50 Sentai "Hayabusa" - New publication by DNK

Talking about the "Hayabusa" of the 50 Sentai, Dai Nippon Kaiga has just released a brand new one; the fifth in the series after the "244 Sentai", the "70 Sentai", the "Akeno School" and the "64 Sentai".

While the "244 Sentai" was their best followed closely by the other four, this new one is the worst of all and SUCKS BIG TIME!

As before the publisher relies exclusively on the Kikuchi photo collection but no matter how many times people complain about the spreading of photos in two pages and the "valley" it creates, it seems that all protests fall on deaf ears. Actually I believe this is done on purpose. They have done this shit with 18 photos of this new publication, so conveniently they have filled 36 pages out of the total 96. (Perhaps we should do the same with our magazine. 10 photos spread on 20 pages = new issue every 2-3 months. Nice eh?)

Before you jump in and say I have some axe to grind with DNK, here is a sample review by a Japanese reader from Amazon indicative of others:

「荒野のコトブキ飛行体」のDVD発売告知の帯はなんなのでしょうか？
(What's the meaning of the band advertising the new dvd of the anime "Koya no Kotobuki Hikotai"? [He is talking about the band at the bottom of the cover])

 

...絶対的ボリュームの不足感は否めません。
仕方ないでしょうが、飛燕写真集のように地上で撮られた写真がもっとあれば良かったです。

(...compared to older publications, the lack of volume is obvious. Wish we had more photos like in the "Hien" book.)

 

...ページの真ん中あたりの部分がよく見えません。これは完全に読者を無視した編集です、というか編集者はこれらの貴重な写真の価値を判っていないのではないでしょうか。

(...the middle part of the page is not properly visible. The editor completely ignores the reader, or perhaps the editor does not know the value of these precious photos)

写真を見るのに本の向きを縦から横に変えるくらい全く気になりません。読者の気持ちと写真の価値を理解していない本当に残念な編集です。

(...I wouldn't be bothered at all if they changed the orientation of the book from portrait to landscape to view the photos better. It is a really unfortunate editing job that does not understand the reader's feelings and the value of the photos.)

I would like to believe that they hurried to publish this one in time for the Shizuoka show (this weekend...we ain't going, have to finish the "Sally" book) because it's really not good. There are two pages of excellent artwork by Sato Kunihiko with various "Hayabusa" details, 6 pages of cheap, flat, totally unnecessary artwork by Yoshino Yasutaka showing the various paint schemes, 7 pages with color photos of the restored "Hayabusa" in the FHCAM, 61 pages with 52 photos from the Kikuchi collection and about 15 pages with a very rough history of the unit and other information. 

Don't you just love the "valley"? You got to destroy your copy to see the exhausts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The printing quality of the Kikuchi photos is also not good at all. Compared to the brilliant KFI#79, they are dark with plenty of shadows and contrast. As a result a lot of details are completely lost. Not to mention they are not sharp at all. The author/editor explains that they used the small sample/test prints of the photos (see below. If you know the correct word in English for this, leave a comment) instead of the actual negatives.

And here's why: Kikuchi-san originally printed all the photos in the collection at a camera shop near their house. When somebody wanted to use some of the photos, they lent the printed ones (not the negatives). Some returned the borrowed photos, some didn't. The first time they printed them they were crystal clear. Subsequent prints were full of noise and in any case less than half of the photos in the films were printed and available. A few years back almost all the camera shops in Japan stopped printing films and Kikuchi-san (the widow of the photographer who had passed away in 1990) had no place to make more copies. So she started lending the sample prints which are of course small and of much inferior quality than the originals. I'm describing all this from painful personal experience. Kikuchi-san explained to me that after her passing, the photos will be donated to the "Japan Photographer's association" (or whatever is called) so we can only hope that when they get them they will make them somehow available in their original quality. Don't forget that although the aviation photos in the Kikuchi collection are of great value to us, Kikuchi-san was one of the first to visit Hiroshima right after the atomic bomb was dropped and the photos he took of the destruction, as you can imagine, are of extreme historical value.

 

But anyway, going back to the DNK publication. I'm always happy when a new book about Japanese airplanes comes out. Not particularly happy with this one though.

So for me it's Moderately Recommended.  

But if you're interested, it's available from our on-line store, HERE. 

B-29 air raid against Rangoon, 50 Sentai "Hayabusa" - video

A February 8, 1945 video from the NHK collection entitled "B-29 air raid against Rangoon". The narrator does not help with any details apart from the usual propaganda stuff like "the Japanese Army and Navy are protecting the skies and sea of Burma from the British enemy based in India" but of particular interest is the very short part where Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" (Oscar) of the 50 Sentai are seeing taking off to intercept the enemy.

 

 

The unit while recuperating in Saigon was changing to Nakajima Ki-84 "Hayate" (Frank) but the supplied aircraft had various problems and the change didn't go as smoothly as they would have wanted. The unit relocated to Mingaladon airfield, in the end of October 1944,  and was responsible for the air defence of Rangoon. From December the British ground units were moving from north towards south Burma and the unit relocated to Meiktila base on December 30 to attack enemy ground units. The next day 13 "Hayate" and four "Hayabusa" attacked a British armour column of more than a 100 vehicles.
On November 4, 1944 a combined group of more than 100 enemy planes including 25 B-24s, attacked Rangoon. All the 50 Sentai aircraft intercepted shooting down many of the enemy planes, but losing 1LT Nakamura.
On January 13 1945 the unit relocated to Saigon to fight against the US fleet.

That's all the Japanese sources mention about the 50 Sentai during that time period.

A lot more information can be gathered from US sources and the tail number "293831" of the shot down US bomber, seen in the video, is the key.
First of all the December 14, 1944 raid was contacted by the 40th Bomb Group.
Very detailed and most interesting accounts can be found in the official site of the unit (here).
The shot down B-29 42-93831, nicknamed “Queenie” belonged to the 45th Bomb Squadron and six members of her 11-men crew were captured by the Japanese and interned in Rangoon; the rest perished during the raid.

Photo from the 40 Bomb Group site

 

Below is a letter by Co-Pilot Norman Larsen about the loss of "Queenie", and the fate of his fellow crewmen. (from here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is a very dramatic account of the horrible conditions the US airmen were held and what they endured.

Mitsubishi L3Y2 "Nell" transport - Navy Paratroopers - video

A quite rare video today from the NHK collection featuring Navy paratroopers during training. They fly with Mitsubishi L3Y2 transports belonging to the "1 Tokusetsu Koku Kichi-tai" (1st Special Air Base unit) as indicated by the tail marking of "1キ-XXX".

  According to Akimoto, the unit was organized on June 10, 1942 in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture to safekeep, maintain and transport material and provisions for air bases. A support unit for Naval units operating from land bases. The unit was first disbanded on October 1, 1942 but was reactivated as "11 Tokusetsu Koku Kichi-tai" on September 1, 1943 in Katori, Chiba Prefecture but was again disbanded on February 1, 1944. They also used the letter "T" in red for their marking. 

 

  

I'm sure you enjoy the "Ride of the Valkyries" in the background. I wonder who else had the idea to use this music in a scene featuring airborne troops :) 

Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 011 - DEREK COOPER

Dear All,
Here is my entry for the current online modelling contest, which is a Nakajima Ki-87-I as kitted in 1/72 scale by RS models.
I have always had a fascination for this aircraft because of the exposed supercharger plumbing on the nose, so I jumped at buying the kit when I saw it at a local modelling show. It is not a bad little kit, being typical short-run and has benefited considerably by the addition of NH Detail's etched set. The photographs I have found of the first prototype show the wing armament and undercarriage covers not fitted, so I have left these off. Also, to my eye the turbocharger outlets do not seem to be correct, so rightly or wrongly I have modified these to a more egg-shape. The only other real issue I had was the cockpit canopy being a very bad fit, but that may just be my lack of modelling skills. Also, the hinomaru as supplied in the kit are perhaps a little bright (almost Dayglo!), but I used them anyway.
I didn't realise until building the kit how big an aircraft the Ki-87 was - it is almost the same size as a 1/48 scale Ki-51 "Sonia" that was on my modelling bench at the same time!!

- Derek Cooper -

  

  

 

Mitsubishi A6M5 Koh by Jean Barby

Here are pictures of my latest built: An A6M5 koh from the 601 Ku based on the IJN Taiho during the Mariannas fight where the IJN planes were decimated. MP Yoshimi Minanmi did return from this hell on the 19th of June, only to be wounded when the Taiho sank. The model is the Tamiya’s one, fully riveted, I have used the Aires resin cockpit be it is useless as it is a copy of the kit’s, the moving part of the hood is from a Rob taurus canopy, guns are from Fine Molds. The challenge with this built was to show the wear of a few operational sorties as the planes were fairly new. Oils and water colored markers did the job on Mr Color paints. No decals but home made masks with my Silhouette. The plane was built by Mitsubishi. On the pics the angle of the U/C legs was too forward so I include a pic showing the rectification.

 

- Jean Barby -

 

  

  

  

 

Northern Virginia Model Classic 2019

Northern Virginia Scale Modelers hosted their annual model show and contest in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday, April 20. Fairfax is minutes away from Washington D.C. This show is a large event with many vendors, contest entries, and models on display. Japanese aviation did have a presence on the display tables, but entries seemed "light" as compared to past years. 

- Michael Furry -

  

  

 

  

Jean Barby Collection

When it's spring in the old country, it’s about time to take outdoor pictures of some models! So Just for fun here they are!

 

- Jean Barby -

 

 

Model Show - RAF Cosford

Last weekend we managed a grand display on four tables at the annual Shropshire and IPMS Telford scale model show at RAF Cosford. Gary Stevens said this will be his last time managing the event and he did us all proud as did the members of both clubs and the museum staff. Five of us had models on the table, Bill Anderson, Paul Bebbington, Richard Brooker, Robert Foster and I. Andy Binks, Frank and Penny Hayes and Simon Phillipson were at the show as well. 

We certainly filled the tables. We had so many lovely comments from people and staff alike and, of course, being able to display beneath two sole surviving famous WWII Japanese aircraft really does make the display a bit special.

Here are some snaps.

- Gary Wenko -

  

 

The Background of Toryu Development - Interview pt.1

The April 1958 issue of “MARU” magazine featured an interview, more like a free discussion, of four Kawasaki designers. 

1. Doi Takeo
2. Kitano Jun, Kawasaki Designer
3. Imachi Isamu, Kawasaki Research Department
4. Sakai Iori, IJAAF Headquarters Research Department

 

The title of the piece was “The background of Toryu Development” and here are some extracts.

 

Doi: The “Toryu” didn’t start as a night fighter but as a twin seat, heavy fighter.

 

Maru: What was the aim?

Imachi: Before we start working on the design of the “Toryu”, there was the Ki-38. That was still an idea.
Doi: This assignment was given in December 1937.

 

Maru: From the Army?

Imachi: The concept behind the heavy fighter changed from the time we started with the Ki-38. The bombers became faster, their service ceiling too became higher. Normal fighters could do combat against other fighters but gradually it became impossible for them to fight against bombers. So, the concept of heavy fighter was born. But there was still no strategic concept and various ideas were created. One of these test ideas for a heavy fighter was the Ki-38. The basic proposal was to design a heavy fighter capable of doing what the single-seat fighters couldn’t, like having extra range, high speed and exceptional horse power. That’s how the concept of twin-seat fighter was born. Even though we were not sure if the concept would work, other countries started building prototypes. In any case, in Kawasaki, we wanted to test research the concept. The Army was not yet sure what they wanted to do until they gave the order for the Ki-45. Until that time Kawasaki had built only aircraft with water-cooled engines. Around that time the NACA cowling for air-cooled engines came about, bringing the performance of this type of engines on a par with the liquid-cooled ones. Maintenance for air-cooled engines was also easier and Kawasaki gave it a try with such engines. Furthermore Kawasaki had experience only with single-engine designs; no experience with twin-engine aircraft. But a little later the Ki-48 was also built.
Around that time, retractable landing gear was common in overseas aircraft designs but not in Japan. So, we decided to give it a try. We knew that the necessary oil pressure system had been developed in the US but we were not sure if it could be made in Japan. So, we started by putting to the test our own ideas. In the beginning it was a manual system but was a failure.

 

Maru: So the landing gear retracted by hand?

Doi: Soon after take-off we turned the handle by hand like crazy...

 

Imachi: We installed heavy armament on the heavy fighter. Originally there were no machine cannon designs available to install so we used a design for tanks. But it was way too heavy and was difficult to install.

Doi: The damn thing was more than 130kg!

 

Imachi: Another novelty was the rear machine gun position. Until that time the reconnaissance aircraft had a rear machine gun but the gunner had to stand up and use their body to swing it, causing excessive wind resistance. So, considering we were aiming for a high speed aircraft we decided to build something new. That was also another new easy-to-use plan of ours. All these little things were incorporated in the new Ki-45 “Toryu” design. In Kasawaki we didn’t built it with mass production in mind but more to test various ideas.
We installed Nakajima Ha-20 engines. That engine was of small size with fairly satisfactory performance. When we were building the “Toryu” prototype there was no available engine yet. Flight tests are more about the engine so we couldn’t exactly do the kind of tests we wanted.

MosquitoCon 28

MosquitoCon 28

April, 6 2019

MosquitoCon is sponsored by the New Jersey IPMS and is held each year in Wayne, New Jersey. This model show is in its 28th year and typically draws a large number of model builders from the Northeastern United States. There were not many Japanese subjects on display this year.  Entries overall appeared to be very "light", compared to previous years. Perhaps the warm spring weather had an influence on this?

Enjoy the small selection of photos.

- Michael Furry -