Warbird Information Exchange

American troops examining a German Fw 190 A-5 in the Tachikawa plant in the Tokyo Prefecture, 1945. The aircraft had been shipped to Japan in 1943 and flown for evaluation purposes.

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That's fascinating.

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
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I knew the Japanese evaluated the Bf 109 but didn't realize they had done the same with the Fw 190.

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The rising sun emblem is curiously absent at the end of the war. I wonder if this photo is doctored then? Japan was also getting an Me-262, and I think the Ta-152 unless examples of those went down in a sub.

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"They done it, they done it, damned if they ain't flew." December 17, 1903

That's fantastic. I had never heard of it.

Wish someone had taken a photo of it sitting in the U-Boat with sausages and bags of potatoes hanging off it!

A crated Me-262 was delivered to Japan in late April of 1945 by U-234. Also delivered were technical drawings, weapons, medical supplies. U-234 was captured by US forces on the return voyage home and was sunk as a target in 1947.

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"They done it, they done it, damned if they ain't flew." December 17, 1903

Interesting, that was pretty close to the first test of the Nakajima Kikka in June 1945.

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A Little VC10derness - A Tribute to the Vickers VC10 - www.VC10.net

I don't think U-234 ever made it to Japan with the final load of cargo, but surrendered in Maine and then to Newfoundland before she got to Japan. Sources vary on the cargo, and there has been much speculation of what she really carried, especially the uranium, but I somehow doubt a crated Me-262 as per wiki. I cant imagine a 262 knocking down to sizes that would fit through the hatches? Wiki says she had some of her mine tubes converted to cargo, but the 262 is large for a WWII fighter. Perhaps drawing and few crated pieces like some Jumo engines?

Any evidence of a 262 making it to Japan? I understand other types made it there like a disassembled me-163 and the 190 that stated the thread.

I think the link between the 262 and the Kikka is overblown. Obviously "inspired" by the 262 and Japanese representatives had seen it it Germany, and similar layout, but quite a bit of differences and the Kikka is quite a bit smaller.

It makes more sense. I am also reading multiple descriptions that there were only the technical drawings. I'm not sure if original USN Intelligence documents would clarify if those are available. From the descriptions, the Germans crammed everything that they could into the empty spaces of U-234.

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"They done it, they done it, damned if they ain't flew." December 17, 1903

The Japanese Me163 was designed off a few engineering drawings off memory.

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If the CO ask,s you to be Tail End Charlie...Just Shoot Him..A Piece of Cake

I agree, but they went from 'inspired by' to the next project, the Nakajima Ki-201 Karyū, which had a lot more similarities. In a sense, you could argue that the Kikka, the Karyū, the Me262 and the He280 shared a design pedigree, where the Meteor went in a slightly different direction and the Bell P-59 found another way to 'hide' two engines. I wasn't aware of the Me262 having been shipped there, although I understand from the previous posts that we may have to take that one with a pinch of salt.

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A Little VC10derness - A Tribute to the Vickers VC10 - www.VC10.net