The Legendary Betty pilot is alive!

[Gnomey]

Great stuff!

 

[Elmas]

"...nothing to do with debauch"

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

 

[Shinpachi]

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".

 

[Elmas]

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".

 

[Shinpachi]

Good exercises you have, Elmas

 

[Elmas]

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

 

[Shinpachi]

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.

 

[Shinpachi]

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.

 

[Wurger]

 

[special ed]

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

 

[Shinpachi]

Agreed, ed.
I wish his longer life.

 

[Wurger]

 

[vikingBerserker]

 

[Zipper730]

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.

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

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?

 

[Shinpachi]

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?

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

"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."

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

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

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.

 

[Shinpachi]

I forgot to tell. Jun Takahashi passed away at 99 on December 7, 2021.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Capt. Vick]

RIP