One of the more intriguing whifs that has crossed my mind over the years concerned Richard Vogt,
Noted German aircraft designer. He moved to Japan in 1923, and remained there for a decade, designing
a number of moderately successful production types. He returned to Germany in 1933, due in part, I gather,
to increasing insularity and Nationalism in Japan. But what if he had stayed? He apparently was the teacher of one of the most noted of Japanese designers, Takeo Doi, so it reasonable to assume he was fairly respected - would that respect have taken him this far?
DSCF0225 by
VileDr.Yo, on Flickr
I had been thinking of reinterpreting some of Vogt's more eccentric B&V designs through a Japanese lens,
and the Kawanishi C19K
1, designed to the 18-shi requirement for a very long range single engine reconnaissance aircraft was the first result. Vogt had been considering an asymmetric layout for some time and the combination of a fuselage completely devoted to fuel combined with a superb field of view for the observers sold the Navy, and the Kumoun (Spider Cloud
2) entered service in mid-1944. As things grew grimmer for the Empire in 1945 and 46, increasing thought was given, in very secret meetings, of using some of the discoveries of Units 731 and 670. With a one-way range that would enable it to reach much of the Continental United States, a group
of C19's was readied to attack Los Angles with Dr. Kuroda's 'Obedience' bacteria in October of 1946. Only one of the twelve aircraft actually made it to the target over Orange county, with effects that have lingered to this day.
More back story after a bit. The build is a combination of the old Airfix Bv 141, and an equally ancient Arii Kawanishi E15K. (The wingtips are from a Revell Heinkel 219. I wanted to change the planform to something a little less angular, but the wings of the Shiun did not have quite the right degree of taper. In contrast to the
Ki-109, I am spending a fair amount of time faking up an interior for this one.
(1) Spurious, but based on a reasonable extrapolation. (I think.)
(2) Likewise spurious, but kinda nifty, no? I couldn't find an exact translation via google to
compare to the names listed in Francillon, so its an approximation at best.