Japanese gliders

[blackkite]

Hi! K2 TYPE P-60 secondary glider.
Source : Baron Miyahara and his World of Aircraft, Military and Civil Aircraft 1910-1970.
ISBN978-4-901794-04-6 C3353.

http://www.aero.or.jp/isan/gallery/takahashi-album-06/photos/07-023-006-050-01.html

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Sagami type S-3 Glider.

 

[blackkite]

Mr.Tondokoro planned motor glider with delta wing and canard as the Tndokoro type3.(based on Shinryu2?)

 

[blackkite]

Kirigamine type Hato K-14 primary glider.
https://ja-m-wikipedia-org.translat...ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ja&_x_tr_pto=nui,elem

 

[blackkite]

Hi!　Kirigamine type Hato K-14 primary secondary glider.

 

[blackkite]

The Mita-style glider is a series manufactured by the development of a light aircraft with the financial support of a graduate of Keio University (also known as Mita) (manufacturing was later transferred to Tainan Kogyo). This type 3 is a wooden main wing with many irregularities, although it uses a laminar flow wing for the main wing, and the fuselage is not so low in resistance, and it seems that the actual glide ratio was not so great. In terms of maneuvering, because it is a tail heavy aircraft, it was difficult to bounce if it was not grounded at two points accurately, and it was difficult to glide straight due to poor straightness, and it was very difficult even though it was a training aircraft. It seems that it was also difficult to disassemble and assemble the aircraft because it is the main wing with a three-piece structure.
TCD (Airworthiness Improvement Report) was notified to such Mita type 3 in 1985. Due to the discovery of insufficient strength of the main wing, the Mita type 3 used at many universities had to retire. It is no exaggeration to say that the era of Japanese-made gliders has come to an end due to the suspension of flight of this aircraft.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/japanese-gliders.37769/post-484781

 

[Richard N]

From Soaring Magazine 08-1991

CAN YOU IDENTIFY? WWII JAPANESE GLIDER PILOTS

Recently, I received the enclosed photographs from a friend of mine, USMC Major Robert Hoskins Ret. Hoskins commented saying: "I found these Japanese glider photos. I recovered them in a cave with other belongings during the last phases of the Iwo Jima battle. Few people were aware, that Iwo Jima was a very active Japanese fighter base and that the flyers from Iwo continually fought the B-29s that were enroute to Tokyo, from Guam and Saipan."

Perhaps one of our older and "graying" soaring pilots, like myself, can identify the gliders.

J.M.W. FLETCHER
Lanaska, PA