Saturday 29 September 2018

Japanese Airfields, Equipment & stuff #3

Tarps & covers
IJAAF ground crew used tarpaulins to protect their planes from the elements, especially the engine area. When the planes were maintained or were ready for take off, these were removed and discarded on the ground near the a/c. Sometimes the ground crew were more tidy and neatly folded them, sometimes just casually threw them around. In the top photo the number painted on the tarp cover is the number on the tail of the "Shoki".
When tarps were not available other fabric covers were incorporated as the last photo of the "Nate" testifies. But these really depended on the theatre and the time. Home based units, for example, are never seen without proper tarps. Finally I included a couple tarp images from the net.  
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jack stands
The most common jack stand used by the IJAAF is the metal tripod seen in the top photo which could collapse or had the legs permanently attached. Wooden jack stands are a lot less common in combat units. These were used by the aircraft manufacturers and are seen supporting prototypes. I discovered a rarely seen double stand found near a Ki-100 and in the last photo a "Hien" is having her guns calibrated. Note the special stand.
Except for the last one all stands had a wooden top and above that I'm almost certain they had some rubber or alternatively a piece of cloth for smoother attachment to the plane surface. These stands can be seen in all units even at the front in the Pacific or in the CBI.
I also attach a photo of a vintage jack stand from the net to give you an idea of the design in color. 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

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