Vindicator Meets Jake

[Daryl J.]

When the A.M Vindicator first was released, one entered Ye Olde Stash complete with sink marks on the fuselage, rather deep to be exact.

Rather than cost A.M. some money, the kit went into The Whiff Bin.    Some Magic Sculpt filler will ''metalize'' the aft fuselage filling in the shrinkage blemishes rendering the need for factory replacement parts unnecessary.

But, there it's stayed and ideas began.   Here's the one that sticks most:

The Vindicator mounted on Nichimo's Aichi Jake floats, re-engined with a supercharged unit from the Myrt due to the narrow X-section or a Zero engine.   Fine Molds do a fantastic metal prop for the A6Mx and can be found on sale for an even better price so the prop's taken care of.   The aircraft would be a multinational hybrid and put to use for either SAR or Tourist civilian duty.

And the question:

Did Japan have any SAR capability in the late 1940's through the 1950's?  

Could it have been a bush plane in Alaska circa 1952, either for supply/mail service or inserting rich fishermen and hunters into the interior?


Sure the whiffery is mine for the making but on this plane, as with some of my other ideas, I'd like the potential of a serious double take by the intelligensia.


Where could I look for additional information?


Daryl J., who even considered making this an aircraft for TinTin

[jcf]

Japan Maritime Safety Agency (renamed Japan Coast Guard in 2000) founded in the period 1948-1949.

Some flag info:
JMSA flags

This was the flag of the Coastal Safety Force up until 1954:


Not many details on the web, and I've seen nothing about early aviation capability.

Their YS-11 had an OK paint scheme.



Cheers, Jon

[Geoff]

Did Japan have any SAR capability in the late 1940's through the 1950's?

IIRC they had a few aircraft in "surrender green X" markings for a short time after WW2.

How about a rebuilt one-off in French Indo-china in '45-'46 in Aeronaval or A d A markings?

Or Indonesian rebellian against the Dutch they rebuilt a number of Japanese aircraft off the dumps?

Geoff.

[Captain Canada]

That's a tough call, DJ......the Vindicator isn't all that big, is it ? In what role will it be in for SAR and/ or tourism ?

I do kinda like Geoff's idea of a one-off in French Indo-Chine !

Any road...have fun. And get to work on it !

 

[Daryl J.]

Cap'n Canada:

The idea was for the plane to be a twin-float pseudo-Kingfisher, thus the SAR duty.   Regarding tourism, it would be one pilot and two well-heeled passengers flying Alaska's Interior Passage in a day or something of that nature.    That would be a pricey ride eh?    Anyhoo....I wanted some wierdness twist for the Vindicator that just possibly could pass for reality.






Daryl J.

PS:  There's also an idea in mind for the Dauntless that was in the other side of the box...........      

[jcf]

There actually was a Vindicator on floats... the XSB2U-3.
"The XSB2U-3 was flown for the first time during February 1939.  After a brief period of testing, the aircraft was returned to the Vought factory where it was fitted with a pair of Edo floats.  It was returned to NAS Anacostia, Washington, D.C. to resume testing during April. Difficulties in water handling led to the aircraft being modified with a large ventral fin and larger water rudders on the floats.  As a result, the Navy decided that there was only limited value in a float scout aircraft and the production contract for the SB2U-3 specified that all 57 aircraft be produced as landplanes with retractable landing gear. It is a little known fact that the first production SB2U-3 was actually delivered as a float aircraft then reconfigured as a land plane before formal acceptance by the Marines."
XSB2U-3 Photo Gallery on Vought Heritage site.



Vought also had a V-156 they used as a company demonstrator/executive aircraft.
V-156 Demonstrator Photo Gallery


That paint job would look cool on a 'private' V-156 floatplane and the whole deal would be very 'plausible'.  Indeed you could probably fool lots of folks.

The 'company' V-156 was later re-engined with an R-1830 Twin Wasp and renumbered V-167.

V-167 Photo Gallery

Cheers, Jon

[Daryl J.]

Wow Jon!   This was rather unexpected but great!    


Perhaps the Vindicator/Jake should follow this course instead:

Myrt Engine, supercharged for addtional horsepower beyond the 1830 even.
Jake Floats

And----USCoastGuard markings.      

      The theory:   American Bean Counters came into their own 40 years earlier and mandated conservation of existing airframes and technologies.   Utilizing Yank materials and factories, the Japanese-designed engine could come into it's own as far as size/power/reliability/efficiency and the USCG could get additional aircraft for relatively low cost outlays to augment themselves.   Service continued well into the 1990's.................    

Tip'o'th' Hat to BlackOps for the USCG F-117; it lead to the above thottz.   Credit where credit's due.   And Jon, thanks again!  That was great.  





Daryl J.