Quiz #1 - Answer

Thank you all for leaving comments and contributing to this quiz. It wasn't easy, right? It got me confused too.

First, let's start with what this aircraft is not.

Not a Kyushu K11W "Shiragiku"

Not a Manko MT1 "Hayabusa"

Not a Clark GA-43

Not a Junkers 160

So...what is it?

Erik Faustus (Nickname Fugaku) and Richard (HantsBirder) correctly identified the aircraft as a Hansa Reconnaissance Seaplane. 

Both correctly mentioned that it's a civilian version and "Fugaku" specified that it probably belonged to the Ando School. He also sent over photos from his collection with Ando Hansas.

Thank you very much, guys!

The particular Hansa in the ebay photo has a number of similarities that confirm that it is indeed a Hansa seaplane but also a number of details not found on any Hansa seaplanes of the Ando School.

Below is an original photo from the Arawasi collection of an Ando Hansa seaplane, taken from about the same angle as the ebay photo.

The similarities with the ebay plane are in red, the differences in blue.

Furthermore, none of the Ando Hansas has the anti-glare paint of the ebay plane, and the canopy of the ebay plane seems to reach too far forward, covering the pilot's cockpit area.

In my opinion, the seaplane featured in the ebay photo, is Hansa J-BBCI.

Photo credit: "J-BIRD" (here)

According to "J-BIRD" the seaplane was built by Aichi, c/n 81. It belonged to "Nihon Koku Yuso Kenkyujo", Sakai City, Ohama, in Osaka, and it received the sliding canopy cover on June 12, 1936.

Here's another close-up photo of J-BBCI from the Arawasi collection.

In the photo above, the anti-glare paint is also visible. 

As can be seen in both photos, the sliding canopy covered both the pilot and the passenger, unlike the Ando Hansas. 

Thanks again everybody for leaving a comment. I hope you enjoyed this quiz. More coming up!

Kawanishi E15K "Shiun" (Norm) in 1/72 by Andriy Kudelin pt. 2

This is the finished model.

Thank you very much, Andriy for finding the time to contribute to our blog during these very trying times for Ukraine. Stay safe! 

Kawanishi E15K "Shiun" (Norm) in 1/72 by Andriy Kudelin pt. 1

In general, there is very little information about this aircraft (I found only 10 wartime photos), which made it difficult to work on the model... Also, I found a few photos of a Shiun wreck near Palau and a YouTube video of a wreck at Truck lagoon, which added more info about this plane. And, of course, I looked at N1K1 Kyofu as it may have a lot in common with the Shiun.

The model is a short-run kit from RS Models, quite good quality, although there are some differences with what can be seen in the photos of the real E15K. 

The panel lines are rather thin and accurate, but sometimes they are blurry and too shallow, the surface of the plastic is a bit rough, so I polished it and rescribed all panel lines.

The trailing edges of the wing halves are very thick so I sanded down them before glueing them together. 

The central float has slightly warped halves, so I glued a piece of plastic in it to strengthen the seam and added a lead weight in the nose. 

But when I looked at Shiun and Kyofu photos I noticed, that the float stand of the model is too thick. So I glued a piece of plastic inside of it and sanded its sides from 5 mm to 2.8 mm of thickness - it looks more realistic to me.

Also, I corrected the shape of the stabilizing floats according to what could be seen in the photos of Shiun.

I added some details in the cockpit, 

transparent navigation lights on the wing and tail, 

and rebuilt the engine cowling (it seems to me that it is more cylindrical in plastic like in E13A, but I think it was more conical as I can see in photos or when I look at the cowling of N1K1 Kyofu). Added engine cylinder details - they can be seen in a narrow gap between the cowling and airscrew, but there is an empty place in the kit.

Some sources report, that unlike prototypes (which have exhaust collectors and two exhaust pipes underneath) serial aircraft have a newer engine model - Kasei 24, and individual exhaust pipes. You can notice the presence of individual exhausts in the video of the Truk lagoon wreck. So I made them similar to J2M3, which also has Kasei 20th series.

Also, I changed and corrected some other details according to what can be seen in the photos. To depict the Type 92 machine gun I slightly modified the brass Lewis Mk III from Mini World and chemically blackened it.

The model depicts the hypothetical appearance of one of the aircraft on the island of Arakabesan, with the markings painted on (except for a few technical inscriptions and tail numbers) because the kit decals have a very unrealistic bright red colour for the hinomaru.

AK and Arcus acrylics are used, as well as Revell and Arcus enamels. Traces of operation were kept to a minimum - it is unlikely that these aircraft during their short service managed to get significant paint damage and pollution.

- Andriy Kudelin, Ukraine - 

Quiz #1

This photo was recently on-sale on Ebay. Can you identify the aircraft type?

Kawanishi E15K "Shiun" (Norm) in Palau

In 2013 we were contacted by "The BentProp Project" and we were asked to confirm whether the Japanese seaplane they found during one of their dives in "a" Palau Island was a Kawanishi E15K "Shiun" (Norm). They shared only the photos attached to this post but we did confirm that it was indeed a "Norm" based on the contra-rotating prop photo. 

Here's a link to their expedition and the source of the attached photos.

We were very excited by the news and after they asked for further support, we shared freely the article we had featured in the first issue of our magazine and any other material we had in our collection at the time. In the article and in our email exchange we made it clear that the tail marking of the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron of the 61st Air Flotilla, or "Shiun Butai (Unit)" was not known.

The unit was based on the island of Arakabesan (A.K.A. Ngerekebesang, HERE) and we asked "The BentProp Project", in full confidence, to confirm that the wreck was in the area around the specific island, without of course revealing the exact location. They replied by saying that the location must be kept secret for fear of looters and they confirmed/revealed nothing to Arawasi. Thanks for the trust guys!

The last email we received from them was a few weeks later asking if we knew what tail markings the "Shiun" of the unit in Palau had. (I like the word "obtuse". I first heard it in the movie "The Shawshank Redemption". Just saying...)

You'll read more about the particular aircraft in the promised special. Be patient!

Check also this UTube video, here.

So, there you have it. There are two "Shiun" wrecks in the Pacific. In my opinion, the Chuuk wreck looks to be in much better condition and should therefore be raised and restored as best as possible. From what can be seen from the video, it is not part of any coral reef or any other natural formation and a scuttled boat or whatever would serve even better as a home to the fish and other marine animals. Of course unlikely that something like that would happen, and so this extremely rare seaplane will be left to dissolve at the bottom of the sea.   

Yokosuka D4Y2-S Suisei "Judy" by Jean Barby

An oldie of mine built some years ago. I remember the same model built by my old friend Dan Salamone with talent on Arawasi (here). It depicts one of the few modified D4Y2-S "Suisei" (Judy) night fighters with an oblique 20mm gun in service with the 302nd Kokutai based at Atsugi in 1945. The very good Fine Molds kit with a Falcon canopy, MrColor paints and natural dust as the model was on the shelve for some time!
- Jean Barby -