Warbird Information Exchange

Here are a couple photographs of the Betty on Yap. I have a friend that i'm making go round the world looking for tanks and he saw this.....This is the note he sent me I will post more photos when he sends them or gets home..

Quote:

Found five planes on Yap - a Japanese Betty, two Zeros, a Kate, and an
unidentified 2-seater trainer or small ground support plane. The Betty was a
real find, none exist on display or restored anywhere in the world, as far
as I know. The site I went to is pretty remote, and while not truly unkown,
its pretty obscure. Plane is obviously broken up, wind detached, front
severed from tail, and weathered after 60 years. But unlike Philippines or
elsewhere, totally untouched by scrappers and much is any souvenir takers.
Has engines, landing gear, seats for crew, instrument controls (though most
dials are missing), even oxygen cylinders and the remains of masks! Here
are four pictures I took.

1


2


3


4

For real??? This would be big news - how complete is it? If it's really a Kate it would double the population!

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Awesome pics!

_________________
ATC: "Oscar 2, cleared to engage wildlife at your discretion..."

Always good to see photos of those wrecks. But no really big news as they are known for a long time and pretty well documented.

See here for example :

http://www.missingaircrew.com/Japanese/

There are strong rumors of a Ki-61 in that same area. Ant chance your friend saw it ?

Have a good day,

Laurent

My friend said it was a Kate, but he could be mistaken. Japanese WWII armor and artillery are his interest. When he gets back I'm sure we will have some more pics....he was in Tokyo on his way to Bulgaria when he sent the note.....Airmanual, thanks for the link.......

who governs yap?? micronesea?? do they take the attitude that the soloman's government does as to wreck recovery??

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Here is a little info on Yap

http://www.visit-fsm.org/

Planes of Fame has the wreckage of a Betty on display, as-recovered.

Cheers!

_________________
Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

\

Don't confuss the "news Folks" with little things like facts!

Tim

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www.tailhookstudio.com

Ok here is what we believe to be a Kate, at least its a three-place single-engined plane with a three-bladed prop and rearward-firing machine gun, do we have any Japanese airplane people here? any ideas on what this really is? As you all know I'm no airplane expert....and thanks for any and all comments

Pic1



pic 2 three-bladed prop, 14 cylinders counted





pic 3 rearward bracket for a machine gun from rear (third) position to the rear



pic4 front of plane. Engine now detached. clearly shows front 2 seats and cockpit divider between. Final 3rd seat is harder to see, but its back there




pic5 close up

.
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This wartime cockpit photo is claimed to be a B5N Kate, the side mounted canopy rail with the cockpit wall extending up higher than the rail seems an identifiable feature on the wreck?




This link to the Australian War Memorial online archive shows a Kate from the rear, the second cockpit "tub" is clearly visible as being similar to the wreck, but the most clear evidence is the "wind deflector" on the canopy rail of the rear gun position which is identical to the that on the wreck.

http://cas.awm.gov.au/TST2/cst.acct_master?surl=1492241698ZZRHBIDJGLPZ44628&stype=4&simplesearch=&v_umo=&v_product_id=&screen_name=&screen_parms=&screen_type=RIGHT&bvers=4&bplatform=Microsoft%20Internet%20Explorer&bos=Win32



It would seem to be fairly conclusive this is a Kate fuselage/centre-section extending from the firewall to near or at the fuselage break point?

It seems the wing centre-section is cut back on the port (LH) side inboard of the folding point (which was @ 1/2 way towards the tip?) while the starboard (RH) side is cut flush with the fuselage, but there is a wheel rising up in front of the a/c suggesting other remains of the u/c and wing-centre-section also exist?

The engine should identify the likely particular model Kate?, the wreck engine appears to be a two row 14 cylinder supporting the view this is a B5N2 or model 12, the earlier B5N1 or model 11 apparantly had a single row engine?

These pictures from the airpages site provide an overall layout of both models

B5N1 Model 11 (appears to have single row engine - 9 cyl?)








B5N2 Model 12






An exciting find and a candidate for recovery and display at the museum at Pearl Harbour in its "intact" condition, and possible use in a composite static restoration?

Especially if combined with the Hunt Brothers apparantly poorer condition fuselage but more intact centre-section, and most importantly apparantly a wing set?

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b5n/5353.html

Combining the wrecks could provide an "as is" display as well as a composite static restoration? and bring another important WW2 Japanese type back from extinction?



regards

Mark Pilkington

_________________
20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

Firstly there no Ki-61's on Yap there was 27 Zeros and 22 Siusei's.
The Yapanese have a Zero tolerance on touching their Relics,I got a reply back from their Government this week saying just that.
A Mr Gov JR Nigirainagas.
You Know Yap was never taken until after the War.
There is a Cave on the island,The Japanese intended to force the entire population of yap into the cave then Destroy it.
Nice Buggers Ay.

Firstly there no Ki-61's on Yap there was 27 Zeros and 22 Siusei's.
The Yapanese have a Zero tolerance on touching their Relics,I got a reply back from their Government this week saying just that.
A Mr Gov JR Nigirainagas.
You Know Yap was never taken until after the War.
There is a Cave on the island,The Japanese intended to force the entire population of yap into the cave then Destroy it.
Nice Buggers Ay.

There is a far better Kate centre section and inner wings in the Russian Far East and recovery is permitted.

Dave

it isn't a kate, it's a mitsubishi sonia light attack aircraft

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!