Beyond The Sprues

Modelling => Ideas & Inspiration => Aero-space => Topic started by: Logan Hartke on June 15, 2014, 01:40:21 AM

Title: Nakajima Ki-49 Helen Ideas and Inspiration
Post by: Logan Hartke on June 15, 2014, 01:40:21 AM

So, I came across this neat series of photos in this article:
Vintage Wings of Canada: Green Cross to Bear (http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/451/language/en-CA/Green-Cross-to-Bear.aspx)

(http://www.vintagewings.ca/Portals/0/Vintage_Stories/News%20Stories%20J/Green%20Cross%20Flights/GreenCross49.jpg)

(http://www.vintagewings.ca/Portals/0/Vintage_Stories/News%20Stories%20J/Green%20Cross%20Flights/GreenCross48.jpg)

(http://www.vintagewings.ca/Portals/0/Vintage_Stories/News%20Stories%20J/Green%20Cross%20Flights/GreenCross36.jpg)

(http://www.vintagewings.ca/Portals/0/Vintage_Stories/News%20Stories%20J/Green%20Cross%20Flights/GreenCross37.jpg)

Look at that last image, especially. Those are Hamilton-Standard props on both engines. It's clearly American, right down to the late war hub, Hamilton-Standard stickers, and yellow prop tips. I would love to know the story there. I know many Japanese aircraft were unserviceable at the end of the war, did the Allies give the prop to the Japanese to get the plan flyable? Did the Japanese scavenge it from an Allied aircraft earlier? It's really unusual.

Cheers,

Logan

Title: Re: Nakajima Ki-49 Helen Ideas and Inspiration
Post by: taiidantomcat on June 15, 2014, 02:25:10 AM

 :o That is interesting! I had never seen these. I had heard of the green crosses before, but thought it was only on Bettys and the props are very one of a kind. Don't have answers but thank you for posting these  :)

Title: Re: Nakajima Ki-49 Helen Ideas and Inspiration
Post by: GTX_Admin on June 15, 2014, 04:19:59 AM

The Ki-49 was reportedly underpowered, so why not try a three engined version:

(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e68/GTwiner/1020-07-1-4_zps7580bdec.jpg)

Title: Re: Nakajima Ki-49 Helen Ideas and Inspiration
Post by: Caravellarella on June 19, 2017, 07:41:16 AM

Dear Boys and Girls, would any have seen photographs of the Nakajima Ki-49s operated post-war by the Armée de l'Air in Indo-China please?

Terry (Caravellarella)

Title: Re: Nakajima Ki-49 Helen Ideas and Inspiration
Post by: tahsin on June 19, 2017, 07:27:03 PM

Possibly an answer was found in the 3 years that passed since, but I believe the propeller was a full case of "reverse-engineering"...

Title: Re: Nakajima Ki-49 Helen Ideas and Inspiration
Post by: jcf on June 20, 2017, 03:59:20 AM

Sumitomo (Navy) and Nippon Gakki (Army) had licenses from Hamilton Standard to manufacture propellers.

Nippon Gakki became Yamaha.

https://global.yamaha-motor.com/about/technology/yamamomo/001/#sec1