It is good to see many of the old names are once more posting. Let's keep the dialog going as there are many interesting topics to discuss.
For example, the Jamco facility at Tachikawa was once the JAAF research and development center. They had supersonic wind tunnels in operation during the 1920s and developed many innovative test rigs such as a dynamic landing gear testing machine. Several fighters and light bombers were designed and a few production Ki-43s were also built there. I first was assigned to the USAF Tachikawa Air Base in 1964 working on the F-102 intake duct redesign. Even after 45 years, it still looks the same although I am told some of the old buildings will soon be razed and replaced with modern structures. Surprisingly, few current day Jamco employees are familar with the facility history.
A few miles away at Akashima, is the Showa factory where license DC-3s were built as well as one of the last Shiden-Kai fighters. Their factory is a license built version of the old Douglas factory - when they bought the DC-3 design they also bought the drawings for the factory. Being in one of the original buildings during a thunder storm is a bit eerie especially in the evening.
The structural test chief at Jamco is from Tachikawa - when a small child, he watched dogfights over the city.
There is a bronze model of a Ki-61 Hein on display at Chofu airfield near the present day Jamco Chofu factory. Part of the factory, where the machine shop is now located, was another JAAF WWII facility.
I will be going back to Tachikawa later on this fall and probably to Chofu next year.
Is that Mr. Haradas museum? It has been so long since I've contacted anyone in Japan I have forgotten who operates what museums.
I am so happy you reponded to my mail. It seem's that so many people I once knew here have drifted away. That is too bad since the site has been re-activated. Please tell me what has been taking place in the Japanese aircraft community. I see over on the Japanese language site that someone is or has been reproducing gun sights used in Japanese military planes of the Pacific War.
I hope more enthusiasts take the opportunity to participate here so we will have the interesting discussions we once had. I will be searching here daily
to continue airplane talk.
I'm so happy you got my message and that you contacted me through this board. Talk to you soon. Oh I also sent Jaime an e-mail but have not heard from him. Please tell everyone I know in the Japanese aircraft community that we know that I send my sincerest greetings.
> Hello, Doug.
>
> I am very glad to read your writing.
>
> Kawaguchiko museum is open by limitation in August.
>
> It is just from today.
>
> I will go to Kawaguchiko tomorrow.
>
It was a bit eery to stumble upon a site that I thought was pretty much gone as far as English speaking fans were concerned. From time to time I did find my way to the Japanese language side and understood to a point by way of photograph's. I see some very familiar names here...and that's a good thing...and it's also a good thing to have this site back.
Now to get down to business. Several years ago someone posted a Pacific War era photo on this site. It of course was black and white. The image was that of YO-143,,,s/n23186. The plane was located in an obvious Japanese aircraft hangar...by itself. I cannot recall the year it was posted. I'll take a wild guess and say around 2002 or 2003. If anyone can upload it again I sure would appreciate it. There were many people who spent five years of their lives restoring that aircraft...and I'm sure some would like to see where the aircraft was before coming to the United States. I'm going over to the archives and see if I can track it down.
Good to be able to return to what many of us knew as "Home".
I will be back at Jamco Chofu staying at the Mets hotel Musashisaki from April 5 until April 18. The structural testing is done at Jamco Chofu while the test specimen are built at the Niigata factory.
Jamco is designing and building a large part of the 787 interior. We hope that the maiden flight will take place in late June or early July.
I will be returning to Japan each month for two weeks until mid July. Busy schedule for me but must be done.
Excerpts from JAMCO website.
============================
JAMCO Corporation. began shipment of Flight Deck Lining Consoles for the new-generation aircraft BOEING 787.
Details here.
JAMCO and Boeing sign 787 Dreamliner Galley Contract.
Details here.
I have been in Japan since last November working on the 787 structural testing for Jamco/Boeing. I am back home for a few weeks but must return in early April.
A6M3 model 32 was exhibited by the Nagoya airport before.
Moved to "Tachiarai peace memorial hall",Fukuoka,Kyusuo.
Seemingly, a new exhibition hall will be completed in October, this year.
Has anyone out there taking over Astroboy's website ?? I have not seeing to much active on this site after Astroboy's death . I think Astroboy would want to keep his creation alive ? Or am I wrong ?
livedoor
