Hiro H4H2 flying boat by Mariusz Kogut

Here are some pictures of my scratch-built model of Hiro H4H2 flying boat in 1:200 scale, which I finished in 2010. I'm a modeller fascinated with the Japanese planes and ships from the '30s and '40s.

I liked that flying boat very much from the first time I saw her, because of her design. You know, the Lockheed Constellation has the same kind of design - smooth, beautiful aerodynamic lines, even though it is big. The only drawings of the Hiro I had then were the 3-side views from a Polish book and some very few pictures from the net and forum sites.

Now, that I received your great Arawasi EXTRA#2, I'm double happy to see fine quality pictures and the whole story about Hiro. Many thanks for that wonderful magazine!

Also now I can compare and find out what I did wrong :) The obvious thing is the painting scheme and the designation tail code, but I did these intentionally. My "what-if scenario" is going on in late 1942. That machine is attached to, and supporting, the Kamikawa Maru Fighter Buntai, 11th Koku Sentai.  Some crazy scheme connected with the Rufe models I'm building now.

 

- Mariusz Kogut - Warsaw, Poland

 

Thank you very much Mariusz for your kind words about our magazine and for sharing photos of your exquisite tiny Hiro flying boat with our blog. We are all looking forward to your Rufe models!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collector's Items

Vintage and extremely rare kits recently on sale on the Japanese Ebay.
Do you have any information about them?

KSN/Midori, Nakajima Ki-44 "Shoki", ?
Released 1961. Note the inaccurate tail marking
 based on the "Shoki" transferred in the US.

Otaki, Kawasaki Ki-61 "Hien", 1:50
Won at $US180

Otaki, Yokosuka D4Y "Suisei", 1:50
Currently winning bid $US180

Otaki, Kawasaki Ki-100 "Hien", 1:50
 Currently winning bid $US180

Aoshima, Aichi E16A "Zuiun", 1:72
Cool kit box art but one of the worst kits ever.

Crown, Kawasaki Ki-61 "Hien", 1:144

 Crown, Nakajima Ki-44 "Shoki", 1:144

Sanwa, Mitsubishi A5M "Claude", 1:144 

Sanwa, Nakajima C6N "Saiun", 1:144

Tokyo Plamo, Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah", 1:144
Currently wining bid $US420!!!

Nichimo, Nakajima Ki-44 "Shoki", 1:144

Kawanishi E7K2 "Alf" & Nakajima E8N "Dave" in action - video

Since you like floatplanes so much here's another clip from the NHK collection featuring Kawanishi E7K2 "Alf" & Nakajima E8N "Dave" in action. The video is dated November 20, 1940 and the title is "Umiwashi Tsubasha wo Tsurane Yuyaku Konan Kyushu" (The lined up wings of the sea-eagles surprise attack Jiangnan in high spirits).

The narrator explains:

"Our wild eagles freely attack continental China in all directions with gradually increasing success. The Navy units of Central China achieved amazing results. In early November a part of our seaplane unit force departed from their base flying over the cold autumn waters and attacked the remnants of enemy units in the mountains of Anhui Province.

Performing dive attacks they annihilate the enemy and even surprise attacked enemy positions around Jingdezhen. They also targeted and dive bombed newly built enemy barracks, destroying them completely. After confirming their success all aircraft returned to base without the slightest problem."

 

 

 

 

The tail marking of the "Daves" is clear close to the end of the clip and is "V-3" for the seaplane closer to the camera. The "V" marking is usually associated with the Tainan Kokutai which was equipped with Zeros, so the unit is elusive for now. If you have any suggestions leave a comment.

 

 

 

More stills showing the tail marking.

Aichi B7A "Grace" by Andrey Temnyy

Aichi B7A "Grace" by Andrey "Dark" Temnyy in 1:72.

 

 

Aichi E13A "Jake" & Mitsubishi F1M "Pete" in the South Pacific - video

A beautiful clip from the NHK collection today dated November 29, 1943. Unfortunately there is no narration.

 

 

In the photo below, most probably in Rabaul, the ship in the background is either the cruiser Sendai or more probably the cruiser Naka, both of the same class, both based in Rabaul in November 1943. Sendai was sunk on November 2 during the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay 

Naka according to Wiki:

On 21 October 1943, Naka and Isuzu embarked Army troops at Shanghai. The convoy was intercepted by the submarine USS Shad in the East China Sea on 23 October 1943, which fired 10 torpedoes, failing to damage either cruiser. On 3 November 1943, convoy was attacked 60 nautical miles (111 km) north of Kavieng by 13th Air Force B-24 Liberator bombers. Naka suffered a near-miss, and arrived at Rabaul on 5 November 1943, the same day as the Carrier Raid on Rabaul. Naka was slightly damaged by near-misses from dive bombers from the aircraft carriers USS Saratoga and Princeton. On 23 November 1943, Naka departed Ponape with troop reinforcements for Tarawa, but the island fell to the Americans before the reinforcements could be landed.

 

Note the guy waving the flag indicating to the Mitsubishi F1M "Pete" where to dock. Curiously the flag says "P3" perhaps indicating the unit. If that's the case then the "Pete" would belong to the 958Ku which was indeed based in Rabaul during that time and changed its marking to "58-" later the same year.

 

In the still below the tail marking of the Aichi E13A "Jake" is visible and says "P1-". The only unit we could locate with this marking is the 902Ku. The unit though from October 1943 until August 1944, when it ceased to exist, was based in Truk, Palau, Mariyang island in the Woleai and the Marianas. Therefore we can't pinpoint exactly the location of that part of the video.  

Mitsubishi B2M2 by Ryszard Holak

Navy Type 89 Carrier Attack-Bomber or Mitsubishi B2M2. 

CHOROSZY MODELBUD, 1:48.

Ryszard Holak - Kraków - POLAND 

Towa Seinen Koku Renmei - glider

The first post of the year is about gliders; "Chinese" gliders. The short news clip is from the NHK news collection and the photos from the December 1941 issue of the magazine Koku Asahi.

In the beginning of December 1940 the Hankou branch of the Towa Seinen Koku Renmei (East Asia Youth Aviation League) purchased two gliders and presented them at the horse race track of the city. The basically propaganda event was supposed to strengthen the friendship bonds of the youths of Japan and the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China; hence the two flags in the beginning of the clip. In the article it is mentioned that the Wuhan branch of the League had 100 members, 70 Japanese 30 Chinese and included 10 women and in the clip some women can be discerned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One glider is painted in brighter (gray?) overall colour and the other in darker (blue?). On the tail of the one below it is written "Chang-shicho-go" (Mayor Chang's glider). The Mayor of Wuhan at the time was Chang Jen-li seen in the right photo below putting on his helmet.

The starboard side of the wing of the "gray" glider has hinomaru on the top and lower surfaces but at 00:45 of the video the port side of the wing seems to have the flag of the collaborationist government. 

Unfortunately we were unable to pinpoint the type of the gliders but we will keep looking and update this post when we have more info.