Motorcycle ID by Ki-27

[windhund116]

Anyone have information about the 3-wheeled motorcycle cart manufacturer and model, by this Ki-27? Or know the correct translation?
Photo is from Famous Airplanes of The World. Number 29. Army Type 97 Fighter. Burindo Co, Ltd. Page 43.


Thanks!

 

[windhund116]

Here is a partial, kinda, translation of caption.

 

[tomo pauk]

Paging Shinpachi

 

[windhund116]

Thanks, in advance. Thought this photo would make a great scale model scenario. Would be nice to know the history of that motorcycle.

 

[fastmongrel]

The front forks look very like a Zundapp fork but I dont remember them ever building a Trike.

 

[Shinpachi]

Snapshot of Sgt. Katsutaro Takahashi riding a three-wheeled motorcycle in front of his Ki-27-ko.
The motorcycle is a legendary Kurogane tricycle.

Source: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PntHRDutgE

 

[herman1rg]

Motor Tricycle (Kurogane) – Catalog of Enemy Ordnance

KAMAR Figuren und Modellbau Shop - Japanese Motor-Tricycle 3x2 Type 1 (Kurogane), 1:72

 

[windhund116]

Much thanks, you guys! Pondering a scenario. Locale was during Nomonhan Incident, I take it.

 

[windhund116]

Better translation...

Try to translate roughly.
"Sergeant Katsutarou Takahasi (Sho-Hi 2nd gen) sitting on a Three-Wheeled cart with his plane Ki-27Kou named "Ta-Go" behind him.
Sergeant Takahashi shot down two aircraft at the only large-scale air battle to the 59th squadron (Sentai) in the Nomonhan Incident (Battles of Khalkhin Gol), and became top-ace of the squadrons later recorded seven planes shot down in the Battle of Malay and Java.
But on 14 December 1942 he was KIA by enemy air-to-ground attack in Timor island."

Sho-Hi means, I'm sorry I don't know the correct English notation, IJA young pilot school student. The school system was started in 1934, he he enrolled as a cadet in 1935.

Google Translate

"Ta-Go" means identification code written in Japanese katakana-character on the tail.

Takashi

 

[Admiral Beez]

This motorcycle thread reminded me of the Triumph aircraft generator engine that became a famous racing motor.

Wayne's Triumph Motorcycles

Note how unlike other Triumph motorcycles (like mine, or mine faster) that the racer engine is square shaped, so it could fit its case.

 

[fubar57]

The same photo is in another book and it says the symbol on the rudder is black

 

[fubar57]

Profile from the Kagero book, "Nakajima Ki-27 Nate #11" - Leszek A. Wieliczko/Zygmunt Szeremeta. Can't vouch for the green lightning stripe

 

[windhund116]

Profile from the Kagero book, "Nakajima Ki-27 Nate #11" - Leszek A. Wieliczko/Zygmunt Szeremeta. Can't vouch for the green lightning stripe

View attachment 595917​

Thanks, for the plate! I think the Katakana letter does look closer to the Ta, than the Ka. (???) It is heavily stylized, which many Japanese Army aircraft incorporated.


AFAIK, the color of the stripe usually indicates the Chutai (roughly squadron) within the Sentai (Combat group or regiment).

For 59th Sentai:

Green lightning = 1st Chutai
Red lightning = 2nd Chutai.
Yellow lightning = 3rd Chutai.

The colors varied from unit to unit. Periods throughout the war. Including both the IJAAF and IJNAF colors. One needs several reference books to keep up with all this. I found this information in Fighters of the Imperial Japanese Army. 1939-1945. Eduardo Cea. ISBN 13: 978-84-96016-87-3. Page 69-70.