

Photos from "Asahi Graph" September 14, 1927 issue. Original captions.

According to Wikipedia (here):

"In 1927, the British minister at the foreign office, Austin Chamberlain, brother of British Prime Minister Neville, severed diplomatic ties with the USSR. In response, the next journey by an ANT-3 was a flight from Moscow to Tokyo and back to Moscow, which took place between August 20 and September 1, 1927, and the plane was titled “Our Reply.” The flight was titled “The Great Eastern Overflight,” and was piloted by Semion Shestakov. The ANT-3 used was powered by a Mikulin M-5. The expedition covered about 22,140 km (13,500 mi) in 153 flying hours (today, it would take 18 hours), by going from Moscow- Sarapul- Omsk- Novosibirsk- Krasnoyarsk- Irkutsk- Chita- Blagovenshensk- Nanian- Yokohama- Tokyo, and then return. Though not the most direct possible, there were good propaganda opportunities."

From the net:

Registration was "RR-INT" Osoaviakhim SSSR Nash Otvet (Our Answer). Pilot S. A. Shestakov and mechanic D.V. Fufaev were awarded the Order of the Red Banner for their effort. 

One more photo from our collection:

Iskender sent the following:

I'd like to provide some information regarding the pilot. 

   Shestakov Semen Aleksandrovich (1898-1943). Test pilot, Colonel. Participated in Great October Revolution (1917), Russian Civil War (1917-1923), Great Patriotic War (1942-1943). 

   In 1920’s Shestakov worked as a test pilot at Scientific Research Institute of the Air Force (NII VVS). In spring 1927 he was also a member of commission accepting (in Leningrad) Junkers C.30 (Yug-1) bombers produced in Germany for VVS RKKA. 

   He participated in a number of long distance flights. Between August 20 and September 1, 1927 pilot Shestakov and flight mechanic Fufayev D.V. completed the long distance flight in ANT-3 (R-3) “Nash otvet” (Our Answer) between Moscow-Sarapul-Omsk-Novosibirsk-Krasnoyarsk-Irkutsk-Verkhneudinsk-Chita-Nerchinsk-Blagoveshensk-Spassk-Nanyan-Okayama-Tokyo and back (September 10-22), covering 21 700 km. in 153 flight hours. Shestakov was awarded the Red Banner order for this feat.

   Shestakov had approached Tupolev A.N. (aircraft designer) and Baranov P.I. (VVS RKKA commander in chief) with a suggestion for a transcontinental flight. Boris Sterligov – leading specialist at NII VVS (later to become chief navigator of VVS) and navy pilot Filipp Bolotov (commander of seaplane detachment) were invited to the crew. The first unsuccessful flight commenced on August 6, 1929 in TB-1 (ANT-4) named “Strana Sovetov” (Soviet Country). Engines stopped after the fuel has run out close to the city of Chita and the plane crashed in taiga. 

   The crew returned back to Moscow and took off on a second flight using a backup plane. First pilot Shestakov S.A., second pilot Bolotov F.Y., navigator Sterligov B.V. and flight mechanic Fufayev D.V. flew the path of Moscow- Chelyabinsk-Novosibirsk-Krasnoyarsk-Irkutsk-Chita-Blagoveshensk-Khabarovsk-Nikolayevsk on Amur-Petropavlovsk Kamchatskiy-Attu-Unalaksha-Seward-Sitka-Waterfall-Seattle-Oakland-San-Fransisco-Chicago-Detroit-New York. The distance of 21 242 km. was covered under extremely unfavorable weather conditions (constant fog and storms along the whole course) in 141 hours 53 minutes of flight time. Wheels were changed for floats in Khabarovsk and back to wheels in Seattle. The distance of 8 000 km. was flown over the ocean in 50 hours and 30 minutes. The welcome party in Seattle on November 1, 1929 was triumphant. 

   Later in his career Shestakov commanded TB-1 bomber detachment in the Soviet Far East. In 1933 his detachment was reequipped with TB-3 bombers. On October 16, 1941 together with flight engineer Rozenfeld A.A. he took off in the experimental Pe-2M plane equipped with M-105TK (turbocharged) engines and flew it from Kazan to Moscow.

   Shestakov took part in the Great Patriotic War. In October 1942 he took command of 146th fighter regiment, which was at the time fighting on South-Western Front. He was shot down flying his Yak-7b fighter and wounded in both legs on August 1, 1943 during heavy fighting close to Lokno-Borilovo village at Orel salient (Battle for Kursk). According to a later research after bailing out over the enemy lines he became POW and perished in German captivity. His wingman was also shot down and captured in the same fight, but later managed to escape.

   Unfortunately Shestakov and his long distance flights were undeservedly forgotten in the USSR, unlike the pre war deeds of other famous Soviet flyers: Chkalov, Baidukov, Levanevskiy, Grizodubova, Kokkinaki etc. 

Link to Shestakov’s pre war picture (here).

Thank you very much Iskender for the most interesting information.