Warbird Information Exchange

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“PMURT KCUF”

Seems a bit odd to re-engine it only to have it taxi. I would love to see it fly with the -1830 but, if not, then I'd rather see it parked with the stock engine than taxiable with the P&W. Just my .02 cents of course.

According to their website it's a D4Y-1 which would make it the inline-engined version; maybe fabricating the cowlings for a radial was a much more tangible prospect than the more complicated versions for the V-12? Not to mention the various coolers hung underneath. If so maybe they decided to make it taxiable since they'd be using a suitable US radial anyways. They do have a V-12 of the type used at the Valle location, I wonder if it is from this aircraft? I have to say I find the lines of the -1 & -2 to be nicer than the later radial version, but again those cowlings certainly appear to have lots of compound curves etc.



Great to see this project making progress, congrats to those involved.

greg v.

edit: pic of the project at the start, from Airliners.net:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Yokosuka ... 0893241/L/

Wikipedia pic of a D4Y-2:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... ke_off.jpg

Wikipedia pic of a D4Y-3:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... _field.jpg

Awesome.
Chris...

why does japanese aircraft fuselage skin always look shriveled up?? to much saki??? anyway judy's going to be a hottie!!

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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!!

Fantastic! I had no idea the project was that far along. Hopefully the knowledge gained from this restoraiton can be applied to the Val next. I'd love to see that one fully restored.

SN

I think they used a thinner grade of aluminum sheet which made them lighter than the US types but less strong. I guess the sheets react to rivet forces more noticeably.

I believe Sutts' reply is correct. When Gosshawk was doing the restoration on the NASM "George" I thought that they had re-used much of the original skin because it looked like it had been rode hard and put away wet! However, the skin was all new stuff I was told and the appearance was due to the very light guage of metal used. I have since noticed similar extreme "oil canning" on photos of other Japanese aircraft and the PoF Zero as well.