Japan

Picture	Manufacturer	Model	Notes
100_0987	Aichi	B7A (Grace)	One of the last Aichi naval aircraft.
100_0915	Aichi	D3A (Val)	Dive bomber, used mainly in China.
100_1970	Aichi	E11A1 (Laura)	First flown in 1937, 17 of these night reconnaissance planes were built for the Japanese Navy. Built from scratch rather than paying $45 for this little kit.
100_0917	Aichi	E13A1 (Jake)	Long-range reconnaissance floatplane.
100_0919	Aichi	E16A1 Zui-un (Paul)	This is the 3rd prototype of this 2-seat reconnaissance and dive-bomber floatplane.
100_0920	Aichi	E16A1 Zui-un (Paul)	Aichi built 194 and Nippon Hikoki another 59.
100_0985	Aichi	H9A1	Aichi made 23 of these flying boat trainers. Late in the war, they were pressed into service as anti-submarine aircraft.
100_0929	Aichi	M6A1 Seiran	This graceful floatplane was designed to operate from very large Japanese submarines. At one point, it was planned to use them to attack the Panama Canal.
100_0928	Aichi	M6A1-K Nanzan	This was the land-based version of the Seiran.
100_0975	Kawanishi	E15K1 Shiun (Norm)	This interesting float reconnaissance plane was designed so that the outboard floats could be deflated and pulled up tight under the wing, and the central float could be jettisoned in an emergency to gain extra speed. The usual development problems kept it from being built in numbers.
100_0927	Kawanishi	E7K1 (Alf)	One of the oldest floatplanes that Japan went to war with, it was soon relegated to the training and kamikaze roles.
100_1979	Kawanishi	E11K1	The E11K1 lost out to the Aichi E11A1 for a cruiser-launched reconnaissance aircraft. Only 2 were built; they were used as transports. The strange rectangular structure on the rear fuselage was a radiator. Built from scratch.
100_0910	Kawanishi	H6K5 (Mavis)	A graceful long-range maritime reconnaissance bomber that was active for most of the war.
100_0911	Kawanishi	H8K2 (Emily)	This very fine Japanese flying boat was very fast and had a substantial armament of machine guns and 20mm. cannons. It had a reputation for being hard to shoot down. Kawanishi built 167.
100_0930	Kawanishi	N1K1 Kyofu (Rex)	A powerful floatplane fighter. No more than 89 were built and they did not have a significant impact on the war.
100_0966	Kawanishi	N1K1-J Shiden (George 11)	Kawanishi adapted their Kyofu float fighter into an interceptor for the Imperial Navy. The performance exceeded everyone's expectations, but there were engine failures, weak undercarriages and many other teething problems. The factory built 535 of them before switching to the George 21.
100_1599	Kawanishi	N1K2 (George 21)	Kawanishi refined the N1K1 for more reliability and 1/3 fewer parts. It became an outstanding fighter, with one of them once shooting down 4 out of 12 Hellcats. It's a good thing only 428 were made. Built from scratch.
100_2199	Kawanishi	N1K4	The N1K4 shipboard fighter had a cleaner engine cowling than previous models, but never went into production because by that time, Japan had no carriers left.
100_1299	Kawasaki	Ki.10 (Perry)	The Russians captured this weathered Japanese fighter during the fighting at Nomanhan in Manchuria, where they inflicted a crushing defeat on the Japanese.
100_0974	Kawasaki	Ki.100-Ib	At the end of 1944, Kawasaki found itself with a lot of Ki.61 fuselages, but no engines to put in them. They improvised by putting in a radial engine that was available, and the result was much better than anyone could have hoped for.
100_0969	Kawasaki	Ki.102 (Randy)	Armed with a 57mm. cannon in the nose, this ground support aircraft also did well as an interceptor.
100_0959	Kawasaki	Ki.108	High altitude interceptor. Only two were made, late in the war.
100_0932	Kawasaki	Ki.32 (Mary)	Light Army bomber.
100_0967	Kawasaki	Ki.45 Toryu (Nick)	One of Japan's attempts at building a heavy fighter. They enjoyed some success as night fighters. Built from scratch.
100_0954	Kawasaki	Ki.48 (Lily)	A good light bomber, but its weak armament made it vulnerable to modern fighters.
100_0955	Kawasaki	Ki.48 (Lily)	A Lily in a rather more interesting color scheme.
100_0984	Kawasaki	Ki.56 (Thalia)	A license-built copy of the Lockheed Electra. I made this transport from a Hudson kit.
100_0931	Kawasaki	Ki.60	Three prototypes were built, but they were disappointing, and Kawasaki concentrated on the Ki.61 instead.
100_0918	Kawasaki	Ki.61 Hien (Tony)	This is the only Japanese fighter with a water-cooled engine to see service. It's an old kit which unfortunately does not have entirely accurate nose contours.
100_2121	Kawasaki	Ki.61-Ib Hien (Tony)	The Chinese captured this Tony and marked it with their colors.
100_0963	Kawasaki	Ki.64 (Rob)	A big interceptor, but the contra-rotating propellers gave a lot of trouble, and the project was finally abandoned.
100_0983	Kayaba	Ka-1	For a while there in the late 1930's, everybody was enamored of autogyros. Japan was no exception, producing several hundred of this model.
100_2290	Kayaba	KU-4 Katsuadori	Developed from a glider design, this tiny ram-jet fighter would have carried two 30 mm. cannons. They also had 4 rockets to get up to speed. Built from scratch.
100_0986	Kokusai	Ki.76 (Stella)	An Army liaison and artillery spotting plane which I made by modifying a Stinson L-1 kit.
100_0570	Kyushu	K9W1 (Cypress) See also Mitsubishi Raiden	A small trainer captured by the British and tested by the "Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit / South East Asia", hence the lettering on the side. This a slightly-modified Tiger Moth kit.
100_0994	Kyushu	J7W1 Shinden	This innovative fighter was first flown only a few days before the atomic bombs, so nothing came of it. It would have carried 4 30mm. cannons.
100_0957	Kyushu	K11W Shiragiku	A training plane for navigators, radio operators and such. It is shown here in the overall white and green surrender crosses.
100_0960	Kyushu	K1W1 (Lorna)	A specialized anti-submarine aircraft. The Japanese surely needed one because U.S. Navy submarines were sinking their ships almost as fast as the German U-boats were sinking Allied ships on the other side of the world.
100_0961	Kyushu	K1W1 (Lorna)	A Lorna equipped with radar.
100_0980	Mitsubishi	A5M4 (Claude)	Although it first flew in 1935, this nimble little fighter fought on with the Imperial Navy until 1942. It only had 2 machine guns and a top speed of 273 mph.
100_0940	Mitsubishi	A6M Zero (Zeke)	The Zero was a terrific weapon at the beginning, but it was never developed to keep pace with the opposition, and was badly outclassed by the end. This is an old kit.
100_1287	Mitsubishi	A6M Zero (Zeke)	The first Zero to be captured by US forces. Extensive testing revealed that its extreme maneuverability and range was attained at the expense of armor protection and structural strength.
100_2330	Mitsubishi	A6M2 Zero	This sky gray Zero was assigned to the aircraft carrier Hiryu at the time of Pearl Harbor.
100_0941	Mitsubishi	A6M2 Model 21 Zero	This Zero was one of the ones at Pearl Harbor; it flew from the Shokaku.
100_0942	Mitsubishi	A6M2 Zero (Zeke)	Same aircraft as above. I inadvertently built two of them years apart. Oops!
100_2198	Mitsubishi	A6M2 Zero	This Zero was active in the New Guinea front in 1942.
100_2064	Mitsubishi	A6M2 Model 21 Zero	This colorful Zero was at Clark Field, Manila in early 1944. The orange bottom would seem to indicate a trainer aircraft.
100_0943	Mitsubishi	A6M2 Zero (Zeke)	I modified a regular kit to make this 2-seat target tug in its bright orange color.
100_0939	Mitsubishi	A6M2-N Rufe	Nakajima was assigned the job of modifying the Zero into a floatplane. They built 327, and they first appeared at Guadalcanal. They were also used in the Aleutians to counter American raids on their garrisons on Attu and Kiska.
100_0204	Mitsubishi	A6M2 Zero	A captured Zero in US markings.
100_0202	Mitsubishi	A6M3 Model 32 Zero	Another captured Zero.
100_0944	Mitsubishi	A6M5 Model 52 Zero	One of the improved versions as the war went on.
100_2066	Mitsubishi	A6M5 Zero	A much-weathered Zero based on Saipan. Very odd belly tank doesn't look like it would stay on.
100_0945	Mitsubishi	A6M5 Zero (Zeke)	When Japan surrendered, it was required to paint green-on-white "surrender crosses" on all its aircraft.
100_2067	Mitsubishi	A6M5c Zero (Zeke)	One of the last versions in 1945 with increased armament, but still totally outclassed by Allied fighters.
100_1292	Mitsubishi	A6M6-c Zero (Zeke)	Mitsubishi very much wanted to build the successor to the Zero, and they designed this fighter. There were continuous problems with the engines and with air attacks, and only a few planes were built.
100_1629	Mitsubishi	B5M (Mabel)	The B5M lost due to the Nakajima B5N "Kate". Nevertheless, they made 270 of them, and they served from land bases (even though they were Imperial Navy planes). Built from scratch.
100_0976	Mitsubishi	A7M1-2 Reppu (Sam)	This floatplane was very versatile and maneuverable; 704 were built.
100_0947	Mitsubishi	F1M2 (Pete)	This sleek Imperial Navy bomber was the type that sank the British battleship Prince of Wales and battle cruiser Repulse three days after Pearl Harbor as they were seeking to stop Japanese landings in Malaya.
100_0950	Mitsubishi	G4M1 (Betty)	The Imperial Navy's standard bomber during the war. It operated over China in 1941 with very few losses. It wasn't until later that it was found to be extremely flammable and easy to shoot down. It was in a G4M that Admiral Yamamoto, the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, was killed by P-38 Lightnings operating at the extreme limit of their range.
100_0952	Mitsubishi	G4M1 (Betty)	Two G4Ms were used to transport the Japanese surrender delegation to the island of Ie-Shima. One of them ran out of fuel on the way and crashed near a beach, delaying the surrender until they could get another plane.
100_0951	Mitsubishi	G4M2e (Betty)	This was the special version designed to carry the rocket-propelled suicide plane, the Ohka (Baka).
100_0619	Mitsubishi	J2M2-7 Raiden (Jack)	Code-named Jack, this was the first Japanese fighter to be designed for speed and climb rate rather than maneuverability. It had a lot of development problems and was not all that successful. This example was evaluated by the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit (see also Kyushu Cypress).
100_0965	Mitsubishi	J2M2-7 Raiden (Jack)	This interceptor had teething problems and production difficulties. Nevertheless, they were one of the few aircraft that could get to the high-flying B-29s, and about 500 were built.
100_0993	Mitsubishi	J8M1 Shusui	Looks a lot like an Me 163, doesn't it? The Japanese had indeed bought a license to make the Messerschmitt rocket fighter, but the submarine that was carrying an actual example and all the manufacturing details was sunk on the way. Undeterred, Mitsubishi made a copy as best they could and flew it a few weeks before the surrender. It crashed.
100_0970	Mitsubishi	K3M3	Awkward-looking crew trainer, with surrender crosses on a round background, but not painted white over-all. Made from scratch.
100_0948	Mitsubishi	Ki.67-Ib Hiryu (Peggy)	This very fine Japanese Army bomber came out late in the war (October 1944). Its high speed and heavy armament made it a tough opponent.
100_0949	Mitsubishi	Ki.109a Hiryu (Peggy)	Designed as an interceptor, with a 75mm. cannon, it failed in its role because it couldn't reach the high altitudes attained by the B-29s.
100_0935	Mitsubishi	Ki.15 (Babs)	Very small, single-engine light bomber.
100_0992	Mitsubishi	Ki.21 (Sally)	One of Japan's numerous bombers, this one appeared in an unusual camouflage. The Red Star is not Russian; it's a unit insignia.
100_0916	Mitsubishi	Ki.30 (Ann)	Reconnaissance and liaison plane.
100_0968	Mitsubishi	Ki.46 (Dinah)	Fast reconnaissance plane.
100_0971	Mitsubishi	Ki.46 (Dinah)	A more aerodynamic Dinah.
100_0972	Mitsubishi	Ki.46 (Dinah)	The sleekest and fastest of all the Dinahs.
100_0913	Mitsubishi	Ki.51 (Sonia)	Observation plane.
100_0914	Mitsubishi	Ki.51 (Sonia)	A Sonia in a different color scheme.
100_0999	Mitsubishi	Ki.57 (Topsy)	This mid-size transport was built to the number of 507. Built from scratch.
100_0208	Mitsubishi	Ki.83	Long-range, high-altitude fighter. Four were built. This one was captured and tested.
100_2095	Mitsubishi	L3 M1 Nippon-Go	In an interesting reversal of the way things usually went, this bomber was stripped of armament and converted to a civilian long-range transport. Starting on August 26, 1939, it flew 32,839 miles around the world in 194 hours.
100_0989	Nakajima	B5N1 (Kate)	This bomber was responsible for a lot of the damage at Pearl Harbor.
100_0977	Nakajima	B6N Tenzan (Jill)	Another model of the Jill torpedo bomber, with a radial engine.
100_0938	Nakajima	B6N1 Tenzan (Jill)	This was the Imperial Navy's standard torpedo bomber in the last years of the war.
100_0988	Nakajima	C6N1 (Myrt)	Nakajima built 463 of these obscure reconnaissance aircraft.
100_0958	Nakajima	E8N2 (Dave)	Catapult-launched, short-range reconnaissance floatplane. It was last used as a spotter plane at Midway, after which it was relegated to training.
100_0937	Nakajima	G8N1 Renzan (Rita)	This was the prototype of a proposed 4-engine strategic bomber. Only 4 were built and they were never used operationally.
100_0200	Nakajima	G8N1 Renzan (Rita)	Japanese attempt at building a 4-engine strategic bomber. This is one which was captured.
100_0998	Nakajima	J1N1-C Gekko (Irving)	The Gekko was used in different roles from night fighter to reconnaissance, but it had a trouble-plagued career.
100_0934	Nakajima	Ki.115 Tsuruki	I couldn't find a 1/72 scale model of this purpose-built kamikaze plane, so I extensively modified a CW-21, which were going for next-to-nothing at the old Rosemont Hobby Shop near Allentown, Pa. The Japanese concept of suicide attacks was based on the fact that they were not going to survive the U.S. Navy defenses anyway, so this was their only opportunity to do any damage. And it became a terribly effective weapon. One has to marvel at the incredible courage it took.
100_0997	Nakajima	Ki.27 (Nate)	Another one of the nimble fighters from the 1930's. This one was for the Army, whereas the Mitsubishi Claude was for the Navy. They lasted until 1942.
100_0922	Nakajima	Ki.43-Ib Hayabusa (Oscar)	This was the Japanese Army Air Force's main fighter, with 5,878 being built.
100_0926	Nakajima	Ki.43-Ic Hayabusa (Oscar)	Another Hayabusa, this one in natural aluminum.
100_0996	Nakajima	Ki.44-Ic Shoki (Tojo)	This is another one of the Japanese fighters which stressed speed and climb rate over maneuverability. They made 1,223 of them, but handling was tricky and they weren't too popular.
100_0991	Nakajima	Ki.49 (Helen)	Another Japanese Army bomber. Built from scratch.
100_0933	Nakajima	Ki.84a Hayate (Frank)	Introduced during the summer of 1944, the Hayate proved to be a very good fighter which could more or less stay with Mustangs or Thunderbolts.
100_0209	Nakajima	Ki.84 Hayate (Frank)	An excellent fighter, this one was captured and tested by the Americans.
100_0924	Nakajima	Ki.87	Prepared to pretty much the same requirement as the Ki-94, this fighter had a little better luck. The prototype actually flew in April 1945, but it never made it to production. This was also modified from a Ki-64 kit.
100_0979	Nakajima	Kikka	The Imperial Navy decided it wanted a fast bomber and hired Nakajima to build a copy of the Me 262 at about 2/3 scale. The first one flew the day after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Four days later it crashed.
100_1234	Rikugun	Ki.93	A shapely, powerful heavy fighter. Only 2 prototypes. Built from scratch.
100_0978	Showa	L2D3 (Tabby)	Showa manufactured 571 DC-3s for the Imperial Navy. They had Japanese engines and extra windows.
100_0921	Tachikawa	Ki-36 (Ida)	Small Army communications plane.
100_0936	Tachikawa	Ki-36 (Ida)	Another Ida, in camouflage.
100_0990	Tachikawa	Ki-54 (Hickory)	This aircraft was built for training and light transport duties. Built from scratch.
100_1628	Tachikawa	Ki-74 (Patsy)	Sixteen of these long-range (5,000 miles) reconnaissance bombers were built, but they did not see service due to unreliable 2,200 hp. engines. This example was captured by the U.S. Built from scratch.
100_0923	Tachikawa	Ki-94II	To counter B-29 raids, Japan wanted to develop a high-altitude interceptor with a pressure cabin. This was one of the contestants. It never got a chance to fly because the war ended. This was modified from a Ki-64 kit.
100_1980	Watanabe	E9W1 (Slim)	First flown in 1935, the E9W1 was designed to be carried on submarines. A total of 35 were built and served mainly in the China Sea. Built from scratch.
100_0973	Yokosuka	D4Y1 (Judy)	This was the version with the water-cooled engine that gave so much trouble.
100_0956	Yokosuka	D4Y3 (Judy)	Japanese Navy dive bomber used in large numbers, but plagued with engine troubles. This version used a radial engine to overcome those problems.
100_0995	Yokosuka	E14Y1 (Glen)	This tiny 2-seat, submarine-borne reconnaissance floatplane had the distinction of being the only enemy aircraft to drop bombs on the North American continent. It dropped 2 small bombs on an Oregon forest in September 1942. The Japanese also floated quite a few incendiary balloons from Japan to the American West Coast, but they didn't do much damage either.
100_0953	Yokosuka	K5Y (Willow)	One of the main Japanese trainers.
100_2102	Yokosuka	Willow Type 93	The Willow trainer also came as a floatplane version.
100_0912	Yokosuka	P1Y1 (Frances)	A sleek-looking Imperial Navy bomber.
100_0982	Yokosuka	R2Y1	Toward the end of the war, Yokosuka built this large, fast reconnaissance plane.