I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT AVAIATION HISTORY AND ITS PRESERVATION. On that day, fifty P-40s would take to the air to meet the attackers. Same engines, same twin-engine configuration, same size, give it some gunsjust make it a lot faster and longer-legged.. From Recovery to Restoration: Bringing World War II's Lost Aircraft Back to Life. IN THE CASE OF PNG THE MODERN HISTORY SECTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM WILL ISSUE A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION PROCEEDURE. What companies, groups, do you you work with? Jim Morehead, who had flown in the Java campaign, was credited with three kills - added to his current two this was enough to . TOO MANY TO RECOUNT. Flights will be offered on the third Saturday of each month subject to any weather or mechanical/maintenance restrictions. Yamamoto was a smart guy, even though he only got a C+ for his two years of English studies at Harvard from 1919 to 1921. for Alfred Hagen, CLARIFICATION Then the aircraft took a round to the engine and had to belly land in a field next to a river. After arriving at the airfield, the first G4M was reassembled and flown by test pilot Katsuzo Shima on October 23, 1939. The Mitsubishi G4M1, or "Betty Bomber" aircraft lies 20 metres underwater at the Truk Lagoon. To expect them to preserve aircraft wrecks in outdoor situations is utter folly. From the first day of war until after the surrender, BETTY bombers saw service throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans. 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. The August 19, 1945, mission is often characterized as having carried Japans surrender delegation, but the officers aboard had no such function; the surrender was actually ratified on September 2. Tell about your 'export permit' with the PNG Museum Yamamotos weapon of choice was the torpedo, and the Betty was first and foremost a torpedo bomber, carrying a single 1,890-pound Type 91 tin fishthe worlds most accurate and powerful aerial torpedo right up until the end of the war. AS FOR MIA SITES I DONT GO NEAR THEM UNLESS THEY HAVE BEEN CLEARED BY THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. The Rikko was Admiral Isoroku Yamamotos idea, abetted by the young, air-minded naval officers in his orbit. As the HARS army massed for the five year recovery plan one felt a personnel sense of achievement in having participated in the setting up of and running an organization that would lead to great works such as the Connies recovery to Australia. guns in the nose, atop the mid-fuselage behind the cockpit, and on both sides of the fuselage behind the wing. What are your feelings about the 'Swamp Ghost'? They would disgorge hundreds of commandos dressed in USAAF uniforms. Outside the collections of the National Air and Space Museum and The Air Museum - Planes of Fame, the majority of surviving Japanese aircraft were recovered from their battlefield resting places and subsequently restored. Mitsubishi also learned that the heavy cannons compromised the Bettys handling. 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. Therefore, this was a bomber similar to the ones used by the US to penetrate deep inside German lines. In the tail, he introduced a 20 mm cannon. Made by Mitsubishi, the same company that made the Zero . He has an aircraft recovery permit The coleslaw was great!! The BETTY bomber crews had to fly within about 23 miles (37 km) of a target due to the Ohka 11's limited range. Whether his engineering team found it aesthetically pleasing is open to question. WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT. Anything else you wish to add about yourself? The U. S. Army Air Corps conducted a similar experiment using a modified Boeing B-17 bomber designated the B-40 but this idea too failed to survive operational testing and was soon abandoned. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. In reply I would simply advise that if you dont believe in preserving history for future generations (and it cant be done in the bush) stay behind your computers and get out of the way so we can get on with the job. The Bettys swan song would have involved a fleet of some 60 troop-carrying G4Ms (their roomy fuselages made them particularly appropriate for this) that were to simultaneously land on Guam, Saipan and Tinian. You have salvaged a variety of aircraft from PNG that were displayed at airports and their museum. Its G4M1 1280 was funded by another museum, which tried to sell it but found no buyers and was later donated to Plane of Fame. Price was cheap!! 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. How much of salvaged aircraft can actually be used? Mitsubishi produced a total of 2,414 G4M airplanes but few remained when the war ended on August 15, 1945. 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. THERE ARE SOME GENUINE CONCERNS BROUGHT ABOUT BY A COMMERCIAL SALVAGE OPERATION OPERATING OUT OF AUSTRALIA. I HAVE BEEN CREDITED ERRONOUSLY FOR DOING A LOT OF THINGS I DIDNT DO. The D3A was the primary dive-bomber for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. ITS A DIFFERENT STORY WITH EACH PROJECT. WHEN ALL ADDED UP, THE COST OF RECOVERY EXCEEDED THE THEORETICAL "PROJECT VALUE" OF THE WRECK BY A WHOOPING $200,000 USD. Four days later, two BETTY bombers landed at Ie Shima Island. 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. THIS REALLY IS A QUESTION OF POLICY FOR THE NATIONAL MUSEUM TO ANSWER. Location, recovery and preservation of these objects is a an obligation and serves as a permanent reminder of their sacrifice. The G4M2 was a complete redesign but it did not overcome the airplane's vulnerability to Allied firepower. The B-25 is not under threat of scrapping. Betty Bomber, Truk Lagoon, Micronesia. I RECENTLY COMPLETED A SURVEY FOR THE PNG MUSEUMS BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON A PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT AND DID THE NUMBERS ON THE SALVAGE COSTS. 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 Japanese more genially nicknamed the Betty Hamaki (cigar), and many sources have assumed this was a reference to the airplanes flammability when struck by enemy fire. CLARIFICATION Date - 07/02/2021 20:15:39. 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. Mitsubishi G4M: Why Betty Bombed. Clear front, dorsal and rear turret canopies. ITS GREAT TO SEE KEARBYS FIN ON DISPLAY AT [USAF Museum at] DAYTON. THE RECOVERY WAS SIMPLY PUT ON TO SAVE A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT P-40S THAT NEEDED SAVING. ONE DOES WHAT ONE MUST DO, SAVE FOR THE FUTURE. It currently consists of a fully restored fuselage, much of it fabricated by Haradas restorers, in a museum near Tokyo. Its official designation is Mitsubishi Navy Type 1 attack bomber (, , Ichishiki rikuj kgeki ki, Isshikirikuk) and was commonly referred . At the age of 19 I hauled back to Sydney with a friend the remains of an Avro Anson cockpit which was my first restoration effort. 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. Like the Mitsubishi Zero Fighter (also in the NASM collection), the Hamaki soldiered on long after it became obsolete, even dangerous, to fly wherever Allied interceptors prowled. Our model is a B-25J which didnt have a nose gunner but instead had eight .50 caliber machine guns controlled by the pilot. The recovery of aircraft is never an easy task and it was a great thrill to be part of one of aviation's great adventures with the recovery of the Super Constellation VH-EAG from the Tucson desert. One Betty on a bomb run against Lexington had an engine shot entirely off its mounts, by Lieutenant Butch OHare of ORD fame, and then did its best to crash into the carrier. In 2011 it was operated by Fighter Hangar 1, now known as the Texas Flying Legends Museum. The model has been enlarged along the z axis to allow for better . We are now sought out by governments and institutions, nationally and internationally, for our expertise in the restoration and operation of vintage aircraft. ONCE AGAIN THESE ARE ISSUES FOR GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE 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. YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE MUSEUM AND OR '75 SQUADRON'. The Japanese might have thought that amusing, but they called the Mitsubishi G4M Rikko, truncating their phrase for land-based attack bomber. (The G4Ms predecessor, the Mitsubishi G3M Nell, was also called Rikko.). You have completed projects related to aircraft, but none with PNG aircraft yet. ITS TRUE VALUE IS IN THE HISTORY AND THE STORY IT WILL TELL FUTURE GENERATIONS. Betty crews carried no parachutes, since bailing out wasnt an option. Like the Zero, its speed and ordnance-carrying capabilities were very good at the expense of crew protection. For years it was assumed that the Japanese simply didnt know how to make good paint, but the reason was even more basic. You have salvaged the best P-40, P-47 and P-38. Designed by "Mitsubishi" in 1937-1940, respectively, serially produced in 1941-1945 . In 1994 restoration was started to create Betty's Dream. THE B-25 STILL THERE REMAINS UNDER THREAT. AND THE ACTIVITIES ARE WELL RECORDED IN PUBLICATIONS AND ALIKE OVER TIME, CREDIBLE MEDIA OUTLETS SUCH AS Classic Wings Magazine PROVIDE EXCELLENT COVERAGE. When did you first travel to Papua New Guinea? THE [previous] MUSEUMS BOARD ASKED MY OPINION AND I CAN TELL YOU IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE THEME OF THIS INTERVIEW. ("Betty") bomber of the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force faithfully recreates the aircraft's original . Nakajima had no such opportunity with the G5N, which turned out to be underpowered and overly complex. The last B-36 Bomber built in Fort Worth, was restored to museum quality in 4 years and 44,000 man hour plus almost $600.000.00. The recovery of the Beaufighters caused a national stir. Describe a bit about export permits She can easily apply heavy pressure on the point or in flanking lanes using both Hail of Bombs and Cluster Grenade . AND PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS PWD OFTEN GET IT WRONG AND ARE RELUCTANT TO CHANGE THEIR REPORTINGS WHEN THE ERRORS ARE EXPOSED. Fifteen of the 17 unescorted Bettys were shot down. 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 nose art features Betty Grable, the number one pinup girl of the World War II era.The aircraft's name takes after a song made very popular by Doris Day in 1945. The debate is over what to do with those relics (leave them in situ, protect them, salvage them), CLARIFICATION Mitsubishi aircraft were delivered to combat units in natural metal and spray-painted with camouflage in the fieldwithout the benefit of primer. It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor. 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. 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. It was codenamed Betty by the Allies. I DONATED A PILE OF [ P-47D "Frankie" 42-8130 ] AND P-40 STUFF [P-40K and P-40K] TO PIMA [ Air & Space Museum ] A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO BY WAY OF DONATION. During the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945, the U. S. Navy lost 21 vessels sunk and 217 damaged. Many items from the PNG museum's collection were removed in late 2000-1 by yourself and '75 Squadron' 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. In July 1937, the new Mitsubishi G3M bomber (Allied codename NELL) went into service in China. White G4M that carried the Japanese surrender delegation, 1945. The Rikko assignment went straight to Mitsubishi, which had already paid its bomber-building dues with the G2M and G3M. Robert Greinert interview with Pacific Wrecks What are your feelings about the 'Swamp Ghost'? The distance was well withing the range of U. S. Navy combat air patrols. In 1994 restoration was started to create Bettys Dream. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Betty La Bomba is a damage champion, capable of outputting massive area damage from long range and zoning control on the map. THERE IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK GOING ON IN ANY RESTORATION INVOLVING A HUGE CREW OF PEOPLE. Storied triple ace Bud Anderson, 100, explains how the P-51 Mustang saved the world., History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. Robert Greinert interview with Pacific Wrecks, Tell about your 'export permit' with the. 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. The museum displays the only complete Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bomber in a setting depicting the way it was located in the jungle. Some ships never knew they had been attacked, since the Ohkas glided into the Pacific before even coming within sight. . Japan's newest and most advanced bomber made the trip, disassembled and stacked on five ox-drawn farm carts, over unpaved roads! He said National's Three Waters policy is a thin disguise for the dog whistle on co-governance. 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. 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. 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. THE TONY RESTORATION WILL ALSO BE FEATURED IN A FORTHCOMING EDITION OF Classic Wings Magazine. Bettys flew on the opening day of WWII, and they helped close out the war as well. History is who we are the way we are each month subject to weather... 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