Mitsubishi G7M1 `Katana` (Sword) Allied code name `Ellie`

[sequoiaranger]

Pretty impressive! Keep up the good work. That is a *LOT* of aircraft you are dealing with!

Years ago I had envisioned a whole set of "viermotors" of various nationalities for my collection, but realized that they take up a lot of shelf space and require a lot of work that could better (for me) be put into single-engined planes or twins. Doesn't mean I don't respect the effort, certainly.

[royabulgaf]

Hmm- Actually, you have something close to the Kawasaki Ki-91.  Remember, this never got farther than preliminary drawings and what appears to be a wind tunnel model.  Shorten the fin, and see if you can find some earlier style nose turret.  You would be close enough for whiffery.

[RussC]

Hmm- Actually, you have something close to the Kawasaki Ki-91.  Remember, this never got farther than preliminary drawings and what appears to be a wind tunnel model.  Shorten the fin, and see if you can find some earlier style nose turret.  You would be close enough for whiffery.

  There is a resin kit from Anigrand of the Ki-91.
 
  Some of those postwar prop designs for bombers in Russia resemble this as well, as they assimilated the B-29's they acquired into the Tupolev 4 and then developed further. Plus some designs of the late war like the Douglas Raidmaster were like this too, and again , Anigrand seems determined to resin cast all of these, see their catalog.

[tc2324]

Interesting observersations chaps.

Spent the day spraying, (gone for a green and grey underside scheme), and jacking up the u/c so that the props didn`t hit the ground. Waiting for that to dry hard, hence the elevated look. Added a few bits and demasked the front end. Here`s how she looks tonight. (Apologies for the photo but the flash was too bright)

[Taiidantomcat]

Wow.  I still can't get over how Japanese that looks. Is there anything left to do before throwing the Meatballs on there? Thats going to bump this to an 11.

On the mating of east and west planes:

I had the idea of Mating a 1/72 B-50 nose to a Tupolev Bear as a imperial Japanese super bomber... great minds think alike. I just haven't had the guts to start it... you may have given me the push I needed. 

[Geoff]

This I am liking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jcf]

It bears a resemblence to a couple of real Japanese 4 engined projects, which will make it fun if it graces a table at a show 

Indeed. It looks like the missing link between the G8N and the six-engined G10N. 





A great bit o' whiffing. 

[Cobra]

Super Sweet & Too Cool have you come up with a Name  or Reporting Codename Yet? for Reporting Codename, i'd use Alexis! Dan

[McColm]

Very impressive.

[rickshaw]

Interesting.  The fuselage shape is rather unusual with the squashed in sides.  However, it looks very impressive.

[NARSES2]

Quote from joncarrfarrelly "Indeed. It looks like the missing link between the G8N and the six-engined G10N"

Yup those are the ones I had in mind.

It really does look Japanese with that cockpit and nose glazing - a wiffie nomination in progress me thinks 

[RussC]

Super Sweet & Too Cool have you come up with a Name  or Reporting Codename Yet? for Reporting Codename, i'd use Alexis! Dan

For this magnificent aero project a primer on Japanese plane nicknames
 
 For heavy bombers, think about using and combining the Japanese words for mountains or oceans or castles , big heavy immovable things.
 It was weather, especially violent that became the names for the fighters and attack types and seaplanes. Kind of like the US and UK!

fugaku - name for fujiyama = g10n
Renzan - Mountain Spring (I think) = G8n
Shinzan - Mountain recess = Nakajima 4 engine design G5n
Tokai - Eastern Sea = Q1w recon bomber

hayate - gale , Ki84
raiden - thunderbolt , J2m
Senden - Lightning bolt, Experimental fighter
shoki -- demon , but also tempest,  Ki-44
denko - Lightning storm, Aichi night fighter design
reppu -Hurricane, A7m fighter
shinden - magnificent lightning, J7w fighter
shiden - violet lightning, N1k fighter
kyofu - mighty wind, earlier float version of shiden (Also Russ after a bowl of chili)

 
There were exceptions such as the Ki-43 Hayabusa (peregrine falcon) or the kikka jet (orange blossom) or the shirigaku trainer (White chrysanthemum)or the ki-61 fighter being called hien or (swallow), also cannot find translations for goshikisen - Ki-100 fighter or reisen - the omnipresent zero A6m! although its sounding like a lightning name type.
 
The later more suicidal planes were named for edged weapons - Ki-115 tsurugi (sabre) or the Shusui rocket fighter (sword swing or sword stroke)
 
 The mediums and heavy fighters tended to get those bird, flying lizard and other mythical creature names

donryu - Ki-49, storm dragon
toryu - Ki-45 , killer of dragons
hiryu - Ki-67, flying dragon
 
But not all-

Gekko - J1n night fighter - moonlight
Tenrai - J5n heavy fighter - heavenly thunder
Ginga - P1y bomber - Milky Way
Myojo - D3a Dive bomber later version - Venus

ryusei - shooting star - B7A carrier plane
tenzan - heavenly mountain - B6n carrier plane
saiun - painted cloud - C6n carrier plane
suisei - comet - D4y dive bomber

To compose a word , here is a good online translation dictionary -

http://www.englishjapaneseonlinedictionary.com/wa-pan.htm

has slang phrases, variations and the traditional and some ancient meanings too.

Note too that designs predating WW2 had no nicknames , just kitai (airframe or Ki) names or Naval designations only. Maybe the nicknames started because the leadership didn't want the crews picking up and using the allied code names !
 
Anyone want to compile the allied code names? So the taken ones are known.
 
I vote for Dorothy, as in the Wizard of Oz character (And my mum!)

[tc2324]

Guys, thank you very much for the comments. Still plenty of `little bits` do do on this and I`ll update accordingly.

Russ, excellent reply with a wealth of information.

It seems however we were working on the same topic as I have now come up with the designation and name. So from hence forth, I name this aircraft.........,

Mitsubishi G7M1 `Katana` (Sword)  Allied code name `Ellie`

Reasons will explained in the short backstory once complete. Just hope I got my data correct.....

[RussC]

Mitsubishi G7M1 `Katana` (Sword)  Allied code name `Ellie`



Banzaiiiiii !

Ellie,  after the character in Carl Sagan's "Contact" ?

[tc2324]

Ellie,  after the character in Carl Sagan's "Contact" ?

As this is the Japanese `Amerika` bomber, I thought that naming after the First Lady might be apt...