Warbird Information Exchange

Hi,
I am trying to figure out what model an engine in Saipan is. I am working from photos. It looks similar to a Mitsubishi Ha-101 but not quite. Finding photos on the net for comparison has been difficult.
Any one know good sources for photos of Japanese radial engines from WW2?
Any help would be great.

Where are you located ja? Try j-aircraft.com, and put the request up on their discussion group.

Thanks,

Chris

Thanks for the reply, i will check out that site.
I am in Washington state, the engine in question will go into a display at a new museum on Saipan for the NPS.

Hi ja:

Where'd you find the engine?

its on the ground (literally) in Saipan, in very bad shape, will go in display as is just for show.

Hi ja:

Hpw'd you get involved? Do you ever go out to Saipan?

Thanks,

Chris

I work for a company that makes displays for museums, theater, etc.
We do a lot of the National Parks Service stuff, and they are building a new WW2 museum on Saipan.
I haven't been there, but need to make an appropriate mount for engine without ever seeing it in person.
On a side note we did the Personal Courage Wing for the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

When I was still flying out of McChord AFB, we used to do quite a few MEDEVAC flights out of Saipan, going back to Honolulu. Lot's of cool stuff there. The suicide cliffs are pretty neat to see. Guam, Tinian, Rota and a couple of the other islands near Saipan are worth the trip to see them.

For a while we had a trip that was quite a WWII tour. McChord, Hawii, Wake, Midway, Johnston Atoll, Kwajelein, Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Okinawa, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Korea, Japan and then back home. We still fly to the pacific, just not as often out her on the East coast.

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Brad

Hi Brad:

Did you see any WW2 planes left anywhere in the Pacific?

Thanks,

Chris

The remains of a B-29 are laying off the side of the runway on Guam. There used to be a C-46 at the airport, but I didn't see it last time I was out there. The weapons disposal area has a few wrecks, but I've never been able to get close enough to see what they are for fear of killing myself. The wreckage of a Corsair is still in the weeds over by the Navy base, a Japanese plane of some sort is out in the harbor there. It can be seen on occasion. I had a copilot that grew up on Guam and his dad was a navy diver. He said that his dad told him there were dozens of planes laying out in that harbor where they were dumped. Up until the last typhoon, there was a bunker under the Hilton Hotel on Guam. It finally collapsed and was filled in. The prop of a zero and an antiaircraft gun are still sitting out by the pool though.

Wake Island has a few parts and pieces laying around, most of it is stuff that washed ashore over the years. There is still some stuff down in the Munitions Storage area at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. Unfortunately, nobody can go down there. Rota didn't have much left except some artillery pieces and pill boxes. Okinawa is a wonderful place to go souvenier hunting. It's still covered in tunnels. Quite a bit of the island is still jungle. You can't walk ten feet out in the bushes without finding something. In that way, it's very much like Verdun, France.

The Okinawin's(sp?) are a VERY superstitious breed. They won't go into a lot of the jungle area because of the ghosts of the war dead. They are all kinds of scared of haints and boogers, the supernatural and such. My brother was stationed there for about four years and had a good friend that was married to a local girl. We all went roaming through the jungles when I was out there one time and she wouldn't let us back in the house when we came back to the base. She finally made us stand on the porch and sprinkled us with salt. After that, she let us in. Anytime my brother and his friend went out on a war tour or diving on the wrecks, she always went through the salt routine. I've never been one to believe in ghosts. But after spending some time on Okinawa, my brother and his wife are firm believers! I thought they were all crazy, but before it was all over, I started to lean that way myself. I'm not saying I'm now scared of the boogey man, but I think they may be on to something.

On Tinian, there was a couple of tanks and the pits where the atomic bombs were loaded. Saipan had a few concrete structures left, one or two tanks and things like that. It seemed to me like the rest of the island was taken up by golf courses! That sure would make my grandaddy mad!


Most of the islands are still littered with various tanks and pill boxes. Most of the good stuff was apparantly carted away over the years. I think that the chances of finding a complete airplane are slim to none on the heavily occupied islands. Except in the munition's area on Kadena Air Base.....

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Brad

Hi Brad:

Wouldn't you think the USAF would allow a special equipped team to venture into the munitions dump?

As my mexican friend used to say "Not a chance in He11".

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Brad

i'm wondering why not? I know the USAF has politics in it like any other big organization, and they can get pretty darned strict about things. However, one would think those channels are available maybe through the USAFM?

Anyway Brad, did you see some Japanese planes in the dump from the air or what?

Chris

Hi Rob:

I don't want to make any assumptions, so I'd just assume ask.

Chris

I know I'd want to poke my head over the fence before writing that area off.

But have been on a range in Fallon NV, it is a bit un-nerving to be walking around shells and projectiles in a "safe zone".

And they weren’t 60 years old

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