# The Legendary Betty pilot is alive!



## Shinpachi (Nov 11, 2011)

Jun Takahashi 89 testified on TV today "We were ordered to drop torpedos 1,000 meters close to the target, so we had to fly as low as 5 meters above the sea surface. Why? Warship machineguns could not shoot us if we fly below the height of their deck."

Only his Betty survived the mission.
Wow!

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## razor1uk (Nov 11, 2011)

Sugoi! 8)


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## Shinpachi (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks Lewis!
In his other interview,

Q: What were you thinking about during the attack?
A: Well..........................................
That was still how bullets come.
They begin to come from the front! Down the nose! Next from the right! Then from the left! .... like this.

Once rushed into the target, we received a number of bullets like heavy rain. In my memory, 65 holes were counted on the airframe after back to the base.

Q: How was it when you received hits?
A: I heard big pounding sounds like 'Gan!', of course.


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## rochie (Nov 11, 2011)

.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks rochie.
He continues from memory to memory -

"Losing the war, I had no co-pilot as my crew for Betty was reduced to 5 from ordinary 8."

"One day, we were chased by a P-38. We knew fighters were generally beginning to shoot at around 200 or 300 meters distance. So, when it approached in that distance, my tail gunner was to warn me with his alarm buzzer. I immediately drifted my Betty to repeat it three or four times diving slowly till the enemy gave up."

"Basic was always to run away from the enemy fighter. If there was a cloud, I never hesitated to jump in. Once jumped in, I could not tell where we were at all but my navigator never failed to catch it though if he should have failed, that might have been our all ending."

"When the enemy was a night fighter, we distributed a tube of aluminum foils in the air quickly. He had flown toward them."

"There were always one or two bombers among us to return with any mechanical trouble every sortie.
I had no experience of such trouble. I think that was simply I was lucky."

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## evangilder (Nov 11, 2011)

Great stuff, Shinpachi-san. There was so much dehumanizing in the Pacific by both sides, it is good to see the human side of it.

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## Shinpachi (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks Eric. I only happened to come across the TV program today but my eyes had been rivetted on the screen.


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## parsifal (Nov 11, 2011)

Very interesting stuff Shinpachi


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 11, 2011)

Very cool!


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## herman1rg (Nov 11, 2011)

Big respect to Jun Takahashi and you Shinpachi-san for finding this


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 11, 2011)

That's awesome! Thanks for posting!!!!!!!


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## Gnomey (Nov 11, 2011)

Awesome news!


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## Shinpachi (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks parsifal, FLYBOYJ, herman1rg, vB and Gnomey for reading.

He was introduced as the oldest active pilot in Japan, so the interviewer Tetsuko Kuroyanagi 81( she is also the oldest active interviewer) spotted on what the secret is about his good health. He answered "I have nothing to do with debauch".
That is what I have to take care too


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## Airframes (Nov 11, 2011)

Great info Shinpachi, thanks for sharing with us all.


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## Vic Balshaw (Nov 11, 2011)

This is sensational stuff, thanks Shinpachi.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Nov 11, 2011)

Excellent thread Shinpachi! I agree with Eric, it is always nice and interesting to hear from the human side. Thank you for posting sir.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks and you are welcome, Airframes, Vic Balshaw and Aaron

I forgot to tell his rank.
He ended the war as Master Sergeant.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 12, 2011)

About Betty - the Type 1 Land Attacker,

"Betty was unable to make feathering by standing the propeller pitch, that is, adjusting pitch to the maximum angle to reduce its drags. Therefore, once either engine of two stopped, it was hard for me to controll the plane. Landing looked almost impossible."

"As the center of gravity was located in the middle of fuselage, Betty needed quite longer distance and time for take-off.
To make it shorter by lifting the nose, all crew moved to the rear section during take-off as a weight. For landing, it was same."

"Therefore, when we had had casualty aboard, it was hard to land well because not all crew could move. Someone advised me later to step fully on the brake and then release it immediately the main landing gear hit the ground. Then the tail landing gear would follow to touch on the ground."

"Newer bombers like Peggy(Type 4 Heavy Bomber Hiryu) and Frances(P1Y Ginga) were taking off one after another quickly while I was struggling with my old Betty. I envied them."

"By the way, I have ever met Betty designer Mr. Honjo in the postwar when I happened to be a flight instructor for JASDF.
Mr. Honjo : 'What? Were you flying Betty? She was good, wasn't she? Wasn't she?'
I could not answer well."

"In my memory as a bomber pilot, Nell(Type 96 Land Attacker) was the best plane for me. She could be good even today. My best one in the postwar was Piper Super Cub."

*********************************************************
Maybe no more about Jun Takahashi at the moment.
Thanks.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Nov 12, 2011)

That's interesting that he likes the Piper Super Cub. But then a lot of folks do.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 12, 2011)

Thanks Aaron He may check this page later.


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## GrauGeist (Nov 12, 2011)

Great post, Shinpachi!

Mr. Takahashi's story is amazing, and to see how low he was (on the deck) in that photo is awesome!


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## Shinpachi (Nov 12, 2011)

Thanks GG His performance was really amazing.
I have just informed him of this thread, copied and pasted all of your posts, through the Japan Flying Association as he is Honorary Chairman there.
I wish he would visit here.

Thanks!


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## tyrodtom (Nov 12, 2011)

When you look at the photo of the Betty's on their attack runs at Guadalcanal you see 4 Bettys, 3 very low, and one up at about 150 ft. 

I wonder if that one plane was flying high so as to present himself as a easy target to draw fire away from the other aircraft.


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## Glider (Nov 12, 2011)

excellent work and you have to doff your hat to those pilots of all nations who knew their chances of making it, were so low.


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## treyzx10r (Nov 12, 2011)

Very awesome thread Shinpachi-san,thanks for taking the time to post it. Sad that more of these type interviews are'nt about to get a real personal account of what it was like to be in the thick of it.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 12, 2011)

Thanks for your posts, tyrodtom, Glider and treyzx10r.

tyrodtom, your question is very interesting.
I am curious too.


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Nov 12, 2011)

Very cool Shinpachi, thanks for sharing!


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## syscom3 (Nov 12, 2011)

Great find Shinpachi!


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 12, 2011)

I agree, this is excellent!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Nov 13, 2011)

Very interesting, thanks for sharing this.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 13, 2011)

Thanks Vassili Zaitzev, syscom3, vB and Adler.
I think I was lucky as a result


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## Shinpachi (Nov 13, 2011)

To my surprise, no media has ever introduced which unit he belonged to.
I estimate it Misawa-Ku(sq.), later 705-ku, as he said he ended the war in Misawa, Aomori Pref on TV.

Attached photos show Bettys of Misawa-Ku over Guadalcanal, August 1942 and of 705-Ku(Cockpit photo) estimated around 1943.
I would like to ask him such details directly if I should have a chance.
Thanks.


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## herman1rg (Nov 13, 2011)

Just a small point I have just found out that the picture of Jun Takahashi at extreme low level is on the Wikipedia entry for the "Betty"

Entry now edited to include Takahashi san's name

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## nuuumannn (Nov 13, 2011)

Shinpachi said:


> Thanks Eric. I only happened to come across the TV program today but my eyes had been rivetted on the screen.


 I'm not surprised!

Arigato Gozaimasu (I think...)! Tsugoiiii!


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## Geedee (Nov 13, 2011)

One word...Respect !

Thank you for bringing the story to us


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## Shinpachi (Nov 13, 2011)

Thanks for your comments, herman1rg, nuuumannn and Gary!
Wiki is always quick to edit 
Thanks for your kind information, herman1rg.

Takahashi's career has been little known to the Japanese and will be so in the future too as the generation has been changed.
When I translated a story for my older thread "IJA Secret Intelligence Team at Chofu", I noticed a small sentence as the author's monologue.
"In the post war, I had been proud of my career and experience as an IJA soldier. One day, a young man asked me 'Then, why didn't you win the war?' From that day, I stopped talking about the war."

For the accuracy of my last post, Misawa-Ku(sq.) was later renamed as 705-ku.
Thanks.


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## Maximowitz (Nov 19, 2011)

What a fantastic story of an amazing flyer. Thank you for bringing this to us Shinpachi!!


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## A4K (Nov 19, 2011)

Great story...thanks for posting!


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## Shinpachi (Nov 19, 2011)

You are welcome and Thanks for your kind comments, Paul and A4K!
I have understood this time how they pilots were regarded during the war.
They were Stars.


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## Arossihman (Dec 4, 2011)

Good stuff! Very honorable of you!


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## Shinpachi (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks, Arrosihman for your kind comment

I received a brief comment from him through his secretary 10 days ago.
She said "He says 'Thank you very much for your all heartful comments'."


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## Jenisch (Dec 4, 2011)

Because Japanese first hand perspectives are not very know in the West, each of them sounds magical to me. Thanks for sharing. 

I think one interesting topic to ask for the Japanese veterans is if they remember the internal colors of their planes. Some Japanese aircraft don't have know evidence avaliable, and the modelers here in the West usually considerate only this, and therefore regard the info as unavaliable. But I think until the guys who flown or produced the planes lived, we can't considerate any information really as unavaliable.


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## Shinpachi (Dec 5, 2011)

Thanks Jenisch for your post.
If I should have a chance to.

In my impression, however, many older Japanese researchers have done their good jobs through their many interviews with many veterans since the end of ww2.
Actually, I still come across not a few Japanese books about the war, equipments and facts which are not introduced in English yet.

For example, the deck officer of Akagi waved a flag to let aircrafts take-off in the movie of Pearl Harvor but, according to a survivor's testimony, it was not a flag but a lamp stick lit in blue. Such a fact would be invisible for foreign researchers till it is translated...


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## Jenisch (Dec 5, 2011)

Yeah Shinpachi. I'm a great fan of your country in all aspects, and a lot in the the military one. And I think there's many unfair judgments of Japan here in the West. Some of them simply because people don't understand what exactly was a determined Japanese goal or even the cuture.

One example of the language that came to my mind now is the A6M2 speed. The Japanese manual states the military power was 508 km/h. While the boosted speed appears to have been about 555 km/h. While most of the aviation community here in the West keeps discussing the Japanese data only by second hand Allied test flights. I really don't like from this desconsideration of Japanese sources of their own machines. And there's a lot of it.


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## Shinpachi (Dec 5, 2011)

It's a good question, Jenisch.
Though I stated this somewhere before, in my knowlege Japanese military aircrafts were designed based on fuel octane 100 but it was 91 in actual operation because of fuel shortage but it was 140 for the allied aircrafts. Mutual test results would have been different as a matter of course.


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## Jenisch (Dec 5, 2011)

Surely in wartime. The problem is wartime tests keep appearing in publications until today. The A6M2 speed of 533 km/h is perhaps the most famous example.


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## mikewint (Dec 5, 2011)

Shinpachi, fantastic post, as always. If that "nothing to do with debauch" is true we're going to loose Jan any day now


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## seesul (Dec 5, 2011)

Fantastic post. Found it today. Thx for posting.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Dec 5, 2011)

Thank you for keeping us updated Shinpachi.


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## Jenisch (Dec 5, 2011)

A question: in the photo of the torpedo run, if his Betty was the only to survive, who take the picture, an escort fighter?


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## Shinpachi (Dec 6, 2011)

It sounds like a mystery, Jenisch, but the photo was taken by a US photographer.

Thank you very much, gentlemen, for your all nice comments.
Please enjoy a Betty under restoration by Mr. Y. Harada and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the Kawaguchi-ko Museum.


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l_5eVdyk5U_


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## Jenisch (Dec 6, 2011)

Shinpachi said:


> It sounds like a mystery, Jenisch, but the photo was taken by a US photographer.



I don't know if you are being ironic, but I really didn't thought of this possibiliy. lol

About the G4M being restored: *________* 

It's intended to be restored to flyable condition?

Just a shame there's not so much interest about Japanese planes, specially attack aircraft, as we can see this by those wrecks:












The first is a G3M, the second a Ki-49. Both which not a single preserved exemplair exists. Already heard something about recover such machines there in Japan Shinpachi?


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## Shinpachi (Dec 7, 2011)

Hello, Jenisch.

The restoring G4M2 Betty will be for the static display as it is always Mr. Harada's way as an owner but she will be able to fly once start the engines as it is always Mitsubishi's way.

A few years ago, I heard some investors were collecting those wrecks in the southern islands to restore but they were not Japanese. Negotiation with the islanders is not easy because those wrecks are tourism resources for them today.


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## Matt308 (Dec 7, 2011)

Great thread Shinpachi-san. I have always been fascinated by the picture of the Betty's on their run so low to the waves. But I never thought I would hear the story behind it. The picture is amazing enough. May he live long.


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## Shinpachi (Dec 7, 2011)

Thanks Matt. I believe he will read your message too.


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## herman1rg (Dec 8, 2011)

Has Jun Takahashi considered writing about his experiences?


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## GrauGeist (Dec 8, 2011)

herman1rg said:


> Has Jun Takahashi considered writing about his experiences?


That's a thought that has crossed my mind.

It would be a rare perspective into the wartime experience of an Imperial Japanese bomber pilot's service, and while not as "glamorous" as a fighter pilot's career, it would give a good deal of insight to an otherwise little known view of the war. 

I hope Mr. Takahashi would consider it.


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## Shinpachi (Dec 10, 2011)

His secretary says "He is busy about his lectures as a flight instructor and spending busier days than ordinary younger staff."
In my impression, he prefers talking to writing. On TV, he said he feels much happier when he talks to young ladies.
I believe he would live more than a hundred years...


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## Matt308 (Dec 10, 2011)

Shinpachi said:


> In my impression, he prefers talking to writing. On TV, he said he feels much happier when he talks to young ladies.
> I believe he would live more than a hundred years...



Ahh... the debauch!


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## Shinpachi (Dec 10, 2011)

Interviewer's face looked confused


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## Jenisch (Dec 14, 2011)

Hey Shinpachi, if possible, ask him if he remembers what was the internal color of the G3M "Nell".

Also, if possible as well, ask him what are the opinion of his friends who were fighter pilots, the early war Zero pilots specifically, if they felt confident they could smash the Red Air Force, and if they belive it would be better to attack the Russians instead of the Western Powers.


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## herr81 (Jan 27, 2012)

amazing thanks for posting !


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## Shinpachi (Jan 27, 2012)

You are welcome sir.


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## ccheese (Jan 28, 2012)

Just found this thread, Shinpachi-san....... wonderful is the only word I can come up with. Thank you for sharing...

Charles


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## Shinpachi (Jan 29, 2012)

You are welcome Charles


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## Shinpachi (Jan 3, 2014)

Sorry guys but I forgot to tell.

This thread was introduced in Aeronca - a local letterzine of the flight club to which Jun Takahashi belongs in March 2012.
He was so happy and honorable to be introduced and to receive so many heartful comments from you all.
I think he was too shy to post here.







Link to the original pdf file
Please check page 5.


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## vikingBerserker (Jan 3, 2014)

It would be awesome just to shake his hand. Thanks again Shinpachi!

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## Shinpachi (Jan 4, 2014)

Thank you, David 

I have just noticed that the IP address is linked here!


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## Lucky13 (Jan 4, 2014)

Can't believe that I just found this thread Shinpachi-san! As has already been mentioned, words fails me! This young gentleman is one of those, that you could spend hours, a whole day, listen to what he has to say and in the end, you'll notice that you wouldn't have said a single word yourself, because you'd be so taken away by it all!

Thank you ever so much for sharing and should you perhaps talk to this gentleman, please forward my outmost respect!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 4, 2014)

Many thanks for your kind comment, Jan!

Wondering if new US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy would find my thread about her in the future, I have suddenly remembered Jun Takahashi's post about this thread  Sorry for my late information.


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## gunsou (Apr 18, 2016)

Via the article about the Mitsubishi 4GM on Wikipedia, where I saw the photo of Takahashi's plane attacking with his name under the photo, I came to this forum and found this highly interesting thread. Getting curious to learn more about him, I made an internet search with his name in Japanese writing and discovered a huge amount of related photos and articles - though in Japanese. For anybody who is interested, here is his name in Japanese: 高橋淳 Just copy and paste, and you can take a look yourself.


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## Shinpachi (Apr 18, 2016)

Thanks for your kind post and research, gunsou.
He is still alive and enjoys the fame as the oldest active pilot in the world.

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## Marcel (Apr 19, 2016)

Sorry I didn't find this thread before. Thanks for the info Simpachi, good to see the Japanese side of the story.


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## parsifal (Apr 19, 2016)

I never tire of that photo and all that it represents. War for sure, but courage and skill as well. Those Bettys are heading into a sheer hail of fire, about as close to the ocean as a plane can get and still be flying!

That does not diminish the courage of the men they are attacking, but acknowledges the men in those Bettys for the bravery so obviously on display. I find it inspiring to be honest.

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## Wayne Little (Apr 19, 2016)




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## Shinpachi (Apr 19, 2016)

Thank you very much for your so kind messages Marcel, Michael, Wayne and Dave for your like.

Jun Takahashi was verified as the oldest active 'commercial' pilot by the Guinness World Records as of 5 March 2014.
He spoke on TV last February "How wonderful it would be if I could still fly when I hit 100 years old !"


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## gunsou (Apr 19, 2016)

Here you can see him on YouTube telling about his life: 
_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkZcPzE7dVg_


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## vikingBerserker (Apr 19, 2016)

That is just fricken awesome!!!!!


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## GrauGeist (Apr 19, 2016)

Much respect for Mr. Takahashi!

He sure looks right at home in that 172, doesn't he?


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## Shinpachi (Apr 19, 2016)

Yeah, he is a true airman.


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## Gnomey (Apr 19, 2016)

Great stuff!


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## Elmas (May 1, 2016)

_"...nothing to do with debauch"_

A lesson for all of us, and to transmit to the next generation.

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## Shinpachi (May 1, 2016)

My way is not to take what people said so seriously as I'm not a young man anymore but -
He writes on the autograph cardboard of the post #71 "Always be relaxed (Do your best at 80%)".
He also murmurs in the cockpit video of post #77 "You can do anything if you want to do it".


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## Elmas (May 1, 2016)

Interesting that my 先生 , both of Iaido and Kyudo, tell me always the same thing: _“Stay relaxed!”_

I think that this Gentleman does not intend that he never had a glass or two of whisky or sake in his hands, but rather that he means “_never too much_”.


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## Shinpachi (May 1, 2016)

Good exercises you have, Elmas


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## Elmas (May 1, 2016)

Fortunately I do not have to stay relaxed when at the yoke of a Betty bomber attacking a U.S. Navy carrier...


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## Shinpachi (May 2, 2016)

Yes it is, Elmas. That's true.
I'm afraid that recent people may be forgetting how happy they were when the war was over.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 3, 2018)

This topic has been a while.
On today's local TV, Jun Takahashi(95) introduced his grandson Kei(22) as his new student of the flight school.

Kei and Jun.

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## Wurger (Feb 3, 2018)



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## special ed (Feb 10, 2019)

Compare the photo of young Mr. Takahashi, post 71, with the photo of his grandson in post 88. An amazing heritage.

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## Shinpachi (Feb 11, 2019)

Agreed, ed.
I wish his longer life.

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## Wurger (Feb 11, 2019)




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## vikingBerserker (Feb 11, 2019)




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## Zipper730 (May 20, 2019)

Jenisch said:


> Surely in wartime. The problem is wartime tests keep appearing in publications until today. The A6M2 speed of 533 km/h is perhaps the most famous example.


You know, I was thinking of creating accurate tests and tables for Japanese aircraft performance, but the problem is I can't find much accurate data.


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## Escuadrilla Azul (Apr 4, 2021)

Just found this thread and find it very interest, many thanks 

 Shinpachi


Takahashi-san is quite an aviator!

Two points I find quite interesting:

-He considered G3M a better bomber than G4M. Did he elaborate the reasons why?

- In the second photo of post #32 in the left of the cockpit is an origami dangling. Was it any kind of good luck amulet Shinpachi?

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## Shinpachi (Apr 4, 2021)

Escuadrilla Azul said:


> Just found this thread and find it very interest, many thanks
> 
> Shinpachi
> 
> ...



I have no more Takahashi's testimonies about G4M in comparison with G3M than my old post as it said -



Shinpachi said:


> About Betty - the Type 1 Land Attacker,
> 
> "Betty was unable to make feathering by standing the propeller pitch, that is, adjusting pitch to the maximum angle to reduce its drags. Therefore, once either engine of two stopped, it was hard for me to controll the plane. Landing looked almost impossible."
> 
> ...



Yes, the origami crane is a good luck stuff gifted by a girl like a sister or a girl friend.

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## Escuadrilla Azul (Apr 4, 2021)

Shinpachi said:


> I have no more Takahashi's testimonies about G4M in comparison with G3M than my old post as it said -
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, the origami crane is a good luck stuff gifted by a girl like a sister or a girl friend.


Manny thanks.


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