Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Frank) Centrefold, w/rusty staples

[JDK]

As requested by the ever-patient Michel Lemieux, from the following two threads:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... p?p=264789
And:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=24485

The centrefold in Aeroplane Monthly magazine, August 1974 was:



It's too big for my scanner, and, frankly, it looks better here - the original's pretty grainy.

Caption reads:

Morinao Gokan, president of the Japanese Owner Pilots' Association, airborne over Tokyo in his Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate on October 4 last year. The aircraft, which is powered by a 1,790 h.p. Ha-45 radial engine, was imported from "Planes of Fame" in the USA. Photograph by HIROSHI SEO of Yokohama.

So - more of less interesting than another P-51D? You decide.

[daveymac82c]

That's awesome. Is that airplane still flying? Or has she found a nice resting place?

-David

[Holedigger]

Rusty Staples! Someone been drooling on the centerfold again!? Naughty Boy!

[Steve Nelson]

I believe that aircraft is now on display in Japan. It was owned and flown by The Air Museum back in the '60s, but after going to Japan it was stored for many years in less than ideal conditions, and I understand corrosion has rendered it impossible to fly again without a "dataplate" restoration.

I wish a few more Japanese warbirds had been saved. Apart from Zeroes, there are probably less than a dozen types preserved, many of them one-of-a-kinds.

SN

[JDK]

Rusty Staples! Someone been drooling on the centerfold again!? Naughty Boy!

I think it's the 34 intervening years, more.

It's the sole survivor (I didn't realise that) and from the latest Warbird Directory:

1446 • Ki-84 62387 captured Clark Field, Philippines 3.45
Technical Air Intelligence Unit, Clark Field:
(test flown as "TAIU S17")
shipped to USA on carrier USS Long Island .45
(USN evaluation at NAS Anacostia 45/46)
Smithsonian Institute, stored Park Ridge IL 22.7.46/52
Edward T. Maloney, Los Angeles CA 9.52
(rest. .54, flew in movie Never So Few )
later Ontario CA 58/63
N3385G Air Museum, Ontario CA 63/73
(trucked to LAX 4.63 for rest., ff 25.6.63)
(trucked Ontario to Chino .73 for rest. to fly,
shipped to Japan, flew in Japan .73)
Ed Lykins, Chino CA 73
Gokan Morinao, Tokyo .73
Fuji Industries plant: loan, displ. 73
Arashiyama Museum, Kyoto, Japan 82/91
Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, Chiranm 98/02

BUY it here: http://www.warbirdsdirectory.goodall.com.au/

[MattP38]

I believe that aircraft is now on display in Japan. It was owned and flown by The Air Museum back in the '60s, but after going to Japan it was stored for many years in less than ideal conditions, and I understand corrosion has rendered it impossible to fly again without a "dataplate" restoration.

I wish a few more Japanese warbirds had been saved. Apart from Zeroes, there are probably less than a dozen types preserved, many of them one-of-a-kinds.

SN

I could not agree more Steve, including the saving of this beast

[Michel Lemieux]

James.........tks, you did make my Monday )

This answers a long time question I had. It did fly in Japan.

Yes this is the bird now at the Kamikaze Peace museum in Chiran Japan.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=23558&highlight=chiran

Now, if I can only find out this. Doug Vernon a very nice gent ( He lived in San Diego area & worked on the Zero restoration for the San Diego Aerospace Museum ) whom used to be a frequent poster on ( Rest In Peace ) Astroboy Zero Fighter World BB had in his had a VHS copy of the Frank fling in the US while at Chino. A copy of that video made it's way to Chiran via Astroboy.

I was also told a few funnies regarding the Frank by an elderly mechanic at Chino about 12-14 years ago. The engine was runing on a combination of American & Japanese plugs. Since no NOS Japanese units where to be found, it happenend that they discovered American units that fit the bill temperature, diameter, threads, electrical connection wise.

Tks again James, trully apreciated.

Last edited by Michel Lemieux on Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

[P51Mstg]

OK, I bought the directory, $38 US dollars headed out of the country in foreign trade........

I hope its not in PAL format

Mark H

[JDK]

Glad we got there, Michel. Appologies over the delay.

I hope its not in PAL format

You're safe. I'd say it's required reading for anyone who is serious about researching warbird histories. The WIX Warbird Registry wouldn't be half what it is without the Warbirds Directory.

[warbird1]

James.........tks, you did make my Monday )

This answers a long time question I had. It did fly in Japan.

Yes, it most certainly did. You should have asked that question a long time ago, I could have told you that! I have a picture of it flying in an Airshow in Japan in about '73 or '74 in an old Air Classics magazine I have from that time period. It didn't fly long though. IIRC, I believe it only flew once or twice in Japan before it was permanently grounded.

Also, if you don't have it, you should get the book, "Aero detail 24, Nakajima Ki-84 Frank". It is from a series of detail books, the best ever made and usually has tons of color pictures of surviving examples. It originates from Japan, and is unfortunately out of print. The entire Aero series were difficult to find in North America when they came out and were only sold for maybe 7 to 10 years before they all dried up. In the book, it has numerous pictures of the Frank in the air, including some shots from Japan. It gives all of the details of it's sale, restoration and flying in Japan. It has a TON of very detailed color photos of the plane during it's display on the ground during a public exhibition, including pictures of it's uncowled engine, and most major systems. It's a MUST HAVE book. The entire series is superb, and they usually concentrate on Japanese and German warbirds. When the book was new, they sold for $ 50 a pop. I don't know how much they would sell for these days, if you can find them.

I too, am waiting for that elusive film and/or video of the Frank in flight. I've never seen what it looks like in flight.

[Michel Lemieux]

Tks for the book plug WB1, wil do a search on it & let you guys know.

I did post a few pics of the Frnak in flight a while back:

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=964&highlight=frank





HarvardIV also posted this link a good while back

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3974&highlight=ki84

http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~msc/hayate.html

[old iron]

It is my understanding that this airplane, in flying codition, was sold back in 1973 to a Japanese buyer for $100,000. I wonder what an airplane like that would go for today?

[Michel Lemieux]

It is my understanding that this airplane, in flying codition, was sold back in 1973 to a Japanese buyer for $100,000. I wonder what an airplane like that would go for today?

Yup, makes you wonder......

P Allen paid xx$ for the POF 262 & made an offer of xx$ for the Me 410 & Ki-100 at Cosford....

Things have for sure changed regarding the cost of preformed aluminium

[A2C]

It is my understanding that this airplane, in flying codition, was sold back in 1973 to a Japanese buyer for $100,000. I wonder what an airplane like that would go for today?

Considering its rarity, probably 5 million.

Take a look at those flap bays perforated! Now that's lightweight to the extreme.

[warbird1]

It is my understanding that this airplane, in flying codition, was sold back in 1973 to a Japanese buyer for $100,000. I wonder what an airplane like that would go for today?

Considering its rarity, probably 5 million.

Considering it's the sole surviving example, that would probably be a fair asking price. Japanese warbirds tend to go for less than Luftwaffe airframes, though, so it's hard to tell.