Collector's Items

Vintage and extremely rare kits recently on sale on the Japanese Ebay.

Do you have any information about them?

 

Fuji, Ki-61 "Hien", 1/100

Fujimi, Zero, 1/70

Two Fujimi, Kawasaki Ki-100 kits in 1/70. Same artwork different numbers in the "One Hundred Series"




Fujimi/Shizuoka Hobby, Ki-100, 1/72

KSN, Ki-84 "Hayate", 1/72?







KSN, Ki-27 "Nate", 1/72?

Okamoto, Ki-100, scale?

UPC, Kawanishi "Emily", 1/72




Y.M.C., Kawasaki Ki-10, 1/100 

Y.M.C., "Betty", 1/130?

 



MTS, Kawasaki Ki-78, 1/48

ODK, Kawasaki "Toryu", 1/60

Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann" in Manchukuo

Two photos from a vintage publication we recently discovered. They feature two Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann" belonging to the Manshu Kumu Kyokai (Manchukuo Air Affairs Association) which was formed on August 1, 1939 to control all civilian aviation in Manchukuo excluding Manshu Koku K.K. (Manchukuo Aviation Co. Ltd.). Kumu Kyokai purchased from Germany five Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann" which were used for aircraft flight and glider tug training. All of them arrived on March 20, 1938 and were shown to the public on the Mukden East airport which handled exclusively civilian traffic. The two aircraft in the photos below have the Civilian Manchukuo registrations M-83 and M-84.

For better quality photos and more information about all things Manchukuo aviation related check our soon-to-be sold-out and going for its first reprint "The Eagles of Manchukuo, 1932-1945".

 

Aichi D1A1 - Hokoku #85 - Artist Murakami Matsujiro

Hokoku #85 was a Type 94 Carrier Dive-bombers or Aichi D1A1 donated on October 30, 1935 by All-Japan Teachers' Association receiving the name "Kyoiku-go" (education). The beautiful painting of the vintage postcard was created by artist Murakami Matsujiro. Born in Tokyo in 1897 he started creating illustrations for military and children action novels around 1925 specialising in navy battles and ships. He participated in various war art exhibitions and passed away in 1962.

 

Grumble - Capitalism

As you have probably noticed we try to keep this blog focused on our beloved subject, Japanese aviation, with only a minimum of personal stuff here and there like holidays, football and whatever we feel the need to talk about. We do our best not to take sides or step on any toes but occasionally we feel that our toes have been stepped on. And we don't like it. So after a lot of thought and discussion about whether we should do it or not, we decided to start a series of very occasional posts, under the label "Grumble"*, about things relevant to our hobby/passion that happened and annoyed us...to put it mildly. As always, there are two sides of the story and naturally here we only present ours but we do hope to hear your thoughts. 

 

So, here's the first story. In the "Labels" on the starboard side of this blog we have one called "Collector's items" with box covers of interesting, rare or little known kits we spot on the Japanese Ebay. On 8/2/2013 we presented this kit that was on sale on the Japanese Ebay. A "Dinah" in 1/48 by the very little known company "Lucky Sun". 

We were immediately emailed by a modeler who expressed his very strong interest to get this kit and asked if we knew anything about it. I made clear that I've never seen this kit in my life and knew nothing about it and he basically begged me to win it and get it for him anyway. Which I did and he expressed his satisfaction for the price and enthusiasm to get it into his hands. He sent me $US57, I went through all the trouble with the Ebay transaction, package and walk to the post office, and everything went smoothly....until he received the kit. And he didn't like it. Very soon there was trouble in our communication and since I didn't want to leave him unhappy, I returned the amount he had sent me to pay for the kit (the $US57). In other words he got the kit for free (yes, I'm that kind/stupid). Never heard from the guy again, no thank-yous for returning his money, and eventually I forgot the matter completely. A few months later I see a review of the same kit by the same guy on another blog dealing with Japanese aviation. I knew he did it on purpose to irk me but actually I didn't really care (in other words "st arhidia mou" as we say in Greece).

That would have been the end of the story and it wouldn't have deserved a post on this blog except that a couple weeks ago I saw a posting by the same guy on a Japanese aircraft message board announcing that he's selling on the US Ebay the same kit for $US100!!!

I have heard about the problems people have with the ailing US economy. About mortgage payment and health insurance difficulties, kids in need to get an education and go to college, difficulty to find a job and put food on the table. And I have also heard about home kitchens urgently demanding an island, daughters that have to have a Ralph Lauren wedding dress for their happy day, a most needed family weekly holiday in Aruba, daddy's Porsche calling for a new paint job and other serious or less so issues. But honestly, unless there is some really big family matter, selling a kit you got for FREE for double the price you didn't actually pay, is nothing less but yet another typifying example of merciless, brutal capitalism. It is exactly THIS kind of effrontery Greece needs to revitalise its economy, my dear Greek readers. Plenty of arrogance and chutzpah.

*I found many very interesting words similar to "grumble" like "quibble", "cavil", "grouch" and my favourite "kvetch". But I think "grumble" has a nice sound and I also found that it also means "pornographic materials such as magazines, internet sites or videos"...weirdly cool! 

Aichi D1A1 - Yokosuka Ku

Two photos from a vintage publication featuring a formation of Type 94 Carrier Dive-bombers or Aichi D1A1 belonging to the Yokosuka Kokutai. Overall NMF with red tails. The main differences between the D1A1 and the D1A2 were the larger windshield and the more powerful engine, Hikari 670hp, of the later as opposed to the Kotobuki 460hp of the former. Otherwise, except for the spats the D1A2 had, they were externally similar and very difficult to tell apart. 

 

Aichi D1A2 - 13th Kokutai

A photo today from a vintage publication featuring a Type 96 Carrier Dive-Bomber or Aichi D1A2 belonging to the 13th Kokutai as indicated by the letter "T" of the tail marking. The unit was organised on July 11, 1937 in Omura, Nagasaki Prefecture, with carrier fighters, bombers and "attackers". From August 7 of the same year until the end of the month together with the 12th Kokutai escorted ships to Dalian and then returned to Japan. On September 9 the unit relocated to Shanghai and was active during the attack against Nanking. After the fall of Nanking the unit relocated to the airport outside the city and participated in the attacks against Nanchang and Hankou. In March 1938 the unit was reorganised and was equipped with "field attackers", i.e. Mitsubishi G3M "Nell".

The heavily censored photo with the bombs and the background removed was featured in a 1938 magazine so it was probably taken during the attack against Nanking. Note the 3-colour top camouflage.     

 

Aviation Pageant

On June 5, 1937 an "Aviation Pageant" took place in Tokyo's Haneda airfield.

No less than 21 Type 95-3 Trainers or Tachikawa Ki-17s flew overhead forming in katakana "トーコーロ” （TO-KO-RO）, the first "letters of the Tokorozawa Aviation School they belonged to.  

 

On the airfield a wonderful variation of civilian and military aircraft types as well as gliders were shown in front of the ecstatic crowd. In the foreground four Ki-17s can be seen lined up with most interesting tail markings consisting of hinomaru and different lines in red and white. In front of them from left to right is a Mitsubishi "Hinazuru" (Airspeed Envoy) registered J-BAOS belonging to Dai Nippon Koku (Great Japan Airlines); three different gliders, one primer, one secondary and one soarer; "Kamikaze" the famous Mitsubishi "Karigane" registered J-BAAI belonging to Asahi Shimbun; next is a Mitsubishi Type "Hato" based on the Army Type 92 Reconnaissance or Mitsubishi 2MR8 registered J-AARA (check HERE); a Nippi NH-1 "Hibari", the Japanese produced Pou-du-Ciel, of unknown registry; and in the background is another civilian Mitsubishi "Karigane" but although the register is not entirely clear it could be "Asakaze", J-BAAL.

Both photos are from a vintage publication.

 

Japanese Savoia-Marchetti S.62

In 1932 the IJNAF purchased one Savoia-Marchetti S.62 from Italy to test it as a long range flying boat. In 1936 following completion of the Navy evaluation and testing, the flying boat was disposed to Nihon Koku Yuso Kenkyujo (Japan Aviation Transport Institute) receiving the civilian registration J-BBWI. It was remodelled and scheduled to participate in 1937, in the 15-year celebrations since the founding of the Kenkyujo by flying from Osaka to Thailand but the plan did not materialise. It was used in sea rescue and fish spotting.

Below a rather rare photo from a vintage, April 1937, publication with the flying boat in front of the Kenkyujo hangar. 

 

Kawasaki Ki-48 "Sokei" (Lily) by Panagiotis Koubetsos WIP#3

Hi guys!
Here are some photos of the finished jungle, groundwork, the bicycle and the Isuzu fuel truck, which in this case will be carrying water instead, hence the kanji "水" (mizu-water) painted on the tank. The Ki-48 model plane keeps giving me some headaches but I think I'll get through it and I'll come back with the photos of the finished model.

Cheers,

Panagiotis.

WIP#1, WIP#2

 

Japanese Douglas DC-5

In this posting of a vintage photo a few days ago I was wondering about the type of aircraft in the background and there were a few very good suggestions; thank you guys. Well, personally I think it's the captured Douglas DC-5. According to Wikipedia:

A dozen DC-5s were completed. The first two initially flew the Paramaribo-Curaçao route, and the other two operated from Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia). Three aircraft were used for the 1942 evacuation of civilians from Java to Australia, during which PK-ADA was damaged in an air strike by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force at Batavia Kemajoran Airport on February 9, 1942 and it was abandoned. Japanese forces captured PK-ADA, subsequently repaired and tested it at Tachikawa Airfield and Haneda Airport during 1943. This DC-5, painted in camouflage with Japanese Imperial Army Air Force markings, was later used as a transport in the Japanese Home Islands.

Here's a photo from the Wiki entry:

And here's another one from a vintage publication.

 

"Classic" sent over more info:

The DC-5 was flown to Tachikawa Air Force Base, Japan by Huruo Odagiri. Test flown by Japanese Air Technical Intelligence Group.
During the next two years the aircraft was extensively flight tested and the Japanese were particularly interested in the wing slots, dihedral tailplane and the relationship of the design to the Douglas A-20. Apparently, results of these tests were disappointing to the Japapense, who expected it to compare with the DC-3.
Served as experimental transport and radio-navigation trainer.

Thanks a lot "Classic".