A "Crock of Shinden!!" ...

[Mark Allen M]

Story is that the photo of the P-51 Mustang was taken at an airfield in post-war Japan and that for some reason the P-51 had a Kyushu J7W Shinden propeller system installed. Doesn't look the same to me. If not the same, what could that setup on the Mustang actually be? and could that have worked? Would be interesting to see additional photo angles.


P-51 Mustang


Kyushu J7W Shinden


Kyushu J7W Shinden

[JohnB]

Of anyone tested a Mustang with a Japanese prop in theater, it would have been the U.S. Technical Air Intelligence Command (TAIC) or similar.
However, testing a six bladed prop to see if it was more efficient than a standard Mustang unit sound like something Wright-Patterson would have done.
Just my guess...

[Spitty]

Would have been interesting joining Metric to Imperial

[Sopwith]

Interesting point Spitty, I never thought about that, was Japanese kit metric back then?

[Archer]

Does not look like the same prop to me (differently shaped blades, prop spinner is not the same diameter), so we'd have to look somewhere else for the answer to this one.
Also, a pusher prop is not typically the same as a pulling prop but turned around... yet they may have been very similar or the same in those days.

Edit: are we sure it's a six-bladed prop? Could it be a contra-prop setup such as was used on some later Spit- or Seafires? I know that they used Griffon engines, but perhaps the gearbox/prop idea was tested on other types as well.

[JohnB]

Archer, after doing some checking, I found no record of a military Mustang being tested with contra-rotating props.
The U.S. was not big on that technology.
Also, those blades seem to be on the same plain, not two rows.

[Archer]

I tried to see if they were all twisted the same way... but I just can't be sure from this photo. I agree though, they appear to be all in the same plane.

[Mark Allen M]

The only Mustang that I can recall that ever had contra-rotating props was the “Red Baron” racing mustang.

If you look closely at the propeller tips in the photo I’d suggest those are typically what Japanese propeller tips looked like if I’m correct.

Interesting photo.

[martin_sam_2000]

Thats probably a shinden prop mounted in a modified P-51 spinner. Wouldn’t be hard to mount the prop reversed and cut a few holes in the spinner. Curious if it ever flew or if the imbalance that is sure to he present in a field mod like this kept it on the ground.

EDIT: I am pretty sure the marks near the base of each blade by the spinner on the P-51 pictures are the witness marks from the original Shinden spinner.

Sean

Last edited by martin_sam_2000 on Mon Jul 10, 2023 11:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

[martin_sam_2000]

Double post

[Randy Wilson]

A wild thought. Could they have installed another engine along with the prop?

Randy

[Archer]

The only Mustang that I can recall that ever had contra-rotating props was the “Red Baron” racing mustang.

Don't forget 'Miss Ashley II' and of course 'Precious Metal'....

IM001271_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr

I was thinking about a different engine as well... as there appears to be some kind of cloth around it. Could be an attempt to keep the engine 'under wraps'...

[quemerford]

There was a Japanese twin with 6-blade tractor propellers: more likely to the from that?

EDIT: Ki-93. More likely?

[Noha307]

Story is that the photo of the P-51 Mustang was taken at an airfield in post-war Japan and that for some reason the P-51 had a Kyushu J7W Shinden propeller system installed.

What's the source of that photo? Knowing that might help answer some questions.

[quemerford]

Ki-93 prop; Shinden spinner?