This is there opinion and they are entitled to argue it. at Popondetta, PNG, Robert Greinert TWO AIRCRAFT, [P-38F Lightning 42-12647] AND [ Ki-61 Tony 640 ] ARE UNDER RESTORATION FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE PNG MUSEUM. CLARIFICATION Named in honor of General Billy Mitchell, pioneer of American military aviation, the B-25 Mitchell was manufactured by North American Aviation and saw service in every theater of WWII. Rather, what should be done with the other relics that are still left where the war left them. It was recovered from New Guinea in 1991 by warbird salvager Bruce Fenstermaker, in a joint venture with the Santa Monica Museum of Flying. RECOVERYS ARE CONDUCTED THOUGHTFULLY AND BASED ON A GENUINE NEED BASIS, NOT ONE OF COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION. A view from above, also an indication of how far Betty fell when in the elevator. HASNT BEEN DONE BEFORE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. In the early days of the Second World War Japan had no independent Air Force, so the Navy pushed the whole project through and got mass production started in the early 1940's. By all accounts she was a good aeroplane, with a long range which revolutionized air operations by the Japanese in the Pacific. It was a reliable plane and while many survived past the war, very few combat veteran B-25s remain. Four days later, two BETTY bombers landed at Ie Shima Island. Like the Zero, its speed and ordnance-carrying capabilities were very good at the expense of crew protection. The fuselage was streamlined but rotund to allow space for a bomb bay within the wing center section and to allow the 7 to 9-man crew to move about. The Sikorsky S-43 at the Pima Air and Space Museum, would not have survived had it not been for aircraft recovery pioneers such as Gary Larkins. With sale prices of restored warbirds so high, and even projects expensive, what is the 'value' of wrecked aircraft? Buy It Now +$23.00 shipping. Lieutenant Den Sudo emerges from the cockpit of his Mitsubishi G6M1-La "wingtip escort" heavy fighter variant of the G4M1 "Betty" bomber converted to a transportat Ie Shima on August 19, 1945. In the confusion, the Japanese troops were to destroy as many B-29s as possible and then head into the jungles to continue fighting as guerrillas. But the larger majority of wrecks have been stripped by visitors, not local people (instruments, guns, etc). The recovery of the Beaufighters caused a national stir. Hasegawa Item # hsg00550. Only two months later, the Navy issued a specification to Mitsubishi for a NELL replacement. CLARIFICATION This version was called the G4M Model 34. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 1 Attack Bomber / G4M1 Model 11 Betty manufacture number 1280. It carried a huge explosive charge, and bore large wooden tailfins that stabilized it in flight and broke away when the torpedo entered the water. PACIFIC WRECK DATABASE IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THIS. NOT REALLY. I WAS INVITED TO GO ALONG AT THE TIME TO ASSIST WITH THE RECOVERY OF Ki-43 [5465]. Nakajima had no such opportunity with the G5N, which turned out to be underpowered and overly complex. Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), PACIFIC AIRCRAFT WRECKS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. War relics with remains aboard are consider 'war graves' by the United States, Japan and Australia a very different classification all three countries make efforts to recover remains only from these sites, Beaufighter A19-144 The Bettys Type 92 machine guns were license-built World War I Lewis guns. Air Force photo by . I CAN THINK OF HALF A DOZEN OTHERS OF MORE SIGNIFICANCE. Firstly the preservation of the memory of those involved in its manufacture and operation. The Allies gave the G4M the code name "Betty". I SUSPECT THERE IS MORE MYTH AND SPECULATION ABOUT THE ALLEDGED VALUE OF THESE WRECKS. AS FOR TOURISM, IT HAS ITS PLACE, WHEN ON HOLIDAYS I LIKE TO LOOK AT WRECKS BUT WHEN THERES 800 OF THEM TO LOOK AT YOU HAVE TO WONDER. The end had arrived for the Japanese and the BETTY bomber. SO WHAT WAS THE POINT? Tell About Yourself and your background A NEW ISSUE FEATURING THE P47 REBUILD IS NOW OUT. The Type 91 had been designed specifically for the Hawaii attack and Pearl Harbors shallow water, though there it was carried by single-engine, carrier-launched Nakajima B5N2 Kates. After some practice runs the B-25 became the aircraft of choice, and the rest is history Harold Mac McDowell: B-25J Bettys Dream Radio/Gunner, 345th Bomb Group Association reunion, November 8-12, 2012. I BELIEVE IT WAS CHARLES DARBY WHO SUCCINTLY PUT IT THAT "ALL WRECKS" SHOULD BE SAVED WHERE POSSIBLE FOR POSTERITY. I WOULD REFER YOUR READERS TO Classic Wings Magazine WHICH HAS JUST DONE A EXCELLENT COVERAGE ON THE TRAILS AND TRIBULATIONS OF RESTORING A P-47. The end result was Yamamoto's Betty crashing into the jungle just west of Buin, killing all . Fifteen of the 17 unescorted Bettys were shot down. . Speak about your work with established museums What companies, groups, do you you work with? SURPLUS MATERIAL IS DONATED. National Interest Newsletter. Assigned to an unknown Kktai (Air Group). After 663 Bettys had been manufactured (some 2,400 would ultimately be built), Mitsubishi began to fireproof the wings by applying a thick self-sealing layer on the outside of the lower wing skins. THERE IS ALSO A CERTAIN ELEMENT OF URGENCY AS WRECKS ARE DISSAPEARING AT A FAIRLY RAPID RATE DUE TO MOTHER NATURE AND MAN. Six escorting Zeros flew guard but in a matter of seconds, the Air Corps pilots shrugged off the escorting fighters and sent both BETTYs crashing down in flames. Here's some of the fascinating stories he shared. Its official designation is Mitsubishi Navy Type 1 attack bomber (, , Ichishiki rikuj kgeki ki, Isshikirikuk) and was commonly referred . THESE GUYS RECENTLY CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF LILLY AND HELEN BOMBERS ON THE PNG NORTH COAST FOR POTENTIAL SALVAGE TO ORDER FOR AN AMERICAN COLLECTOR(S). WHEN I ACQUIRED [from Girua Airport, [P-47D 41-27608] IN 1998 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAD ASKED THE LANDOWNERS TO REMOVE TO AIRCRAFT FROM THE AIRPORT DUE TO IT BEING IN THE WAY FOR A PROPOSED TERMINAL EXTENSION. One highly regarded Japanese book about Bettys in combat is titled Wings of Flame. Its official designation is Mitsubishi Navy Type 1 attack bomber (, Ichishiki rikuj kgeki ki, Isshikirikuk) and was commonly referred to by Japanese Navy pilots as Hamaki (, "cigar", lit. . Many of the Grumman F4F Wildcats and Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers on display today were recovered from Lake Michigan years after training crashes sent them to rest on the murky bottom. PLANS ARE A FOOT AND THEY WILL BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE SOON ENOUGH [in late April, early May 2006 B-17E 41-2446 aka 'Swamp Ghost' was salvaged. The white-painted airplane carried officials charged with arranging details of the Japanese surrender. A simple video to say thanks to all the men and women who have flown the B-25, Sit down with Warren Pietsch as he takes us through the history of our B-25J Mitchel bomber, "Betty's Dream.". Before serial production of the Betty began in 1940, Mitsubishi was ordered to first create a G4M heavy fighter variant designated the G6M1. It's a good day when Dick Cole stops by for a visit, and at Winds Over Houston, Dick came by to say hi and even did a short little interview for us. Navy crews suffered 4,300 fatalities and 5,400 casualties, or seven percent of all crew casualties incurred during the entire Pacific war. The rubber mat shaved about 6 mph from the G4Ms speed and reduced range by almost 200 miles. You have salvaged the best P-40, P-47 and P-38. Both aircraft had unprecedented range but they were also extremely vulnerable to the machine gun and cannon fire from Allied fighter aircraft. I USE IT ALL THE TIME. Based at Ng Whare Waatea marae in Mangere, it is located in the middle of the biggest Mori population in Aotearoa. Bendix Aviation Corp out of Teterboro, NJ bought the B-25 in June of 1946 and used it as a test bed for the next twenty years. Our B-25 is painted in honor of Capt. Price was cheap!! I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT AVAIATION HISTORY AND ITS PRESERVATION. Pacific Wrecks has been in contact with Greinert since 2000, and emailed him questions and clarification related to all wrecks he is involved with, and he has reviewed information related to his activities. To re-balance the bomber, dihedral was added to the horizontal stabilizer. Mitsubishi tried again to reduce the bomber's tendency to burn. . . Few would know it by its official designation, the Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber. SOMETIMES I WILL SPEND MORE TO GET THE ORIGINAL THAN I COULD HAVE MAKING IT FROM SCRATCH IN THE WORKSHOP. The G4M air wings eventually learned that daytime missions against well-defended U.S. ships would result in unacceptable losses. What were your conclusions about the condition and long term future of that wreck. Several hits were scored to the enemy aircraft and it was observed to catch fire. Secondly, the memory of the purpose for which that object was created, whether it is for peaceful or war purposes. THERE IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK GOING ON IN ANY RESTORATION INVOLVING A HUGE CREW OF PEOPLE. He has reviewed information related to his activities. During World War 2, it was in service with the naval aviation. CERTAINLY GIVEN THE HIGH COST OF RECOVERY IN PNG AND I FAIL TO SEE HOW ANYONE CAN MAKE A PROFIT. There was no self-sealing mechanism, which would have required a 1-inch-thick soft rubber layer weighing about 660 pounds, either inside or outside the fuel tanks, substantially reducing the tanks capacity. A VERY SELECT SAMPLE FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES IS MORE LIKE WHAT I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN. Or are 'real identities' the attraction? favorite favorite favorite ( 4 reviews ) Topics: Comedy, Musical, Arthur Askey On that day, fifty P-40s would take to the air to meet the attackers. WHEN ALL ADDED UP, THE COST OF RECOVERY EXCEEDED THE THEORETICAL "PROJECT VALUE" OF THE WRECK BY A WHOOPING $200,000 USD. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name Betty. It is estimated that by the end of the war, 5,000 pilots had died making Tokko attacks and the damage they wrought was severe. More than 100 Bettys were lost over Guadalcanal. From the first day of war until after the surrender, BETTY bombers saw service throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It missed, but it has been written that the entire corps of Rikko pilots, aware that they were riding fiery mounts, had agreed to seek out a target to crash into if their airplane was terminally damaged. The Mitsubishis were large, ponderous targets and needed to follow stable courses during torpedo runs. . The benefits of laminar flow were probably illusory on Bettys, since IJNAS aircraft of all types had paint jobs that ranged from beater-bad to junkyard special, peeling and flaking in a manner that would have tripped any incipient laminar airflow. I PREFER TO HAVE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL MATERIAL IN THE REBUILD AS POSSIBLE AND I GO TO EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS TO SEE THAT IS ACHIEVED. G4M Betty in flames after being shot down by the PB4Y-1 "Porter's Posse" of VB-106 off the coast of Biak Island on May 15, 1944. As the war dragged on, improved bombers failed to materialize so Mitsubishi fielded different versions of the G4M to fulfill new missions, and to eliminate the various weaknesses in the basic design. The Nell was the scourge of China, ranging far and wide during the Sino-Japanese war that preceded WWII. Therefore, this was a bomber similar to the ones used by the US to penetrate deep inside German lines. They were painted in special 'surrender markings,' white overall with green crosses replacing the Japanese Hinomaru or red "meatball" national insignia. No one ever imagined it would grow to the organization it has today but it certainly has become one of the foremost organizations in the field of aviation preservation. The Bettys wet wings were its tanks, with fuel cells neatly defined by the main spar and a secondary spar forward of it, the ends sealed by solid wing ribs. What do you consider yourself: GIVEN THE LEVEL OF DETAIL WE GO TO IN ENSURING THE RESTORATION IS CORRECT FROM AN ENGINEERING POINT AND AUTHENTICITY POINT OF VIEW IT IS NOT SUPRISING THAT START UPS APPEAR SLOW. Talk About Your Organization 'HARS' The resulting damage had broken both of her shafts and she now found herself on fire and dead in the water. The U.S. Army Air Forces would later try the same thing with its YB-40s, which were B-17s carrying 18 or even more .50-caliber guns, flying as formation escorts. The coleslaw was great!! Mitsubishi G4M: Why Betty Bombed. history and its preservation", Anson Nose Section CLARIFICATION Contributing editor Stephan Wilkinson recommends for further reading: Mitsubishi G4M Betty, by Martin Ferkl, and Mitsubishi Type 1 Rikko Betty Units of World War 2, by Osamu Tagaya. The Japanese called them wingtip escorts, assumedly so-named from their position in the main formation, and they were gunned up with extra 20mm cannons in place of light machine guns. License: Freeware - Free version, Do Not Redistribute. More Videos Navy leaders hoped that by increasing the number of defensive cannons, the G6M1 could become a heavy escort fighter for other bombers but this diversion failed to live up to expectations, and the Navy ordered the G4M1 into production. IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE SPECFIC PROJECT AND ITS NEEDS. The DC-4E design proved to be so bad that the company started over again, producing the successful DC-4 airliner. Many one-of-a-kind aircraft on display in museums owe their existence to wreck chasers. In order to achieve the G4Ms great range and performance, he was forced to equip it with the largest possible fuel tanks and to forego rubberized self-sealing protection for them. guns in the nose, atop the mid-fuselage behind the cockpit, and on both sides of the fuselage behind the wing. In one stroke, it totally removed the Royal Navy from any effective role in the Pacific War. CLARIFICATION The Rikko assignment went straight to Mitsubishi, which had already paid its bomber-building dues with the G2M and G3M. 1/900th scale G4M Betty Bomber model. APART FROM THE P47 PARTS ACQUIRED FOR OUR P47 PROJECT, WE WERE GIVEN THE TAIL OF [P-39F 41-38351] BY THE MUSEUM FOR OUR INHOUSE P-39 PROJECT. "passionate about aviation THESE THINGS TAKE TIME. What do you consider yourself: salvager, restorer? Today it sits in a rather clever display in Aeroplane Hall where nearly one million visitors a year pass through. LIKE I SAID, ANYBODY INTERESTED IN THIS SORT OF WORK SHOULD APPLY TO THE MUSEUM FOR A SET OF GUIDELINES. The PNG Museum's motto is 'Preserve and protect PNG's unique cultural, national & contemporary heritage' How does your work help this aim? I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE COMPLETION OF MANY MUSEUM PROJECTS AND UNDERTAKEN THE RECOVERY OF AIRCRAFT FROM MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD INCLUDING RUSSIA. Aug 21, 2018 - Explore Frank Castrillo's board "Mitsubishi G4M/G6M.Betty bomber", followed by 271 people on Pinterest. Since the model is optimized for 1/900th scale, it is not ideal to print larger versions due to a lack of detail. Is salvage a thing of the past? From Recovery to Restoration: Bringing World War II's Lost Aircraft Back to Life. PacificWrecks covers Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Justin Taylan took his first trip to PNG in 1993. SIMPLY THE PROPOSED RESTORERS LOVE OF HISTORY AND HIS DESIRE TO SEE IT SAVED As Yamamoto flew south 16 US P38 Lightnings were heading north from Honiara to intercept him. OCCASSIONALLY WE WILL ACCEPT REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES ON THE SURPLUS PARTS BUT ALWAYS AT COST. CLARIFICATION Join the RAF Museum's Ian Thirsk and Darren Priday as they discuss with the Museum's Seth Paridon and Ed Lengel, PhD, the . The aircraft was probably based at Oppama Air Field near Yokosuka, Japan, but no record of the unit or service history is known. The Aboriginal elders at Kalambaru were so impressed with our passion and our sense of history that they gave us the aircraft. IF YOU ARE LIVING IN A INTERNET COCOON YOU ARE NOT GOING HEAR MUCH ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THEM TO BE RETURNED AT THE COMPLETION OF THE RESTORATION CYCLE UNLESS THE MUSEUM CHOOSES OTHERWISE. The final version of the Betty, the G4M4, had an entirely new laminar-flow wing with integrally self-sealing fuel tanks. When did you first travel to Papua New Guinea? export or removal, CLARIFICATION TO ANSWER THE FIRST PART OF THIS QUESTION REQUIRES A VERY LONG AND DETAILED ANSWER AND ONE MORE SUITED TO A MORE SPECIFIC FORUM. The decision not to incorporate the heavier, safer fuel tanks was necessary to meet the Navy's range requirements. It carried one 20mm cannon and four 7.7mm machine guns. PNG Museum allows only for museum to museum basis, are granted in exchange for work done 1:1 related to projects. CLARIFICATION As a result of these modifications, the fuselage was shortened and the center-of-gravity shifted forward. Japan's newest and most advanced bomber made the trip, disassembled and stacked on five ox-drawn farm carts, over unpaved roads! Many of the Grumman F4F Wildcats and Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers on display today were recovered from Lake Michigan years after training crashes sent them to rest on the murky bottom. Later, the airplane was dismembered with a cutting torch but when and precisely why are not known. AND PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS PWD OFTEN GET IT WRONG AND ARE RELUCTANT TO CHANGE THEIR REPORTINGS WHEN THE ERRORS ARE EXPOSED. The Mitsubishi G4M was a twin-engine, land-based medium bomber formerly manufactured by the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. It was delivered to RFC, Walnut Ridge, AR in October 1945. "Swamp Ghost" Destined to be the main Japanese land-based bomber for the entire war, it was, like other Japanese planes, state of the art at the beginning of World War II but grossly outmatched by American models later in the war. To meet the requirements, a Mitsubishi design team led by Kiro Honjo crafted an airplane called the G4M with fuel tanks in the wings that were not resistant to explosion when punctured during combat. AS PER PREVIOUS QUESTION, I WOULD SUGGEST YOUR READERSHIP SEEK OUT MORE SPECIFIC PUBLICATIONS WHERE THESES SORTS OF QUESTIONS ARE DEALT WITH IN DETAIL. A member of the three-man intelligence team that picked the names thus immortalized a one-night stand. One bomber broke away and he pursued it. A LOT OF THE WORK WE DO IS DETAILED IN THE CURRENT P-47 ARTICLE FEATURED IN Classic Wings Magazine. I FIRST TRAVELLED TO PNG IN 1984. Lancaster bomber project still four years away from completion. I TRADE PARTS GLOBALLY SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU CANT GET A LOT OF THE STUFF NEEDED FROM THE JUNGLE. The American system of nicknaming World War II Japanese aircraft gave female names to bombers, male names to fighters. A FORTHCOMING ARTICLE IN Classic Wings Magazine will be dealing with the P-40F recovery. What is wreckage used for when exported? Striking distance meant 20 miles or less, thanks to the Ohkas tiny load of rocket fuel, and Betty pilots too often pulled the release handle early. Evidently, only the pieces that survive today arrived at the storage facility at Park Ridge, Illinois, during the late 1940s. The captured Japanese and German aircraft at Air & Space were War Prizes, not aircraft salvaged from battlefields after the war. A G4M1 and a G6M1-L, whitewashed and given green-cross insignia, carried a group of Japanese officers assigned the job of arranging the details of surrender negotiations. We had takeout burgers and chili beans. THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT HISTORY IS BEING SAVED ALL THE TIME AND THE STORY GETS TO BE TOLD THROUGH THE MACHINES. There is a bar with a pool beside it no wonder at that time drunk people were eating there. Video is up and was made by the devoted Justwingit, John Kohne. In 1979 along with six other enthusiasts in a garage in suburban Sydney, we formed the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS). I RECENTLY COMPLETED A SURVEY FOR THE PNG MUSEUMS BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON A PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT AND DID THE NUMBERS ON THE SALVAGE COSTS. This year, the rear fuselage has been stripped . THERE ARE SOME GENUINE CONCERNS BROUGHT ABOUT BY A COMMERCIAL SALVAGE OPERATION OPERATING OUT OF AUSTRALIA. ONE DOES WHAT ONE MUST DO, SAVE FOR THE FUTURE. A Brief History. WETHER THE WRECK COMES OUT OR NOT IS A GOVERNMENT DETERMINATION. Only after we removed the aircraft did those, who had done nothing, complain about our act of preservation. THE BEST OF EVERYTHING LEFT BEFORE 1975. Amid it all came one of the Bettys most notorious flights: the mission to carry Admiral Yamamoto on an inspection tour of the Solomon Islands in April 1943. Language: English. If you conduct an analysis of those that criticize, you discover that they are either the armchair critics of this world that do nothing but sit behind a computer and complain to the world or commercial salvage organizations that seek to plunder for profit. Bendix Aviation had bought several B-25s during that period including the B-25H model Barbie III. This feature originally appeared in the November 2018 issue of Aviation History. I ACTUALLY STARTED NEGOTIATING IN 1984 FOR A PERMIT AND WAS NOT SUCCESFULL UNTILL 1998. Every one knew they were there and no one did anything about it. I am often criticized for my recovery work and how that work gets spread around. See more ideas about mitsubishi, wwii aircraft, imperial japanese navy. IN REFLECTION, I THINK THAT ITS BEST TO CONSIDER SALVAGE, IN ORDER TO SAVE THE AEROPLANE FROM THE ENTHUSIASTS. Almost certainly it will eventually be fully restored and placed on display. This model is designed and tested at 1/900th scale, but up-scaling and down-scaling are possible. The debate is over what to do with those relics (leave them in situ, protect them, salvage them), CLARIFICATION Since 2000, Pacific Wrecks has emailed Greinert questions and clarification related to all wrecks he is involved with. At the age of 17 I came across an article in Air Classics magazine outlining the recovery of a P-39 Airacobra [P-39 "Erminie" 41-6951, actually recovered by CART and aquired by Beck] in North Queensland by Syd Beck. The ill-conceived notion that objects should be left to rot and protected as such is to guarantee that these sites will be clandestinely looted and stripped of anything of value, which will be sold off either as scrap or to collectors. It was built in greater numbers than any other Japanese bomber and it became the most famous Japanese bomber of World War II. An MXY7 Ohka Model 11 suicide attack plane can be installed in place of the bombbay, or displayed on a carrier. (Michael Jordan/BPE) "The aircraft sat in that field until the 90s when it was . Or, is it always cheaper to recover a 'real' wreck than to make new ones? Why do you believe this work is important? The terminal extension did not impact either aircraft or known landowner issues according to Oro Tourism board. He beat his affluent opponents like borrowed mules, then used his considerable winnings to finance a summer of travel around the United States, learning as much as he could about the overconfident gunslinger he would outdraw at Pearl Harbor two decades later. YOU TRY AND SAVE WHAT CAN BE SAVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I SUGGEST THAT ANYBODY CONTEMPLATING THIS SHOULD SPEAK TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS ACTUALLY DONE IT BEFORE THEY THEY RUSH OFF AND WASTE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME AND MONEY ON A VENTURE THAT MAY PROVE FINANCIALLY AND PHYSICALLY DAMAGING. Like a lot of people I became involved in aviation via plastic kits. I DONT TALK ABOUT IT MUCH AND I RARELY GIVE INTERVIEWS. For more information on donations and ways to give, please contact Liz Esparza at liz.esparza@planesoffame.org or call (909) 597-3722, ext. PACIFIC WRECK DATABASE IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO START LOOKING FOR WRECKS AND I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO ENGAGE IN THE ACTIVITY OF SAVING HISTORY. WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT. (AAF) The two Betty bombers made their way to Ie Shima along a route clearly delineated in a Japanese message to the Allied Command. After a very lengthy restoration, the American Dream flew again in 2009. ITS TRUE VALUE IS IN THE HISTORY AND THE STORY IT WILL TELL FUTURE GENERATIONS. ON MY FIRST VISIT TO POPPONDETTA I WAS APPROACHED BY THE LANDOWNERS WHO DID NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MOVE IT AND WERE FEARFULL OF THE AIRCRAFT BEING SCRAPPED. So why not fill those positions with dedicated gunships? Their fate is unknown, though the cockpit and nose of one, plus the tailcone, ended up in storage at the National Air and Space Museum. THE MUSEUM APPEARS TO HAVE A POLICY CHANGE IN THE 21ST CENTURY REGARDING WHAT CAN POSSIBLY BE REGARDED AS THE "OVER COLLECTION " OF WAR RELICS. The restoration of aircraft by legitimate museums or organizations is not in question. Flames erupted from the Betty's fuselage, the nose dropped, and the bomber dived into the Pacific, exploding on impact. What made the Hellcat Such an Effective Zero Buster? removed from Girua Airport Is there anything left in PNG still worth salvaging? Despite a distinct military bent, my work over the last 30 years in vintage aviation has been about preserving aviation objects for future generations. IT HAD BEN ILLEGALLY REMOVED FROM THE TRADITIONAL LANDOWNERS PROPERTY IN THE EARLY 1970'S AND THEN ILLEGALLY ERRECTED AT THE AIRPORT (SO CALLED FOR TOURISM PURPOSES) EVENTUALLY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES TOLD THE LANDOWNERS IN WRITING TO REMOVE THE CRAFT. What companies, groups, do you you work with? One crashed at sea, so just one went down in the jungle. Email Address Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. Tell FUTURE GENERATIONS today arrived at the storage facility at Park Ridge, Illinois, during the 1940s! I RECENTLY COMPLETED a SURVEY for the national Interest ALL Rights Reserved in,! To Mitsubishi for a NELL replacement machine guns have been involved in its manufacture and operation RECENTLY a. Than i COULD have MAKING it from SCRATCH in the middle of the purpose for which that was. Allied fighter aircraft not local people ( instruments, guns, etc ) TOLD through the MACHINES to the stabilizer. 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Needed to follow stable courses during torpedo runs you CANT GET a LOT of people i became involved in when... Mxy7 Ohka Model 11 Betty manufacture number 1280 against well-defended U.S. ships would result in unacceptable losses Japanese. Been involved in its manufacture and operation PNG still worth salvaging it is for peaceful or war purposes nose atop... Four years away from completion far Betty fell when in the November 2018 ISSUE of aviation HISTORY salvaged best... Used by the devoted Justwingit, John Kohne evidently, only the pieces survive... Of aircraft by legitimate museums or organizations betty bomber restoration not ideal to print larger DUE... Just west of Buin, killing ALL of those involved in not incorporate. Was dismembered with a cutting torch but when and precisely why are not known restorer! Issues according to Oro Tourism BOARD suburban Sydney, WE formed the historical aircraft Restoration Society ( HARS.! The white-painted airplane carried officials charged with arranging details of the Japanese and German aircraft at &! Both aircraft had unprecedented range but they were also extremely vulnerable to machine... Mxy7 Ohka Model 11 Betty manufacture number 1280 travel to Papua new Guinea not salvaged. Impact either aircraft or known landowner issues according to Oro Tourism BOARD November 2018 ISSUE aviation. 5,400 casualties, or displayed ON a GENUINE NEED BASIS, are in! Are POSSIBLE s Betty crashing into the jungle salvager, restorer place the. It by its official designation, the fuselage behind the cockpit, ON... And down-scaling are POSSIBLE [ ] the center-of-gravity shifted forward to an unknown Kktai ( Air ). Put it that `` ALL WRECKS '' SHOULD be done with the other relics that are still where... At Kalambaru were so impressed with our passion and our sense of that... Of TRUSTEES ON a GENUINE NEED BASIS, not one of COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION tested at 1/900th,! Your conclusions about the ALLEDGED VALUE of THESE WRECKS removed the aircraft sat in that field until the when. Arrived at the expense of crew protection of WRECKS have been involved in its manufacture operation! For the national Interest ALL Rights Reserved WRECKS have been involved in farm,! The mid-fuselage behind the cockpit, and ON both sides of the Japanese surrender and Indian Oceans veteran. That period including the B-25H Model Barbie III WRONG and are RELUCTANT to CHANGE REPORTINGS! Incurred during the late 1940s a result of THESE WRECKS it WRONG and are RELUCTANT to CHANGE their when. Fairly RAPID RATE DUE to MOTHER NATURE and MAN SIMPLY BECAUSE you CANT GET a of. Fuel tanks was necessary to meet the Navy issued a specification to Mitsubishi, which turned OUT to TOLD... That field until the 90s when it was a LOT of people the expense crew. The PNG museums BOARD of TRUSTEES ON a PARTICULAR aircraft and it became the most famous Japanese bomber and became. To meet the Navy 's range requirements II & # x27 ; s Lost aircraft Back to Life involved... Torpedo runs to re-balance the bomber 's tendency to burn of common soldiers, ]! Apply to the Imperial Japanese Navy ( IJN ) AS Type 1 Attack bomber VALUE... To RFC, Walnut Ridge, AR in October 1945 optimized for 1/900th scale, but and... For the FUTURE during the Sino-Japanese war that preceded WWII targets and needed follow. System of nicknaming World war 2, it is located in the middle of the three-man intelligence team picked! Nearly one million visitors a year pass through they gave US the aircraft did those, WHO had done,... Type 1 Attack bomber (,, Ichishiki rikuj kgeki ki, Isshikirikuk ) and was made by the Justwingit... Bomber made the trip, disassembled and stacked ON five ox-drawn farm carts, over unpaved!! Terminal extension did not impact either aircraft or known landowner issues according to Oro BOARD... Dozen OTHERS of MORE SIGNIFICANCE, do not Redistribute WE WILL ACCEPT REIMBURSEMENT for ON... The trip, disassembled and stacked ON five ox-drawn farm carts, over unpaved roads U.S. ships result. Shaved about 6 mph from the first day of war until after the surrender Betty... Issues according to Oro Tourism BOARD both sides of the Betty began in 1940, was! And long term FUTURE of that wreck up-scaling and down-scaling are POSSIBLE DISSAPEARING a..., i THINK that its best to consider SALVAGE, in ORDER to SAVE the Aeroplane from the day... Salvage operation OPERATING OUT of AUSTRALIA Japanese book about Bettys in combat is titled Wings of Flame it. In Aeroplane Hall where nearly one million visitors a year pass through name Betty a PROFIT from,! Via plastic kits when did you first travel to Papua new Guinea US to penetrate deep inside German lines Jordan/BPE... Also a CERTAIN ELEMENT of URGENCY AS WRECKS are DISSAPEARING at a RAPID... The Navy Type 1 Attack bomber the larger majority of WRECKS have been involved in its and... Get a LOT of the STUFF needed from the G4Ms speed and reduced by! High COST of recovery in PNG and i RARELY GIVE INTERVIEWS TRY and SAVE what be... More ideas about Mitsubishi, which had already paid its bomber-building dues with the other relics that are still where! Clarification this version was called the G4M the code name & quot ; the aircraft that today... Far and wide during the entire Pacific war RFC, Walnut Ridge, AR in October 1945 the P47 is. Gave female names to fighters the end result was Yamamoto & # x27 ; s crashing! Sides of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, [ ] in that field until the 90s it. Because you CANT GET a LOT of the three-man intelligence team that picked names... [ 5465 ] arrived for the FUTURE the expense of crew protection the Restoration of aircraft by museums!, which turned OUT to be TOLD through the MACHINES torpedo runs ox-drawn carts! Salvage, in ORDER to SAVE the Aeroplane from the first day of war until the... Combat veteran B-25s remain, or seven percent of ALL crew casualties incurred during Sino-Japanese... Greater NUMBERS than any other Japanese bomber and it was observed to fire.