The Other Japanese Fighters

[GTX]

Hi folks,

We sometimes see whiffs for the Zero/Zeke, but what about whiffs based on some of the other Japanese fighters of WWII?

The Nakajima Ki-44:



The Mitsubishi J2M:



The Kawanishi N1K-J:



or even the Kawasaki Ki-64:



Some possible ideas:

Post war variants in Chinese or even French Indochina schemes;
Re-engined variants;
Maybe a 'Mistel' type arrangement?

What else?

Regards,

Greg

[dragon]

Don't forget the Shinden.  The Shinden looks waaaaay ahead of its time (pusher prop, canards, angled wings).  I will post one I did some time ago.

I have also done an IJAAF HO-229A.  I will post soon (when I dig out my camera).

[GTX]

Further to the Mistel idea, maybe a Mitsubishi J2M on top of a Mitsubishi G4M (see below) - the fighter could either be for escort or to deliver the G4M as a 'missile'.  BTW, I chose these two since they basically had the same engine thus allowing for sharing of fuel.



Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

Ah yes, the Kyushu J7W "Shinden" - I knew it would come up quickly (see below).  I actually find it a little too bit 'in your face' (hey, don't ask me why!).




I do however, like the turbojet derivative - the  Kyushu J7W2 "Shinden" KAI and especially the J7W3 which would have had a shortened landing gear, reduced stabilizers and bubble canopy:



See also this model of a J7W2 by Matt Swan:




Regards,

Greg

[Daryl J.]

There's been a Hasegawa Shoki 80% finished sitting in it's box for about a decade now featuring clipped wing tips.   It just needs painted in Team Tangerine markings and outfitted with an appropriate number for it's slot in the Reno Unlimited air races.    

As an aside:
The project stalled when I brought it to a kit club meeting and it was derided heavily for it's stall characteristics.........          Later, and for other reasons, I fired the guy as a patient of mine too.    



There's some very cool things to do with the Japanese airframes!



Daryl J.

[Arc3371]

Lets not forget my favorite Japanese fighter, the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate

[GTX]

Look what one finds when doing a little searching:

Apparently some Ki-44s were used on both sides during the Chinese civil war:




Regards,

Greg

[Mossie]

Well, I've been thinking recentley about something a guy said to me at a model show recentley.  I was admiring his line up of Sopwith & WWI aircaft & got talking to him.  I know very little about aircraft built before 1935 so I was keen to learn more.  He was a really nice guy & was more than happy to fill me in.

He told me Herbet Smith, designer at Sopwith, helped to form Hawker Aircraft after Sopwith went bust after WWI.  Then in the twenties, he went to Japan & worked with Mitsubishi to help them develop modern fighters.  What if he'd stayed with Hawker & there was no Sydney Camm?  Would Hawkers aircraft have more closely resembled the Mitsubishi fighters?  Good excuse to put some British engines on & markings Japanese aircraft!

[Daryl J.]

Extrapolating forward, that could have meant the BAe Hawk could have looked more like the Mitsubishi T-4, eh?    


It would be interesting to know which projects this designer actually worked on.




A Griffon might work on Mitsubishi's Sam/Reppu.  



Very cool tidbit of info, Mossie.


Daryl J.

[GTX]

Well for that matter, Kawasaki Aircraft Engineering Company's head designer was a German named Dr. Richard Vogt, who returned to Germany in 1933 to take a similar position at the firm of Blohm und Voss during the war.  What if he had chosen to stay in Japan though - would we have seen some asymmetrical Japanese aircraft?

Regards,

Greg

[Mossie]

It would be interesting to know which projects this designer actually worked on.

I had a dabble on the Net & couldn't find anything specific, but from what I can gather he was Chief Engineer, or at least very senior so I would imagine he at least had a hand in the majority of projects leading up to WWII.

Greg, with that piece of info too we could have some very interesting builds!  B&V aircraft with Japanese engines & Hinomaru, very nice!

[Daryl J.]

Well for that matter, Kawasaki Aircraft Engineering Company's head designer was a German named Dr. Richard Vogt, who returned to Germany in 1933 to take a similar position at the firm of Blohm und Voss during the war. What if he had chosen to stay in Japan though - would we have seen some asymmetrical Japanese aircraft?

The very first thing that came to mind when reading that was a Kawasaki Tony on LSD....all asymetrical with the engine over one main gear and the rest of the fuselage over the other.  


Daryl J., apparantly with fractured thinking today

[GTX]

Yes - I'm already thinking of something like an asymmetrical Ki-96:



Regards,

Greg

[Maverick]

I did a bunch of Japanese types after Evan's suggestion they could help out in the extended Spanish Civil War.  For myself, the J7W series is just too cool for school.

[dy031101]

What if Nazi Germany managed to give them manufacturing spec. for X-4 AAM before capitulation?

J7W, J8M, and Kikka armed with Japanese X-4...... now that would be fun to watch.