# Yokosuka D4Y "Judy"



## GregP (Nov 3, 2011)

At the Planes of Fame we have been restoring a Yokosuka D4Y "Judy" for about 2 years or so. It was recovered in very bad shpe many years ago in New Guinea, and has been languishing in obscurity until a couple of years ago when the owner decided to do a static restoration.

Today the wings were mated to the fuselage and now it is sitting on the gear with fuselage, wings (minus wingtips), horizontal and vertical tail in place. The canopy has also been reconstructed and has been plexiglassed in, with the unique rolling rear position that rolls under to allow the rear gun to swing up. We don't have an engine mount made yet, but it is basically complete as an airframe and we are delighted with the progress. We still have to make wingtips, and engine mount, a cowling, a spinner, and wew il put our spare Zero prop on it.

Thre are no engineering drawings left, so we could never convince any airworthiness organization it would be flyable, so we did a static restoration. The Sakae 21 engine is our spare for our A6M5 Model 21 Zero and we will be able to start the Judy and taxi it under its own power when we are done with it. If you get to Southern California, please stop in and see it in the restortation hanger. When it first started restoration, I did some work on it, but is has been under the care of a dedicated restorer for nearly a year and a half since then.

An altogether neat aircraft that is not duplicated anywhere except in ONE museum in Japan.


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## kettbo (Nov 3, 2011)

This thread is meaningless without pictures!


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## GregP (Nov 3, 2011)

I only get to the museum on Saturdays! Just wanted to pass on the news ...


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## krieghund (Nov 3, 2011)

Didn't the D4Y3 have a Mitsubishi MK8P Kinsei installed?

Here is a picture of the other restored D4Y2 in Japan with the Aichi Ae1A (Db601) on run up.


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## GregP (Nov 3, 2011)

The original Judy did have an inline V-12 copy of a Daimler Benz. As manufactured, it was not reliable nor able to be made so.

Later Judys had a radial, including the Kamakaze version. The Ki-61 Hein also started out with a V-12 and went to a radial as the Ki-100, and became one of the two best Japanese fighters of the entire war.

We do NOT have an original V-12 (nobody else does either) nor the proper radial, but we DO have a spare Sakae 21 (as parts) and will assemble it and make it run as a spare for the Zero, displayed on the Judy, complete with propeller and spinner.


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## davebender (Nov 3, 2011)

IMO the D4Y may be the best CV capable attack aircraft produced during WWII. Would have been bad news if escorted by an equally capable late war CV fighter aircraft. But without adequate fighter protection this and all other dive bombers were just meat on the table for enemy CAP.


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## GregP (Nov 3, 2011)

OK, here's a pic.

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There are a series of pics of POF people lining up and bolting the wing to the fuselage.

When I look at the URL, I see the address, but not in the post. It is at the Planes of Fame Facebook page.


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## krieghund (Nov 4, 2011)

Located an extra Aichi AE1A engine next to their D4Y2 however it would probably take an act of God to pry it loose from them. The Chino SUISEI looks really well put together, excellent job guys!!


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## GregP (Nov 4, 2011)

It's pretty solid, but is definitely static. That is, it will be able to taxi but not fly.

We COULD make it flyable, but it would take a LOT of work and ... money.


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## nuuumannn (Nov 4, 2011)

GregP,

Power to your elbow; good luck with your work, it sounds fantastic. We really want to see some images though! I've been to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo a number of years ago to see the 
D4Y; as Davebender says, it was a damn good machine. It will be interesting to see your one with its radial attached for comparison. The nasal profile was completely different; with the inline it was very shark like. Keep us informed of developments, especially once you get it moving.


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 4, 2011)

Very cool!


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## Wayne Little (Nov 4, 2011)

Yes...very cool, can't wait to see some pics...


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## Shinpachi (Nov 4, 2011)

I've found out their pics.... awesome


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## GregP (Nov 5, 2011)

Thanks for the link! I can get to it but was not able to find a way to link to it. Pretty PC-clumsy of me, but the aircraft is worth the viewing effort.

Now we have a Yokosuka D4Y Judy, a Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zero (flyable on the original Sakae 21 radial engine), the last remaining Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (static), A Kugisho MXY7-K1 Ohka suicide rocket, a Mitsubishi G4M Betty bomber (displayed in "as found" crashed condition, complete with plastic weeds growing out of it ... but no snakes), a Mitsubishi J8M1 rocket interceptor (one of seven made), and a US Stewart tank modified to highly resemble a Japanese light tank (been used in a lots of movies). Not a bad collection of Japanese WWII stuff!

If you get to So Cal, please stop in at the Planes of Fame and see it in person. If you come on a Saturday, look me up (Greg Pascal) in the restoration hangar. 

I'd be pleased to both meet you and show you around in person. If you are a big engine fan, we could probably go out to the shop and see a lot of Allisons.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 5, 2011)

Thanks Greg for sharing such a great project with us.
I respect you all!


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## GregP (Nov 5, 2011)

Youa re veryw elcome. I actually had a very small part in it as I only did some fuselage sheet metal and helped design and build the fuselage jig, but it is a very good-looking aircraft. I only wish it were going to be flyable at this point.

As for rare, we also have the world's only surviving Mitsubishi J2M Raiden at Chino, and I'd love to see it fly, too.

Cheers!


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## nuuumannn (Nov 7, 2011)

Greg,

Superb collection you have there! I think the first museum I ever worked in had a Mitsubishi microwave in the staff room, but that's about it.  Would love to see your collection; the J2M was a real beast of an aeroplane from what photos I have seen. I my dim and distant past I had a bit to do with a German Me 163 Komet from which the J8M was derived and got to know it quite intimately, so I'd like to get the chance to have a good look around the Japanese one for comparison.

Shinpachi-san Thanks for finding the link! Terrific series of photos.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 7, 2011)

You are welcome, nuuumannn.
Mitsubishi(meaning the three-lozenge) products are always around me too

When I was a child, I found many Mitsubishi pencils painted in dark-green as a standard color.
The color was said the same green as the Zero's though I don't come across it lately.


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## nuuumannn (Nov 9, 2011)

> When I was a child, I found many Mitsubishi pencils painted in dark-green as a standard color.
> The color was said the same green as the Zero's though I don't come across it lately.


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## dblvisions2001 (Dec 9, 2011)

nuuumannn said:


>


 
Does anyone have any line drawings that show the rivet pattern for a Judy? I'm building a scale model of one and need them to add rivet detail...???


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## Jenisch (Dec 9, 2011)

GregP said:


> Thre are no engineering drawings left



Have you already checked the Japanese Maru Mechanic book edition? Mechanism of Military Aircraft #11 Yokosuka D4Y Suisei | HobbyLink Japan


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## dblvisions2001 (Dec 9, 2011)

I have a couple of those books but right now I'm on a time crunch as I have the a/c ready to be riveted and a customer waiting for the a/c...anyone have any drawings they can share or link??? Just need basic rivet pattern...


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## krieghund (Dec 10, 2011)

Hope this helps


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