Japanese Meatball Indentification

[tw1ggy315]

I work for a museum that has inherited a large collection from a previous air and space museum. Unfortunately, we have no information on this artifact, but my first guess is it's from the underside wing of a Kate torpedo bomber. I would like to find some place on the floor to display this, but I need more information. The diameter is about 40 inches.

 

[Capt. Vick]

My 2 cents:

OK for starters it's from a trainer (hence the yellow) and I assume from the pictures that it's fabric right? So my guess would be something along those lines. A Mitsubishi K3M3 "Pine" maybe?

 

[Colin1]

You couldn't drop the pic size to 800 pixels could you?

 

[parsifal]

yes please....virtually impossible to see anything really

 

[Shinpachi]

Maybe Willow.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Maybe Willow.

I was hoping you would come in with an answer my friend! Your's seems much more likely based on numbers (and size?).

 

[Shinpachi]

What I know at the moment is that the diameter of Hinomaru(meatball) was 750mm(29.53 inches) with the white belt of 75mm(2.953 inches) width as a common standard for the navy planes.

The yellow color looks same as that of Willow at least.

 

[Shinpachi]

I have calculated the diameters of Hinomaru of the wings of K5Y1 "Willow" on the Bunrindo 3-view drawings to check my knowledge if it was correct. Results are -

Hinomaru of -
Upper wing: 1,335mm(52.55 inches)
Lower wing: 1,105mm(43.5 inches)

Thanks.

 

[B-17engineer]

Resized for whoever wants to see....

 

[FLYBOYJ]

B-17 - thanks for reducing the size of the photos.

tw1ggy315 - that piece of fabric is from a slow flying light aircraft. The rib stitching spacing reveals this is from an aircraft that probably saw no more than 125 mph during normal operation. More than likely it is grade "A" cotton.

Based on Shinpachi's drawing, I don't think it came from a "Willow" because based on the drawing and the actual piece of fabric it would be in two pieces as it would have protruded on to the ailerons. It is however definitely from a light aircraft or trainer.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Could be from the fuselage instead.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Could be from the fuselage instead.

I doubt it. The spacing of the rib stiching gives it away. If it was from a fuselage you would have marks from fuselage stringers which are generally closer together than wing ribs.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Wow, thanks for the education!

 

[Shinpachi]

Hinomaru of -
Fuselage: 1,024 mm(40.32 inches)

For your knowledge, the most Japanese aircraft that survived the war was this K5Y.
Biplanes of this type were everywhere at that time.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Wow, thanks for the education!

Thanks but read on...

Hinomaru of -
Fuselage: 1,024 mm(40.32 inches)

For your knowledge, the most Japanese aircraft that survived the war was this K5Y.
Biplanes of this type were everywhere at that time.

Ya know after looking at the outside photo of the Hinomaru and your latest drawing, it could be possible that it is from the fuselage. I still have my suspicions because of the length and the 'boxiness" of the stitching at it protrudes from the inside of the fabric. Do you have any cutaway drawings of the K5Y?

 

[Shinpachi]

I don't have so many data about this type, FLYBOYJ, but these two images may show you anything...
Thanks.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Wow, just imagine for one second that it came from the bird in the picture above...

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks Capt. Vick.
This is a replica of K5Y1 at a local private museum.

 

[Wayne Little]

Concur with it being from a Trainer aircraft, no idea which type though...Willow would have been my first choice...

 

[Milosh]

I would say the relic lines up pretty good with the photo of the silver K5Y1 that Shinpachi posted.

On both there is a 'line' through the middle with 'stitching' lines on either side.