Maveric

Fight for yor Right!
Joined
14 January 2007
Messages
2,147
Reaction score
657
Hi all,

found this pics from japanese gliders of the WW2. Can you give a identification?
 

Attachments

  • Japanese Gliders of WW2 01.jpg
    Japanese Gliders of WW2 01.jpg
    80.8 KB · Views: 626
  • Japanese Gliders of WW2 HK1.jpg
    Japanese Gliders of WW2 HK1.jpg
    60.5 KB · Views: 265
  • Japanese Gliders of WW2 07.jpg
    Japanese Gliders of WW2 07.jpg
    44.9 KB · Views: 283
  • Japanese Gliders of WW2 06.jpg
    Japanese Gliders of WW2 06.jpg
    51.2 KB · Views: 239
  • Japanese Gliders of WW2 05.jpg
    Japanese Gliders of WW2 05.jpg
    54.6 KB · Views: 536
  • Japanese Gliders of WW2 04.jpg
    Japanese Gliders of WW2 04.jpg
    57.9 KB · Views: 537
  • Japanese Gliders of WW2 03.jpg
    Japanese Gliders of WW2 03.jpg
    32.5 KB · Views: 514
  • Japanese Gliders of WW2 02.jpg
    Japanese Gliders of WW2 02.jpg
    59.8 KB · Views: 561
On pictures 02 and 03 there are definitely famous German Lippish SG.38 (Schulgleiter 1938 year).

This robust and simple glider was built in several countries including Japan.
 
02&03 are not SG 38 ,but an original design inspired by the famous Grunau 9 .
 
No 5 is identified page 75 of "AIR PICTORIAL" march 1959 as :
Mizuno Hikari 6-2 trainer glider,model 11 .
 
...so richard, I believe the pic no.7 is the same glider.
 
N°4 is the Ku-3 built by the Kayaba Mfg Co. First flight on Feb., 11, 1941;
N°8 is the HK-1 built by the Itoh Aircraft Co. First flight on Dec., 15, 1938,
Those two tailless gliders were designed by Prof. Hidemasa Kimura
 
Great Retrofit,

do you have also some technical data for both planes...

Thanks

Servus Maveric
 
I have just found the following specs:

HK-1: Span 10m, Area 14m2, Length 3,5m, Empty weight 203kg
Ku-3: Span 16m, Length 6m
 
Hi guys

I am searching for any graphics and information on the following Japanese WW2 gliders?

Itoh C.6
Itoh D.1 (2 seater)
Hikari Rokko 1 (2 Seater)
Hikari Rokko 2
Hikari (2 Seater)
Mizuno Hikari 6-2 trainer glider, model 11
Mayeda Rokko 1
Sotoh T.C
Nippon Ohtori
Nippon Washi (2 Seater)
Mizuno 301type Soarer.
Fukuda HT-3 (glider version Hitachi HT-3F)
Fukuda Ku 9
Kokusai Ku 8 "Gander" Army Type 4 Large Transport Glider
Kokusai Ku-7 "Buzzard"
Maeda Ku 10
Maeda Ku-6 Sora-Sha
Mizuno 202
Nihon Kogata Chikara
Nihon Kogata K-14 Kirigamine
Nihon Kogata K-16
Nihon Kogata Ku-11
Nihon Kogata MXJ1 K-15 Wakakusa 17-shi Basic Training Glider
Fukuda Ki 23 (Hikari 6-I)
Tachikawa Ki 24 (Stamer Lippisch Schulgleiter SG 38???)
Tachikawa Ki 25
Yokoi Ku 13 Shusui
Yokosuka MXY3 (target glider)
Yokosuka MXY5
Yokosuka MXY6 (evaluation for Kyushu J7W Shinden)

Thanks :)
Gerhard
 
Here's a few photos I found at NARA II over the past few months, mainly in the US Navy files.
 

Attachments

  • Glider 4.jpg
    Glider 4.jpg
    260.8 KB · Views: 249
  • Glider 3.jpg
    Glider 3.jpg
    257.4 KB · Views: 458
  • Glider 2.jpg
    Glider 2.jpg
    264.7 KB · Views: 428
  • Glider 1.jpg
    Glider 1.jpg
    268.7 KB · Views: 437
Some info from J.E.Mrazek "Kampfsegler im 2.Weltkrieg" (Assault gliderr in WW II),
data in german, sorry, but by your user name, I would suggest, you can read and
speak german, can't you ? ;)
(Photo of the Ku-8 is was the same in the mentioned book, as posted by Searay)
 

Attachments

  • Ku-8_02.JPG
    Ku-8_02.JPG
    24.3 KB · Views: 217
  • Ku-8_01.JPG
    Ku-8_01.JPG
    20.6 KB · Views: 237
  • Ku-7_03.JPG
    Ku-7_03.JPG
    34 KB · Views: 216
  • Ku-7_02.JPG
    Ku-7_02.JPG
    26.3 KB · Views: 203
  • Ku-7_01.JPG
    Ku-7_01.JPG
    18.4 KB · Views: 232
  • Ku-1_03.JPG
    Ku-1_03.JPG
    37.2 KB · Views: 211
  • Ku-1_02.JPG
    Ku-1_02.JPG
    18.3 KB · Views: 205
  • Ku-1_01.JPG
    Ku-1_01.JPG
    19.5 KB · Views: 225
... and two more:
 

Attachments

  • MXY5_03.JPG
    MXY5_03.JPG
    46.5 KB · Views: 201
  • MXY5_02.JPG
    MXY5_02.JPG
    20.8 KB · Views: 192
  • MXY5_01.JPG
    MXY5_01.JPG
    17.4 KB · Views: 226
  • Ku-11_03.JPG
    Ku-11_03.JPG
    35.3 KB · Views: 209
  • Ku-11_02.JPG
    Ku-11_02.JPG
    10.2 KB · Views: 187
  • Ku-11_01.JPG
    Ku-11_01.JPG
    17.3 KB · Views: 208
Here is the Kūgishō MXY8 which was to be built for the IJA as the Yokoi Ku-13.

From Wikipedia.
 

Attachments

  • Yokousuka_MXY8_Akigusa-11.jpg
    Yokousuka_MXY8_Akigusa-11.jpg
    59.2 KB · Views: 182
Illustrations of the Maeda Ku-6 Kuro-Sha. They come from Akira Sahara's book,Imperial Japanese Army Prototypes & Paper Plans:1943-1945 The photo of the Mitsubishi So-Ra (or Sora-Sha, meaning "sky tank") mock-up is a web find. The name of the combination comes from the conjunction of "Ku" from Ku-6 with "ro", meaning the number six, and Sha, from the tank designation.
 

Attachments

  • jap exp typ 3 luftlandepanzer so-ra holzmodell.jpg
    jap exp typ 3 luftlandepanzer so-ra holzmodell.jpg
    63.3 KB · Views: 265
  • Ku6_2.jpg
    Ku6_2.jpg
    430.5 KB · Views: 300
  • Ku6_1.jpg
    Ku6_1.jpg
    310.8 KB · Views: 287
  • Ku6.jpg
    Ku6.jpg
    280.6 KB · Views: 312
Super and wonderful!! I can't find any pictures in Japanese site. :eek:
 
The Fukuda/Hitachi HT-3. Scanned from Robert C. Mikesh and Shorzoe Abe's Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941
 

Attachments

  • ht3.jpg
    ht3.jpg
    29.9 KB · Views: 250
The Ki-24 and Ki-25 from Minoru Akimoto's All the Experimental Aircraft in Japanese Army.
 

Attachments

  • ki24.jpg
    ki24.jpg
    37.2 KB · Views: 199
  • ki25.jpg
    ki25.jpg
    31.9 KB · Views: 204
And the Ki-23, also from from Minoru Akimoto's All the Experimental Aircraft in Japanese Army.
 

Attachments

  • ki23.jpg
    ki23.jpg
    114.4 KB · Views: 191
Some photos of the lesser known gliders from "Nihon no guraida 1930-1945" (Japanese gliders 1930-1945) by Hiroyuki Kawakami, 1998, published by Model Art. Comprehensive history of Japanese gliders of the pre and during WW2 era, highly recommended if you have interest in Japanese gliders. 316 pages, unfortunately in Japanese language only.
 

Attachments

  • Mizuno 102, 202, 301.jpg
    Mizuno 102, 202, 301.jpg
    230.7 KB · Views: 196
  • Maeda Ku-10.jpg
    Maeda Ku-10.jpg
    71.3 KB · Views: 202
  • Sato T.C..jpg
    Sato T.C..jpg
    97.3 KB · Views: 181
  • Rokko1(R) and Rokko2(L).jpg
    Rokko1(R) and Rokko2(L).jpg
    126 KB · Views: 189
  • Ito D.1.jpg
    Ito D.1.jpg
    44.5 KB · Views: 219
Pelzig said:
Illustrations of the Maeda Ku-6 Kuro-Sha. They come from Akira Sahara's book,Imperial Japanese Army Prototypes & Paper Plans:1943-1945 The photo of the Mitsubishi So-Ra (or Sora-Sha, meaning "sky tank") mock-up is a web find. The name of the combination comes from the conjunction of "Ku" from Ku-6 with "ro", meaning the number six, and Sha, from the tank designation.

Incredible!! Something quite similiar to the Russian "Krilya Tank" project....
 
Pelzig said:
Illustrations of the Maeda Ku-6 Kuro-Sha.
Thanks a lot for this VERY rare finding. I had never seen it before. ;D (not even in the great book "Fighting gliders of World War II" where the others are it seems)
 
Quite so. The IJA got into the glider tank game in 1943 (after the Russians abandoned the Antonov A-40 or KT and long after the U.S. poo-pooed Christie's gliding M1932 tank). The So-Ra tank was only 3.1 tons, making it a tankette with all the disadvantages that come with that. The 37mm cannon (one of three proposed main weapons, the other being a heavy machine gun and flamethrower) was woefully inadequate against Allied armor. Depending on the source, the Ku-6 was finally tested in 1945 likely using the Mitsubishi mock-up and the whole thing came up short...exhibiting much the same issues the Russians had with the A-40. Poor handling in the air, limited pilot/driver vision, and the extreme difficulty in landing in one piece, let alone the dubious combat value of the So-Ra. With the introduction of the Ku-7, which could carry the heavier 7.4 ton Ha-Go tank, the Ku-6 was shelved.



archipeppe said:
Pelzig said:
Illustrations of the Maeda Ku-6 Kuro-Sha. They come from Akira Sahara's book,Imperial Japanese Army Prototypes & Paper Plans:1943-1945 The photo of the Mitsubishi So-Ra (or Sora-Sha, meaning "sky tank") mock-up is a web find. The name of the combination comes from the conjunction of "Ku" from Ku-6 with "ro", meaning the number six, and Sha, from the tank designation.

Incredible!! Something quite similiar to the Russian "Krilya Tank" project....
 
Hi.

From 1942 on IJA airborne tank companies were equipped with the 7,2 t type 98 light tank Ke-Ni and the type 2 light tank Ke-To. AFAIK all glider projects were cancelled in mid-1943 and the airborne tank companies were used as homeland defence units.
 
The Ku-7 glider did not fly for the first time until August 1944, so, not all glider projects were canceled by 1943. Same for the Ku-6 which lingered into 1945.

Also, according to one source, the Ke-To didn't even get into production until 1944 and even then, very few were built (no more than 35) since the IJA felt the Ha-Go was quite satisfactory and no Ke-To was to see combat (but, as you say, it was meant for airborne deployment though it was used on the mainland with regular infantry units). The Ke-Ni was another rarity, only 100 or so being built from 1942 to 1943, again, never seeming to overcome the support and popularity of the Ha-Go.

tom! said:
Hi.

From 1942 on IJA airborne tank companies were equipped with the 7,2 t type 98 light tank Ke-Ni and the type 2 light tank Ke-To. AFAIK all glider projects were cancelled in mid-1943 and the airborne tank companies were used as homeland defence units.
 
WOW, this is incredible! Thank you everyone for these great contributions. Information on Japanese gliders is very rare. Most of these gliders I have never seen before. ;D
 
Yokosuka MXY-6 - a topic from Czech magazine L+K (# 12-2007):

 
Would anyone have information on and/or illustration of a Japanese Navy transport glider designed to land on water? Recall having seen a mention of this one in an early-Seventies issue of what was then called "Air Enthusiast."
 
All web sources about the Ku-6 showing a single boom
tank glider.
Is the twinboom version a variant or the definitve aircraft.
(by the way,I never saw a paper illustration of the first one)
 
lark said:
All web sources about the Ku-6 showing a single boom
tank glider.
Is the twinboom version a variant or the definitve aircraft.
All right (see http://deuxiemeguerremondia.forumactif.com/les-blindes-f37/le-maeda-ku-6-sora-sha-t5615.htm ):
 

Attachments

  • ku-6-1b.JPG
    ku-6-1b.JPG
    24.4 KB · Views: 343
That's the one with the single tailboom I mean Tophe,but what is the source of
the illustration.In what book or magazine was it published ?
 
The twin-boom glider has appeared in more recent sources, notably Akira Sahara'sImperial Japanese Army Prototypes & Paper Plans:1943-1945 and Minoru Akimoto's All the Experimental Aircraft in Japanese Army.

I'm not sure of the source on the single tailed version. Sahara doesn't even mention this version so, I'm more apt to go with both Sahara and Akimoto for the definitive Ku-6 rendition.


lark said:
All web sources about the Ku-6 showing a single boom
tank glider.
Is the twinboom version a variant or the definitve aircraft.
(by the way,I never saw a paper illustration of the first one)
 
Hi Guys

Does anyone perhaps have more information on Ki 23, Ki 24 & Ki 25?

Thanx
Gerhard
 
Hi

Please could someone assist with the identification of these gliders. Also, where do one find info on the "A and B" id codes on these planes?

Cheers
 

Attachments

  • tenjikai33.jpg
    tenjikai33.jpg
    51.6 KB · Views: 127
  • oyako02.jpg
    oyako02.jpg
    32 KB · Views: 105
  • kyuutei11-02.jpg
    kyuutei11-02.jpg
    70.5 KB · Views: 100
  • kyuutei03-01.jpg
    kyuutei03-01.jpg
    67.5 KB · Views: 172
  • J-BCYH-01.jpg
    J-BCYH-01.jpg
    65.2 KB · Views: 209
  • itou-b2-01.jpg
    itou-b2-01.jpg
    43.4 KB · Views: 220
  • glider01.jpg
    glider01.jpg
    67.7 KB · Views: 224
  • ryan-nyp-03.jpg
    ryan-nyp-03.jpg
    60.6 KB · Views: 145
Okay...

'glider01.jpg', the open frame glider is an RFD Dagling, according to the logo on the
bracing wire support pylon, although the card on which the model rests says 'Slingsby Type(e3)
They are effectively the same aircraft.
The other is a Baynes Scud 1, maybe the prototype.

'itou-b2-01.jpg', this appears to be a version of the Dagling with a faired nacelle and rounded wingtips.


'J-BCYH.jpg', Sorry, can't help... :'(

'kyuutei 03-01.jpg', Again, a variant on the Dagling, appears to use Slingsby Kirby Tutor wings.

'kyuutei 11-02.jpg', A Grunau Baby.

'Oyako02.jpg', again sorry, can't help...

'tenjikai33.jpg', a Goppingen 1 Wolf. From 'Sailplanes 1920-45',
"(Wolf) Hirth took one to Japan when he toured that country in 1933 and it was sold there.
Later, three more of the type were exported to Japan."

Sources; 'Sailplanes 1920-45', 'Slingsby Sailplanes'.


cheers,
Robin.
 
Thanx Robin.

Sorry the last pic is obviously not a glider.

Gerhard
 
J-BIPD : Itoh Universal Glider c/n 10 (registered to F.Habuto, July 1935)
J-BCYH : unfortunately no more details than "glider"...
 
Back
Top Bottom