Scalefest 2012

Our good friend D. Chouinard sent us a photo report of the model show he recently attented.

 

Model show: "Scalefest 2012" was put on by the IPMS North Central Texas, on May 19, 2012, in Mesquite, Texas.

With such a small turn out for Japanese aircraft models, and nothing that really stood out, it's hard to say anything else. The two "what if" models seemed to stand out more than the "normal" J-planes on the tables.

Japanese Airfield Equipment #2

The IJAAF and the IJNAF used these wagons to carry around their heavier bombs. But they were mostly found in the bigger airfields of the homeland like the ones in the NARA photos below.

Found after the end of the War at the seaplane base in Otsu, capital of Shiga prefecture, next to lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan. The bottles in the foreground on the left wrapped with paper are somewhat of a mystery. Occasionally sake bottles are wrapped with paper like that but no idea what they are doing next to floatplanes and bomb wagons. *

This photo was taken in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture. Note the quite large bombs, probably 250kgs, and the concrete airplane shelters in the background.

*And now for the language/culture lesson of the day. In Japanese the word sake (pronounced "SA"-as in "SAmantha" and KE-as in "KEvin"; not as in "key") and osake (with the honorific "o") means any kind of alcoholic drink (whiskey, vodka etc). The word the Japanese use for the drink known to the Western World as sake, is nihonshu. Enjoy your sushi or sashimi with cold or hot nihonshu. 

My personal favorite is hirezake which Wikipedia describes as: The fins of the fish [Fugu or pufferfish: the well-known poisonous fish] are dried out completely, baked, and served in hot sake.

Nakajima A1N

The type was based on the Gloster Gamecock Gamber. There were two versions, the A1N1 had an air-cooled 420hp Jupiter VI, the A1N2 was equipped with a 460hp Kotobuki engine. A very successful fighter, saw major action during the Shanghai Incident of 1932. This particular airplane belongs to the Yokosuka Kokutai. More on the type HERE.

Nakajima Ki-84 "Hayate" (Frank) by Joe Brown

Joe Brown from Canada shared with us photos of his lovely "Hayate". He explained:

"It's the Hasegawa kit in 1/48. It comes with deployed flaps but mine were damaged, so I raised them up and faired them in and rescribed the underside. Added eduard seatbelts. Other than that it's out of the box. The decals are from Aeromaster (48-623: 520 Temporary Interception Regiment). Painted with Polly Scale paints,  paint chipping done with a silver pencil."

Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily"

In the top photo, from a vintage publication, a Kawasaki Ki-48 of the Tokorozawa Rikugun Koku Seibi Gakko 所沢陸軍航空整備学校 (Army Maintenance School in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture) is having one of the propellers back on after a thorough engine check. In the second photo another "Lily" from the same school is undergoing engine maintenance. Note that the prop colors are different; all brown in the top photo, unpainted in the second.

The prop warning sign, in katakana, on the fuselage side reads "キケン" (kiken) meaning "danger".

Zero-sen Model 21, 3rd Kokutai

Following the beginning of the Pacific War and starting from December 23, 1941, the 3rd Kokutai relocated to Davao in Mindanao island from its original base in Takao, Taiwan. Three weeks later the unit advanced to Manado on the Celebes in January 1942. This official IJNAF photo showing Zero Model 21s was taken in Manado during that period. Note the data stencil applied on the cowling side.

After the capture of Java, the 3rd Ku was stationed there to fight the remnants of the enemy forces and for air patrol. From April 1942 the main force of the 3rd relocated to Kupang airfield on Timor island. From there together with field attack units, they were engaged in raids against Australia's Port Darvin. The photo below was taken in Kupang.

Zero-sen maintenance

A series of photos from a 1944 magazine featuring maintenance group students practising on Zero-sen. Good reference for uniforms and ground equipment. Note the tool box in the first and last photo.

Mysterious Zero-sen!!!

The Zero-sen is the most thoroughly documented Japanese airplane yet there are still some quite surprising, small, less known details and information.

Here we present photos of one of the least known Zero-sen subtypes.

Asahi Shinbun, July 25, 1943. Photo taken by reporter Hashimoto. Note that this Zero has A6M2 wings, A6M3 cowling, A6M5 long barrelled 20mm wing cannons and early drop tank. Note also the absence of a radio mast.

While the initially very successful A6M2 Model 21 type was dominating the skies early in the Pacific War, Mitsubishi was already striving to improve performance. Various modifications resulted in the A6M3 Model 32 with different cowling and shortened wings. The most important difference with the previous model was the new Sakae 21 1,130hp engine instead of the Sakae 12 of 940hp. Unfortunately the new A6M3 was not particularly successful and production was terminated after 343 units were delivered. 

(Illustrations by "Fuku-san", HERE)

A6M2 Model 21

A6M3 Model 32

While the A6M3 proved to be a failure, the new engine turned out to be rather promising so an interim model keeping the A6M3 cowling and engine but with A6M2 wings started to be produced. Some were with the shortened wing cannon similar to the A6M2 but some had a longer barrel version of the 20mm Type 99 cannon. 560 units were produced of this interim type which was superseded by the new A6M5 Model 52, the first flight of which was in June 1943 and was officially accepted two months later.  

  A6M3 Model 22

Very early A6M5s were externally similar to the A6M3 Model 22.

A6M5 model 52 (early production model)

A6M5 Model 52

This Zero ready for take-off from a Rabaul airfield has all the characteristics of the A6M3 Model 22 but also 30kg bombs under the wings.

Chris Cowx excellently summarised the differences between the various models. Thank you Chris:

A6M2 model 21: Sakae 12 engine, forward firewall, full 12m wings with folding tips, no trim tabs on ailerons, collector exhaust, more angular cowling. 

A6M3 model 32: Sakae 21 engine, rear firewall with changes to fuel and oil capacities, collector exhaust, rounded cowling, squared off 11m wings without folding tips. Some had longer barrelled cannons. 

A6M3 model 22: as per model 32 but with full 12m wings with rounded folding wingtips. Extra fuel tankage in outer wing panels. Some had longer barrelled cannons. 

A6M5 model 52(early): shorter, sturdier 11m wing with thicker skin and rounded tips, Sakae 21 engine with collector exhaust, cowling and firewall location as per A6M3 models. All had longer barrelled cannons.

Pat Donahue contributed more interesting information. Thank you Pat:

The late model 21 and model 22 had BALANCE TABS mounted on the ailerons to lower control forces. These were actuated by control arms in the aileron/flap gap and can be seen in photos as an angular rod extending out of the aileron/flap gap to the tabs on the ailerons. See photo below. These a/c did not have any external fixed trim tabs on the ailerons. I might add that the late 21/22 wing also had some structural changes in the wing to allow for a different flutter speed due to the balance tab installation, these are not really visible for small scale modeling purposes. Lastly the model 22 had an additional fuel tank mounted in the wing which I believe was carried over on the model 52 and later a/c. 

When full flaps were selected to prevent overbalance of the ailerons (ie. over sensitivity to aileron input) the rods were retracted by an eccentric cam attached to the flaps. (The new Tamiya kit has these rods molded in the correct retracted position for a flaps down model) 

ALL other A6M models had an external fixed (ground adjustable only) trim tab attached to the trailing edge of the ailerons.

Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21

A photo from a vintage publication of Zero Model 21 probably belonging to the Tainan Kokutai which after completing operations in the Indonesia area returned to Japan for replenishment and then advanced to the Rabaul area to participate in the battle of the Solomons. 

According to the caption, this photo was taken in the Rabaul East airfield in the Spring of 1942. The tail number of the plane is "V-153" with one blue band above and below the tail marking. These blue bands, something used only by the Tainan Ku, were an indication that the plane belonged to a chutai-cho (division leader). 

During the Rabaul time, the unit marking was black and the "V" marking was in use from Oct. 1941 to Oct. 1942. 

Note the early approximately 300l drop tank and the pilots resting under the wing. 

Vintage magazine cover

Hiko Shonen, December 1943