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Airships in Japan

Upper:
A scene at the balloon airfield in Nishinoyama Highlands, Nishinomura, Kanno Village
at 8:50 a.m. on November 13th during the Army's Special Grand Exercise in the direction of Hyogo and Okayama held in 1903.

Lower:
Name: Airship I-go
Manufacturer: Yamada Balloon Mfg (* same as the Osaki Balloon Mfg Company at Osaki, Tokyo)
Type: Non-rigid
Engine: Wolseley water-cooled in-line 4-cylinder 70 hp
Performance: Cruising speed 17.6km/h
Dimensions: maximum diameter 11.5 meters, total length 50 meters, gasbag volume 3,300 cubic meters.

Period: Between 1911 and 1915
JP-airship_82.jpg

Source: Sea and Sky (May,1935)
 
Birth of Yuhi-go at Tokorozawa in 1915

In 1911 when the first Japan's airfield was built in Tokorozawa, the army immediately purchased an airship Parseval (non-rigid type) from Germany, one of the most advanced countries then. People were stunned by the gigantic figure with a total length of 76.6 meters. Engineers gathered from all over the country to build a hangar to store it. At the time, it was Japan's first construction of such a large building that would touch the sky, using a huge amount of imported steel, concrete and glass. Those who longed for the sky, those who had the curiosity, not only people in the neighborhood but also people from around Tokyo gathered to see bringing a lantern in the hand and a lunch box taking time all night long to there.

On March 28, 1913, the first public flight took place at the army's Aoyama Parade Ground in Tokyo. Tens of thousands of Tokyo citizens, including members of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives, were waiting impatiently at the spacious venue. On that day, Lieutenants Kimura and Tokuda also participated with a famous French Blériot monoplane. The airship Parseval, with five crew on board, including the captain, was about to fly over Aoyama, but when it was about to land, the mooring rope got entangled in the overhead wire and caused trouble. Fortunately, all crew members were safe.

The huge, damaged hull was transported by train from Aoyama via Kokubunji to a station in Tokorozawa, and then to the airfield by a large number of soldiers. Army authorities immediately modified the hull to re-build a new airship. Strong silk cloth "Habutae" coated with rubber was used by Fujikura Rubber at Osaki in Tokyo. With a total length 85 meters, width 15 meters and height 20.5 meters, this new ship was named "Yuhi(雄飛)" to be born.

At that time, the town of Tokorozawa was in the countryside beginning to use electric lights from oil lamps and lanterns. Residents were stunned by this huge sky monster. Since then, the Yuhi-go was tested by specialists and, on December 2, 1915, this airship participated in the military parade and performed a good mission splendidly. On June 16, 1917, it flew to Sendai City in 5 hours and 20 minutes to show reliability for the long-distance flight.

After Sendai, the Yuhi-go also flew to Hirosaki City in Aomori Pref and Osaka City for the scout training as well as demonstrations making big news around Japan. To take off, however, as this airship needed not only a large amount of helium gas but nearly 100 soldiers to set it up, the army was obliged to give up operation finally. However, as its beautiful and majestic appearance was completely burned into the eyes of Tokorozawa people, they were proud of Yuhi-go for a long time.

By the way, in 1915, Mr. Sannosuke Hoshino, the owner of the confectionery shop "Baigetsu" in Miyuki-cho street of Tokorozawa, released a specialty of Tokorozawa's "Original Cooky Yuhi". This is said highly prized by soldiers and town people. Even today, we can see this cooky in its original form.

Tokorozawa_Yuhi_01.jpg
Tokorozawa_Yuhi_02.jpg

Source: History of Tokorozawa City (1983)
 
Last edited:
Left pic:
Yuhi-go (雄飛號)

Type: Non-rigid
Engine: Mayback water-cooled in-line 4 cylinder 150hp x2
Weight: 8,000 kgs fully equipped
Gondola: length 10.5 x width 1.9 x height 1.3 meters
Performance: max speed 68.4 km/h, cruising speed 58 km/h, max ceiling 2,500 meters, flight range/time 600km/10hrs
Measurement: max diameter 15 meters, length 85 meters, height 24 meters, gasbag capacity 10,000 cubic meters

with Naming Doc for "Yuhi(雄飛)" dated April 21, 1915


Right pic.
Parseval Airship

Manufacturer: Luft-Fahrzeug
Built: March 1912
Type: Non-rigid
Engine: Maybach water-cooled in-line 4 cylinder 150hp x2
Seat: 7 to 12
Weight: 8,000 kgs fully equipped
Gondola: length 10.5 x width 1.9 x height 1.3 meters
Performance: max speed 66 km/h, cruising speed 64.8 km/h, ceiling 2,000 meters, flight range/time 1,300 km/20 hrs
Measurement: max diameter 15.4 meters, length 76.67 meters, height 22.5 meters, gasbag capacity 8,800 cubic meters

JP-airship_83.jpg

Source: Sea and Sky (May,1935)
 
Shinpachi said:
Birth of Yuhi-go at Tokorozawa in 1915

In 1911 when the first Japan's airfield was built in Tokorozawa, the army immediately purchased an airship Parseval (non-rigid type) from Germany, one of the most advanced countries then. People were stunned by the gigantic figure with a total length of 76.6 meters. Engineers gathered from all over the country to build a hangar to store it. At the time, it was Japan's first construction of such a large building that would touch the sky, using a huge amount of imported steel, concrete and glass. Those who longed for the sky, those who approached the curiosity, not only people in the neighborhood, but also people from around Tokyo, carrying lanterns in the hand and carrying lunch box all night long.

On March 28, 1913, the first public flight took place at the army's Aoyama Parade Ground. Tens of thousands of Tokyo citizens, including members of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives, were waiting impatiently at the spacious venue. On that day, Lieutenants Kimura and Tokuda also participated with a famous French Blériot monoplane. The airship Parcéval, with five crew on board, including the captain, was about to fly over Aoyama, but when it was about to land, the mooring rope got entangled in the overhead wire and caused trouble. Fortunately, all crew members were safe.

The huge, damaged hull was transported by train from Aoyama via Kokubunji to a station in Tokorozawa, and then to the airfield by a large number of soldiers. Army authorities immediately modified the hull to re-build a new airship. Strong silk cloth "Habutae" coated with rubber was used by Fujikura Rubber at Osaki in Tokyo. With a total length 85 meters, width 15 meters and height 20.5 meters, this new ship was named "Yuhi(雄飛)" to be born.

At that time, the town of Tokorozawa was in the countryside beginning to use electric lights from oil lamps and lanterns. Residents were stunned by this huge sky monster. Since then, the Yuhi-go was tested by specialists and, on December 2, 1915, this airship participated in the military parade and performed a good mission splendidly. On June 16, 1917, it flew to Sendai City in 5 hours and 20 minutes to show reliability for the long-distance flight.

After Sendai, the Yuhi-go also flew to Hirosaki City in Aomori Pref and Osaka City for the scout training as well as demonstrations making big news in Japan. To take off, however, as this airship needed not only a large amount of helium gas but nearly 100 soldiers to set it up, the army was obliged to give up operation finally. As its beautiful and majestic appearance was completely burned into the eyes of Tokorozawa people, they were proud of Yuhi-go for a long time.

By the way, in 1915, Mr. Sannosuke Hoshino, the owner of the confectionery shop "Baigetsu" in Miyuki-cho of Tokorozawa, released a specialty of Tokorozawa "Original Cooky Yuhi". This is said highly prized by soldiers and town people. Even today, we can see this cooky in its original form.

View attachment 680657View attachment 680658
Source: History of Tokorozawa City (1983)
Click to expand...
Are those cookies still being made?
 
Thanks Grant. I have just straightened sentences of my last post "Birth of Yuhi-go..." as some part looked broken.

Now, IJN challenges airships at Kasumigaura in the 1920s

Left pic.
A large hangar that arrived at Kasumigaura as a war trophy from Germany (* Qingdao, China) under re-assembly

Right pic.
Captain Michio Takahashi (left, holding binoculars) and Lieutenant Yuji Katagiri (right) with the gondola of the SS3. This airship exploded in mid-air with crews (on March 19, 1924)

SS (Submarine Scouttype) Airship
Manufacturer: Vickers
Type: Non-rigid
Engine: Rolls Royce water-cooled 90hp x2
Seats: 5
Performance: crusing speed 96 km/h, flight range 1,278 km
Measurement: max diameter 11 meters, length 52 meters, height 15.2 meters, gasbag capacity 2,830 cubic meters with width 11 meters
Armament: light cannon 1 or machine gun 2, several 12 pound bombs


Other source tells details of the explosion accident of this SS3 like this -

"At 12:50 in the afternoon of March 19, 1924, at Oaza Togashira district, Inatoi-mura village, Kita-soma-gun county, the navy airship SS No. 3 exploded and crashed." Few people remember this big accident today as a major event in the history of Japanese aviation happened in the sky above present Togashira district of Toride City.

The Navy which focused on the military use of German Zeppelin airships that were active in World War I imported "SS1" from British Vickers in 1920. In July 1922, another SS-ship No.2 exploded spontaneously in the hanger of the Yokosuka Naval Air Corps. The SS No.3 was said under modification by the Japanese. Airships appeared spectacularly at the time but they were to be replaced their position with airplanes soon.

Source: 取手フォーラム 飛行船「ＳＳ三号」帰還せず

JP-airship_84.jpg

Source: Sea and Sky (May,1935)
 
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