Kayaba Ka-1 'Ka-Go' + Akitsu Maru footage

[Shark7]

Found this while surfing, no idea if its been seen before. Ver interesting. Apparantly this is film of the flight trials of the Navalized version doing take offs and landings from the Akitsu Maru.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EFt7cLC ... re=related

[Local Yokel]

Think I've seen part of this footage before, but thanks for posting! I understand that the autogiro's neglible payload precluded its use as an ASW platform.

At 1.03 into the footage there's a brief view of a Japanese equivalent to the Slingsby Grasshopper primary glider - footage of one in flight here, 2.04 in. Basically you are in flight sitting on a girder 3 inches wide, so the sense of exposure is substantial. Launch is by means of a Y-shaped bungee cord, pulled by members of the team. I have fond memories of this little aeroplane: I once routed the cadet force band when I overshot my intended landing area!

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Local Yokel

Think I've seen part of this footage before, but thanks for posting! I understand that the autogiro's neglible payload precluded its use as an ASW platform.

At 1.03 into the footage there's a brief view of a Japanese equivalent to the Slingsby Grasshopper primary glider - footage of one in flight here, 2.04 in. Basically you are in flight sitting on a girder 3 inches wide, so the sense of exposure is substantial. Launch is by means of a Y-shaped bungee cord, pulled by members of the team. I have fond memories of this little aeroplane: I once routed the cadet force band when I overshot my intended landing area!

Actually, I have seen the Ka-1 accredited with sinking 1 submarine, apparantly they were used for shore based coastal ASW. Be interesting if someone can confirm that.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Shark7

ORIGINAL: Local Yokel

Think I've seen part of this footage before, but thanks for posting! I understand that the autogiro's neglible payload precluded its use as an ASW platform.

At 1.03 into the footage there's a brief view of a Japanese equivalent to the Slingsby Grasshopper primary glider - footage of one in flight here, 2.04 in. Basically you are in flight sitting on a girder 3 inches wide, so the sense of exposure is substantial. Launch is by means of a Y-shaped bungee cord, pulled by members of the team. I have fond memories of this little aeroplane: I once routed the cadet force band when I overshot my intended landing area!

Actually, I have seen the Ka-1 accredited with sinking 1 submarine, apparantly they were used for shore based coastal ASW. Be interesting if someone can confirm that.

Wiki says: "There are some information that suggests that the autogyros were responsible for at least one sunken submarine.[citation needed] "

i've never heard of a US sub being sunk by one... nor a Brit... so unless it was a Russian, or Dutch one (again - i've reviewed Dutch subs, and i've never seen anything about it...), i doubt the claim... i suppose the IJA could have accidentally sunk a IJ sub by mistake (but i haven't heard of this, either.)

It could be some very recent information, however, that hasn't been widely released...

[rtrapasso]

According to this source:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 1&t=151262

There was a claim by a Ka-1, but it was never confirmed.

[Shark7]

I didn't think it would be confirmed. We will always have to wonder just how effective these could have been, since the two carriers that were to utilize the navalized KA-1s were both sunk (by submarines ironically, IIRC) prior to embarking the aircraft. In a modern battlefield, the helicoptor is the ultimate sub hunter, KA-1 was the forerunner.

[DuckofTindalos]

The autogyro could carry about 200lbs of bombs, nowhere near enough to be an effective anti-submarine weapon. I'd take that claim with a shipping container of salt.