A clip today from the movie "Tsubasa no Gaika" featuring a Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" with Okawa Takashi, played by actor Tsukita Ichiro* "in the cockpit"**. An absolute pleasure to see a "Hayabusa" doing all these aerobatics!
A shortened version of the clip has appeared on various FB pages without the original sound or any credit. The info below is from the Japanese Wiki:
『Tsubasa no Gaika』 (The Triumph of Wings) is a war film produced by Toho and released on 15 October 1942.
Synopsis
Two boys, orphaned at a young age when their father—a pilot and aviation engineer—perished in a storm during a crash, were raised as foster brothers by the wife of the crashed pilot. The elder brother aspired to become a juvenile air cadet and rose to become an ace pilot (fighter pilot) in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. The younger brother, after training at an aircrew training school, developed into a test pilot for the Nakajima Aircraft Company's Ki-43 (later the Type 1 Fighter "Hayabusa") at Nakajima Aircraft, growing into test pilot who excel both in development and on the battlefield.
The narrative weaves in the untold story of developing the Army's primary fighter of the era. By featuring stepbrothers who pursue distinct paths – one as an Army pilot, the other as a civilian pilot – it crafts a success story depicting their growth: one as a frontline soldier, the other as a civilian on the home front. Furthermore, by introducing a widow who watches over the two men, it illustrates the mindset of the beautiful Yamato Nadeshiko, the quintessential Japanese woman, during wartime.
The film was sponsored by the Army Air Headquarters. All aircraft used in filming were actual aircraft, with the exception of some special effects scenes. Furthermore, the aircraft's details, such as the sighting device and oil cooler, scenes from engine start-up through take-off to landing, and aerobatic flight, are depicted with remarkable clarity. The "Hayabusa", arguably the third protagonist, is filmed extensively and without omission over a long duration, making this work akin to a promotional video for the "Hayabusa". In this respect, it stands alongside the 1940 film "Burning Skies" and the 1944 film "Kato's Hayabusa Fighter Squadron" – both of which also utilised real aircraft extensively for filming – as an extremely valuable visual historical document.
Furthermore, the screenplay was co-written by Akira Kurosawa, who would later become a world-renowned director, and Bōhei Toyama. The special effects scenes, like those in contemporary war films such as "The Battle of Hawaii-Malay" and "The Kato Hayabusa Combat Squadron", were handled by Eiji Tsuburaya. However, due to the cooperation of the Army, many scenes featured actual aircraft, meaning the special effects scenes were limited to crashes and shoot-downs.
Director: Yamamoto Satsuo
Screenplay: Toyama Bonpei, Kurosawa Akira
Cast: Oka Jōji, Tsukita Ichirō, Irie Takako
Music: Hattori Ryōichi
Cinematography: Kanakura Taiichi
Production Company: Toho Film
Released 15 October 1942
Running time 109 minutes
The dialogue between the pilot and ground crew members goes like this:
GC1: Hatsudoki no choshi was do deshita
(How was the engine?)
P: Aa, ii yo
(Oh, it was fine)
GC1: Ah so desu ka
(Oh, really!)
GC2: Dodai guwai wa?
(How do you feel?)
P: Kesaku da yo
(Great!)
PC2: Kaji no kiki wa?
(How about the controls?)
P: Mmm, ii, shikashi teppo tsunde minai to wakaran na, ima wa sukoshi karui kara
(Hmmm, good but I'm not sure without having the guns installed, 'cause it's a bit light now)
GC2: Sore mo so da. Shindo wa?
(That's right. Any vibration?)
P: Daijobu da
(It's okay)
GC2: Hatsudoki no kaiten wa
(how is the engine behaving?)
P: Yoku wo ieba, sukoshi tarinai kimo suru kedo, ma tonikaku kesaku dayo. Hisashiburi ni omou zombun tonde mita yo!
(If I'm being picky, it feels a tad underpowered, but it's a masterpiece nonetheless. It's been ages since I've flown to my heart's content!)
*Shortly after the end of the war, on September 27, 1945, he died from methanol poisoning. He was only 35 years old.
**At 00:47 and 02:35 he is actually sitting in the rear cockpit of a Tachikawa Ki-55 trainer. But from 04:21 he is indeed bringing the plane to a standstill on his own!!!
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