Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Halo on August 19, 2003, 11:34:02 AM

Title: Enola Gay and Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Post by: Halo on August 19, 2003, 11:34:02 AM

Kudos to the comprehensiveness of this thread.  Washington Post story today previewing the new Air and Space Museum annex to open in December near Dulles International Airport reports the Enola Gay B-29 will be grouped with other WWII planes including Hurricane Mark IIC, FW 190A-8, P-38J, P-47D, and ... Japanese M6A1 Seiran (?).

Latter seemed too obscure for inclusion with others.  Couldn't find it in extensive WWII aircraft books.

But (ta da!) this thread mentioned it several times.  Congrats to all you true historical aircraft experts.  

Unfortunately, the photos were posted in previous format and don't show now.  Can any of you post it again so readers (including me) will know what it looks like?

Some descriptions call in an experimental carrier attack plane with jettisonable floats and compliment its beauty.

Just seemed like a strange plane to include in the context of all the other more famous WWII planes mentioned with Enola Gay.

Title: Enola Gay and Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Post by: Furball on August 19, 2003, 12:32:43 PM

looks like a riced up stuka  http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/garber/aichi/aichi.htm




(http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/aero/aircraft/images/aichi_seiran.jpg.JPG)

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The Aichi Seiran aircraft were specially designed for deployment from I-400 class Japanese super-submarines. The planes can "fold" down to fit in an 11-foot 6-inch hangar tube. They were designed to bomb the locks of the Panama Canal during World War II. While twenty-eight Aichi Seirans were built, none ever flew a combat mission. The last remaining Aichi Seiran is undergoing restoration at the National Air and Space Museum's Garber Facility.

Title: Enola Gay and Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Post by: Halo on August 19, 2003, 03:57:00 PM

Thanks, Furball.  The M6A1 is thus more a curiosity than a combat accomplishment.  No wonder otherwise comprehensive reference books don't have it, and it's rarely mentioned even in Aces High.  

Pretty though, and novel concept (like the post WWII U.S. contra rotating prop vertical takeoff fighter and the Goblin parasite fighter).

Title: Enola Gay and Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Post by: brady on August 19, 2003, 06:39:04 PM

I saw it (Seiran ), at the Pauel E Garber Facility about 2 years ago, She was a thing of beauity restored to mint condation, and an amasing aircraft to be shure.

Title: Enola Gay and Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Post by: fffreeze220 on August 21, 2003, 10:46:23 AM

Stuka ???? Where do u see elements of a Stuka ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Title: Enola Gay and Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Post by: Furball on August 21, 2003, 01:00:00 PM

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Originally posted by fffreeze220
Stuka ???? Where do u see elements of a Stuka ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The heavily framed canopy, shape of nose, and air intake look like they came off of a stuka, only a lot more streamlined.

Title: Enola Gay and Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Post by: AHGOD on August 23, 2003, 01:13:17 PM

Quote

Originally posted by brady
I saw it (Seiran ), at the Pauel E Garber Facility about 2 years ago, She was a thing of beauity restored to mint condation, and an amasing aircraft to be shure.

Brady, me thinks your memory is losing it, we saw it about 3.5 years ago :D