needle wrote:
Paul,
Recreating the Japanese Naval Air Force
By Charles D. Angel, and copied from The Spring 1996 DISPATCH magazine of the CAF
In all, 25 replica Zeros, nine Kates and nine Vals were built in California by Stewart-Davis and Cal-Volair. Fiberglass torpedoes were added to the Vals. A few of each type had fitted three-bladed props, gear-cased engines and tail hooks for close-up scenes and carrier landings. In addition, 19 other AT-6s were modified in Japan using the "California pattern" by the Kawasaki Aircraft Co. for a second unit filming in Japan.For further details of the aircraft used by the Tora Tora Tora team see
www.toratoratora.com/we_are/our_planes.htmNeedle
Nothing major, but a small correction to the above. The fiberglas torpedos were added to the KATES, not the Vals.
In addition, if you watch the film closely, and have a chance to examine some of the productiion stills, they used some basically un-modified AT-6 in many of the deck scenes that were filmed in Japan. They are used to fill the bacground and are not featured in the camera. Also, I don't believe any of the three flyable Kates built in Japan were used on the Carrier set. All you get to see on the carrier deck are a few modified T-6/Zeroes and straight T-6's acting as Kates in the background. Theye are most prevelent in the take-off start-up sequence, and the landing sequence when Fuchida returns to the carrier near the end of the film.
Watch and you'll see them. There are records showing that upwards of 25 T-6's were used in Japan for filming.
Jerry
Here's a link to a not so good photo of actual unconverted T-6 Texans posingf as Kates in the return to carrier sequence of Tora3.
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