We have already visited the aircraft restoration facilities of the Voenno-Patrioticheskoe obshestvo “Vysota” (Military-Patriotic association “Height”) in the suburb of Saint-Petersburg, Russia (see eFLYER #14 “A Picturesque Mess”) and, I bet that you have been interested in what lays hidden in the containers in the picture.

Just now we have had the opportunity to learn the contents of one container. It was loaded with parts of the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien "Tony" delivered from the Far East: fuselage, tail section, wings, engines, left side of the pilot cabin, undercarriage, and radiator.

Designed by Takeo Doi and Shin Owada for speed and power, the Ki-61 made its maiden flight in December 1941. The test pilots were enthusiastic about its self-sealing fuel tanks, upgraded armament, and good dive performance. Hien ("Swallow") was entered into service in 1943 and soldiered on until the end of WW2 with the number of built at 3,159.

At first, the Allies thought it wasn't a Japanese design because the Ki-61 was so different from other Japanese fighters by its liquid-cooled in-line engine while other Japanese fighters were equipped with air-cooled radials. The Allies suspected it was a copy of the German Messerschmitt Me-109 or of the Italian Macchi C.202 Foglore and, for this reason, they gave it the code-name "Antonio", or "Tony"

Covering New Guinea, the Admiralty Islands, New Britain, and New Ireland the Ki-61 was also utilised in Okinawa and China. It was an interceptor during US bombing raids over Japanese home islands, including against B-29 Superfortresses. A number of Ki-61’s were also used in Tokkotai (kamikaze) missions and in Special Attack Unit with the tactic of using the aircraft to ram American B-29’s.

So having a look at the pictures of these remnants of the former imperial mightiness, especially at that throttle put on full, I cannot help fancy a dramatic destiny of the soul which once had enliven these artifacts of the war which we now seen waiting in peace for their turn to be restored.

The armament changed with the times… from a 20 millimeter cannon in the nose and the 12.7 millimeter guns in the wings to two 12.7 millimeter guns in the fuselage and a 30 millimeter Ho-105 cannon in each wing.

Sergei Stepanenko, Contributing Editor
ssn@mail.wplus.net

Visit Sergei's Website for unique salvage projects, World War II artifacts, and planes you can buy for your museum collection.

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