Realistic Recreation of Japanese Flight Schools in the WITP:AE Editor

[Peiper1944]

I have started to recreate the IJAAF Army Flight Schools in the editor of War in the Pacific: Admiral’s Edition.
My first focus is on fighter training, later bomber and reconnaissance schools will follow.

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Implementation in the Editor – Example: IJAAF Fighter Schools

I have included the known locations in Japan and their branch schools, and set them up as independent Training Units:

- Akeno Gakko (Nagoya) – central fighter school, elite training
- Tachiarai Gakko (Fukuoka) – large training center, branch schools extending to Korea/Chiran
- Kumagaya Gakko (Tokyo)
- Mito Gakko (Tokyo)
- Komaki Bunko (Nagoya)
- Shimoshizu Bunko (Tokyo)
- Toyohashi Bunko (Nagoya)
- Chiran Bunko (Kumamoto)
- Metabaru Bunko (Fukuoka)
- Korea Bunko (Busan)
- Miyakonojo Bunko (Kagoshima)
- Ina Bunko (Nagoya)
- Utsunomiya Bunko (Maebashi)
- Katori Bunko (Tokyo)
- Tsuchiura Bunko (Tokyo)
- Hitachi Bunko (Tokyo)

At the start I moved 390 pilots from the Army pool into these schools.
→ This reduced the IJAAF pool from 2,202 pilots to 1,812 pilots.

pool.png (138.42 KiB) Viewed 342 times

new pool.png (136.51 KiB) Viewed 342 times

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Why Create Flight Schools in the Editor? – Advantages

In the vanilla game, training is abstracted through pools and XP values.
With real schools in the editor, however, several advantages appear:

1. Historical Representation
The real training centers become visible. Players can see where pilots were trained and follow the traditions of the schools.

2. Specialized Training
Each school can focus on different roles (e.g. Akeno for fighters, Utsunomiya for bombers, Shimoshizu for recon).
→ Pilots gain a tailored training path that reflects their later combat assignment more realistically.

3. Quality Control
Pilots remain in schools until they reach the desired XP level.
→ I decide consciously: "Now they are ready for the front!"

4. Realistic Replacement Flow
Historically, training took months. With schools, part of the replacement pool is "locked in training".
→ Front units must fight with limited replacements, just like historically.

5. Flexibility with Training-Flag
In the editor, I can assign the Training Flag to these units.
→ This allows a choice:
- Quick reinforcement (at the cost of quality)
- Or longer training (better pilots, but slower replacement)

6. Strategic Layer
The system opens a completely new decision layer:
- Do I send half-trained pilots immediately to reinforce a Sentai?
- Or do I wait longer, risking gaps now but gaining stronger squadrons later?

7. More Realism & Immersion
Pilots don’t just "appear out of nowhere".
Every Sentai/Kokutai now knows its pilots’ origin – Akeno, Tachiarai, or Kasumigaura.
For role-playing this is huge: "My Chutai is filled with Akeno graduates" suddenly has meaning.

8. Game Balance
The replacement stream becomes more predictable and historically limited.
No flood of replacement pilots, but a realistic pipeline with bottlenecks.
The Allies indirectly benefit, since Japan must handle pilots more carefully.

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Outlook

- I have begun with the IJAAF Fighter Schools.
- Next step: Bomber and Recon schools for the Army.
- After that: IJNAS Naval Flight Schools, including Kasumigaura, Yatabe, Ōita, Tainan, etc.

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Project Goal:
A historically deeper and gameplay-rich simulation of the Japanese pilot training system, forcing the player to make tough choices that vanilla WITP:AE leaves hidden.

Flying School.png (94.17 KiB) Viewed 342 times

Akeno.png (252.65 KiB) Viewed 342 times

[Seacat54]

Should you give those groups only trainer aircraft that cant be upgraded?

[RangerJoe]

Should you give those groups only trainer aircraft that cant be upgraded?

If the trainer aircraft can't be upgraded, what happens after a player runs out of them and needs more? Especially if there is no factory producing the engines? Also, if the aircraft are not upgraded, then what happens when the Allies come visiting with bombers and a fighter escort?

[Seacat54]

Should you give those groups only trainer aircraft that cant be upgraded?

If the trainer aircraft can't be upgraded, what happens after a player runs out of them and needs more? Especially if there is no factory producing the engines? Also, if the aircraft are not upgraded, then what happens when the Allies come visiting with bombers and a fighter escort?

IJN produced 6000 Willows 1934-45, give them a factory or two and keep producing or not.

[Peiper1944]

Response on Trainer Aircraft and Upgrades

I decided to clearly separate trainer aircraft for both IJN and IJAAF schools from front-line aircraft, and I am implementing this directly in the editor:

• IJN Flight Schools (Navy)
  → I will activate production of the K5Y Willow.
  → These aircraft will be set to No Upgrade, so they remain permanently as trainers in the schools.
  → Historically, over 6,000 Willows were built, so it makes sense that in-game a small, steady production line keeps them available for the training pipeline.
• IJAAF Flight Schools (Army)
  → Instead of blocking front-line fighters, I will create a modified version of the Ki-27, specifically as a training aircraft.
  → This variant will also be set as non-upgradeable and used purely for schools.
  → I will add small factories producing about 5 planes per month – enough to keep the schools running without flooding the pool.
• Balance & Realism
  → To compensate, I will slightly reduce production of some front-line aircraft.
  → This creates a realistic balance: schools get their steady flow of training aircraft, while front-line units remain constrained by limited production capacity.
  → Players will feel the historical situation: modern fighters are scarce, while older types keep circling in the training pipeline.

Advantages of this approach:

• Historically accurate (Willow & Ki-27 as main trainers).
• Prevents schools from accidentally tying up front-line aircraft.
• Predictable, steady flow of training planes.
• Clear separation between front-line and school units.
• Realistic production balance since trainer factories are offset by cuts in front-line production.

→ This way, the schools remain functional, the training pipeline is historically plausible, and the front line is not impacted by artificial trainer shortages or unwanted upgrades.

[zebrazwo]

Peiper, interesting ideas but for someone with absolutely no Japanese playing experience, I have a question (well probably several but let's try the one first).

Does this give Japan better/more pilots than the stock version of the game, thus affecting game balance (maybe this is your intention? ) or is it mostly for the accuracy/roleplaying aspect ?

[Seacat54]

Kamikaze option should be left open.

[Peiper1944]

1. Pilot Numbers and Game Balance
Very good question – I have also given this a lot of thought.
My approach does not give Japan any additional pilots compared to the stock version. The overall numbers in the pool remain the same; I simply moved part of them into the flight schools. This means these pilots are not immediately available for the front but must first "mature" in the schools.

→ Effect: In the short term, there are actually fewer replacement pilots available at the front. Only after the training period does the flow of replacements start again.

So the system is not a buff for Japan, but rather a more realistic representation of the delays and bottlenecks that historically existed. The player gains more control and realism, but no unfair strengthening.

2. Accuracy & Roleplaying
The main purpose is historical accuracy and stronger roleplay immersion. Each unit can effectively have its "heritage" (Akeno, Tachiarai, Kasumigaura, etc.), and the player can feel the training bottlenecks. This makes the decision harder: throw half-trained pilots into the front immediately, or wait longer to secure better quality?

3. Kamikaze Option
Of course, the kamikaze option remains open. The school system only affects regular pilot training, not the mechanics of late-war kamikaze operations.

[RangerJoe]

1. Pilot Numbers and Game Balance
Very good question – I have also given this a lot of thought.
My approach does not give Japan any additional pilots compared to the stock version. The overall numbers in the pool remain the same; I simply moved part of them into the flight schools. This means these pilots are not immediately available for the front but must first "mature" in the schools.

→ Effect: In the short term, there are actually fewer replacement pilots available at the front. Only after the training period does the flow of replacements start again.

So the system is not a buff for Japan, but rather a more realistic representation of the delays and bottlenecks that historically existed. The player gains more control and realism, but no unfair strengthening.

In other words, more minutiae and clicking for the Japanese player. Players can already pull trainees into units if they want to do so. You are just having the player do more work as well as to decide where/how to have the pilots trained before they otherwise would be selected for their roles in the game.

2. Accuracy & Roleplaying
The main purpose is historical accuracy and stronger roleplay immersion. Each unit can effectively have its "heritage" (Akeno, Tachiarai, Kasumigaura, etc.), and the player can feel the training bottlenecks. This makes the decision harder: throw half-trained pilots into the front immediately, or wait longer to secure better quality?

This is an abstract simulation, there are other games that are more detailed and role playing if a player wants to play them.

3. Kamikaze Option
Of course, the kamikaze option remains open. The school system only affects regular pilot training, not the mechanics of late-war kamikaze operations.

It also consumes more HI with the production of aircraft instead of a simple HI expense every month not to mention more supply usage for the Japanese player.

Unless this system were to give the Japanese a substantial benefit, it may not be worthwhile for the Japanese player. The trainee squadrons can have many more pilots in them but I don't know if their training is done any quicker. I would consider, if this were to be done and even if it were not realistic, put all of the trainee schools at non-coastal bases so ships can't bombard them.

[Peiper1944]

Historical Reality of Japanese Flight Schools
Both the IJAAF and the IJNAS operated a vast network of training centers.

IJAAF: Akeno, Tachiarai, Kumagaya, Mito, etc., with many branch schools.
IJNAS: Kasumigaura, Yatabe, Oita, Tainan, etc.

These schools were not “minor facilities,” but the backbone of the Japanese air force. Every pilot passed through these stages before being sent to the front.

→ In the vanilla game this entire layer is missing. Pilots simply “appear” in the pool.
With the school system, reality is mirrored: pilots spend months in training before they are combat-ready.

Delayed Combat Readiness – historically accurate
Historically, pilot training in 1941 took about 12–18 months. Later, due to the war situation, it was reduced to only a few months.

• Early war: solid, experienced pilots (XP 40–50).
• Later war: hastily trained “cannon fodder” pilots (XP 20–30).

→ With the school system, this break becomes visible: strong early classes, weaker later ones.
→ Without schools, this qualitative decline is not really reflected in the game.

Risk Factor – historically and in-game
Flight schools were not automatically “safe” during the war.

• In Japan itself, they became vulnerable to B-29 raids after 1944.
• On the Philippines, Formosa, or Korea, some branch schools were within Allied range.

→ If schools can be attacked in-game (e.g., by strategic bombing), this is not a flaw, but instead reflects the historical vulnerability of the Japanese training system.

Front vs. Homeland – the historical dilemma
Japanese leadership constantly had to weigh:

• Send more pilots immediately to the front → shorten training, but quality drops.
• Keep training longer → maintain quality, but fewer pilots available short-term.

→ With the school system, the player experiences the exact same dilemma.
This adds a major historical value that vanilla completely lacks.

The Historical Decline becomes visible in-game
• Without schools: Japan has “magical” replacement pilots available until 1945.
• With schools:
– 1941–42: qualitatively strong pilots, solid training.
– 1943: first bottlenecks, schools produce fewer XP and fewer pilots.
– 1944–45: quantity over quality, pilots arrive young and inexperienced – just as historically.

Thus, the historical collapse of the Japanese air force is felt in-game – something vanilla hardly simulates.

[Peiper1944]

Implementation of Training Aircraft Ki-27 and Ki-79 in the Game

The Ki-27 "Nate" was the standard fighter of the Japanese Army until 1941, before gradually being replaced by the Ki-43. However, as of December 1941, the Ki-27 was still in frontline service. At the same time, many older machines were transferred to the flight schools, where they were used for pilot training.
→ This means: at the end of 1941 both frontline units and flight schools used the Ki-27.

From 1942 onward, the Ki-79 appeared as a simplified trainer version of the Ki-27. It was built by Manshū in Manchuria and used exclusively in flight schools.
There were:
• Ki-79a (single-seater) for advanced training
• Ki-79b (two-seater) for training with instructor

These aircraft were no longer combat-capable – they had weaker engines, sometimes only one MG (or none at all), and no bomb load. They were purely training machines.

Logic in the Editor
• Start 07 Dec 1941:
– Front Sentai = Ki-27
– Flight schools = also Ki-27 (can be a slightly weakened version, e.g. no bomb load)

• From 1942:
– Flight schools switch to Ki-79a/b
– Important: Ki-79 must not be allowed to upgrade to frontline aircraft, so that it remains restricted to schools.

• Production:
– Small remaining production of Ki-27 for schools until 1942
– From summer 1942: small production of Ki-79 (about 5 per month is sufficient)
– This keeps the system realistic and prevents balance issues.

In-Game Values

• Ki-27 (School version):
– Only 1× 7.7 mm MG or none at all
– No bomb load
– Same performance as standard Ki-27, maybe slightly weaker to represent older airframes

• Ki-79:
– Only 1× 7.7 mm MG or none at all
– No bomb load
– Max speed around 400–420 km/h
– Lower durability
– Clearly recognizable as a pure trainer

Result in the Game
With this approach, the flight schools are historically equipped:
• End of 1941: still using Ki-27
• From 1942: transition to Ki-79 trainers

Ki-27 Nate Trainer.png (65.08 KiB) Viewed 241 times

Ki-79 Nate.png (62.62 KiB) Viewed 241 times

[RangerJoe]

PDU on messes all of that up.

[Peiper1944]

Even with PDU on, the Japanese player gains no real advantage by upgrading training schools to front-line aircraft. On the contrary:

Aircraft shortage: Every modern fighter placed in a training school is one less available at the front. In the early months, those aircraft decide battles. Putting Ki-43s or even Ki-44s into schools simply wastes valuable assets.

Pilot quality is unaffected by old trainers: For training purposes, a Ki-27 or Ki-79 is fully sufficient. Whether a rookie flies a Ki-43 or a Ki-27 makes no difference for XP gain. The player gains nothing by upgrading schools.

Risk of loss: Training schools are easier to bomb, and any modern front-line fighters stationed there would be easy prey. A player who parks his newest machines in schools is acting recklessly.

Gameplay pressure towards the historical solution: The Japanese player is therefore automatically pushed to use schools realistically with older models. Anything else is pure waste and tactical nonsense.

[Peiper1944]

IJAAF – Army Flight Schools (Fighter Training, as of 06.12.41)

Main Schools
· Akeno Gakkō (Nagoya) → 60 pilots
Central fighter school, elite training, focus on tactics and front-line preparation.
· Tachiarai Gakkō (Fukuoka) → 60 pilots
Large Kyūshū school, focus on fighter training and conversion, many branch schools.
· Kumagaya Gakkō (Tokyo) → 40 pilots
Important Kantō-area school, training up to combat readiness.
· Mito Gakkō (Tokyo) → 40 pilots
Supplementary school in the Kantō region, also specialized courses.
Main school total: 200 pilots

Medium Schools (Bunko = branch schools)
· Komaki Bunko (Nagoya) → 25 pilots
· Shimoshizu Bunko (Tokyo) → 25 pilots
· Toyohashi Bunko (Nagoya) → 20 pilots
· Chiran Bunko (Kumamoto) → 20 pilots (later Kamikaze base)
· Metabaru Bunko (Fukuoka) → 20 pilots
Medium schools total: 110 pilots

Smaller Schools / Branches (Bunko)
· Korea Bunko (Busan) → 15 pilots
· Miyakonojo Bunko (Kagoshima) → 10 pilots
· Ina Bunko (Nagoya) → 10 pilots
· Utsunomiya Bunko (Maebashi) → 15 pilots
· Katori Bunko (Tokyo) → 10 pilots
· Tsuchiura Bunko (Tokyo) → 10 pilots
· Hitachi Bunko (Tokyo) → 10 pilots
Small schools total: 80 pilots

Schools outside Japan (independent Gakkō)
· Hailar Gakkō (Manchuria) → 40 pilots
Front-line oriented school near Hailar, focus on fighter & operational preparation vs USSR/China.
· Harbin Gakkō (Manchuria) → 30 pilots
Training cluster, used for fighters and multi-role units; close ties with local garrisons.
· Peiping Gakkō (China) → 20 pilots
Medium fighter school, strategically near the front, focus on conversion to Ki-27/Ki-43.
· Nanking Gakkō (China) → 20 pilots
Location of 5th Air Army HQ, important for conversion and tactical courses.
New schools total: 110 pilots

Grand Total
· Main schools: 200 pilots
· Medium schools: 110 pilots
· Small schools: 80 pilots
· Overseas schools (China/Manchuria): 110 pilots
Total: 500 pilots in schools

Original pool: 2,202
Minus 500 (tied up in schools) → 1,702 pilots left in the pool

A realistic pipeline:
· Large main schools in Japan.
· Numerous Bunko (branches) as supplements.
· Independent Gakkō in occupied territory (Manchuria/China).

This setup mirrors quite accurately the historical IJAAF training apparatus.

[Peiper1944]

Next, for the bomber pilot training I will use the...
Kokusai Ki-9 "Spruce" – Advanced Trainer of the IJAAF for Bomber Pilots

Ki-9 Spruce.png (223.2 KiB) Viewed 194 times

Ki-9 Spruce Data.png (159.34 KiB) Viewed 194 times

General:
The Ki-9 was a two-seat biplane introduced in 1935 and used extensively by the IJAAF. Originally designed for advanced pilot training, it was not only used in fighter schools but also played an important role in bomber and multi-role pilot training. With over 2,600 built, it became one of the most important standard training aircraft of the Japanese Army Air Force.

History:

Developed from 1933 by Tachikawa Hikōki K.K.

Entered service in 1935 at the major Army flight schools such as Hamamatsu and Utsunomiya, which specialized in bomber and attack pilot training.

Remained in use throughout the war as an indispensable basic trainer in nearly all training programs.

Also employed in civilian and police aviation schools.

Role in Bomber Pilot Training:

Used as a trainer for bomber and multi-role pilots during early training phases.

Provided essential skills in formation flying, long-distance control, instrument flight, and basic navigation – all crucial for bomber crews.

Later also used as a liaison and courier aircraft.

In the desperate final years, occasionally pressed into suicide missions, with no significant results.

Technical Data (simplified):

Maximum speed: ~230 km/h

Range: ~600 km

Armament: none (rarely fitted with a light MG for training purposes)

Two-seat, robust, easy to maintain

Advantages for Bomber Training:

Stable and reliable, ideal for navigation and formation training.

Well-suited for long flights and early stages of crew coordination training.

Mass production allowed for widespread availability.

Disadvantages:

No direct relation to bomber performance (too slow, underpowered).

Technically outdated after 1943, but continued in use due to lack of alternatives.

Conclusion in Game Context:

Advanced Training: Ki-9 "Spruce".

The Ki-9 thus serves as the key link between elementary training and transition to multi-crew bombers – realistic, historical, and well-suited for gameplay.

[Peiper1944]

IJAAF – Bomber & Attack Aircraft Schools (as of 06.12.41)

Main Schools (Gakkō)
• Hamamatsu Gakkō (Nagoya) → 60 pilots
Central bomber and attack school since 1933. Prepared bomber crews for types like the Ki-21 "Sally" or Ki-30 "Ann." Later also trained for lighter attack aircraft.

• Utsunomiya Gakkō (Maebashi) → 60 pilots
Focused on heavy bomber training. Maintained a strong connection to the Army Air Force tradition, continued as a military airfield after the war.

Total main schools: 120 pilots

Branch Schools / Extended Training Clusters
• Harbin Gakkō (Manchuria) → 25 pilots
Located near several large army bases. Focus: multi-role and medium bombers, with training in the harsh climate of Manchuria.

• Nanking Gakkō (China) → 25 pilots
Important training location under HQ 5th Air Army. Used for conversion to new aircraft types and for crews stationed in South China.

Total branch schools: 50 pilots

Overall Calculation
• Main schools: 120 pilots
• Branch schools: 50 pilots
Total bomber/attack schools: 170 pilots

Pilot Pool Recalculation
Starting pool: 2,202 pilots
– Deducted for fighter schools: 390 pilots
– Deducted for bomber/attack schools: 170 pilots

Total tied up in schools: 560 pilots
Remaining available in pool: 1,642 pilots

[Peiper1944]

IJAAF Reconnaissance Training Aircraft

Tachikawa Ki-55 "Ida" – the Standard Reconnaissance Trainer
· Derived from the Ki-36, a light liaison and reconnaissance aircraft.
· Specifically developed as a trainer version for reconnaissance crews (pilot + observer/navigator).
· More than 1,300 units built, making it one of the most important IJAAF training aircraft.

Role in Reconnaissance Schools:
· Training of reconnaissance and observer pilots.
· Fundamentals of tactical close reconnaissance.
· Training in navigation, map work, and coordination between pilot and observer.

Advantages:
· Authentic trainer version, in widespread use since 1940.
· Ideal for practical training of reconnaissance crews.
· Historically represented in all major training schools.

Disadvantage:
· Not suitable for front-line combat – but precisely for that reason, perfect as a training aircraft in-game.

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Conclusion for Game Implementation
· Basic & intermediate training: Ki-55 "Ida" as the standard trainer for all reconnaissance schools.

This realistically reflects the historical training process:
· Ki-55 "Ida" trains the majority of reconnaissance pilots.

[Peiper1944]

IJAAF – Reconnaissance & Specialist Schools (as of 06.12.41)

Main Schools (Gakkō)
· Shimoshizu Gakkō (Tokyo) → 40 pilots
Central school for reconnaissance. Training on Ki-15 "Babs" and later Ki-46 "Dinah". Focus: photo-reconnaissance, high-altitude reconnaissance, tactical scouting.
· Tokorozawa Gakkō (Saitama Prefecture) → 30 pilots
Originally the oldest Army aviation school. By 1941 focused on navigators, observers, and specialists for map & photo analysis as well as basic radio navigation.

Total main schools: 70 pilots

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Branch Schools / Occupied Territories (Manchuria/China)
· Harbin Gakkō (Manchuria) → 20 pilots
Training cluster for liaison and reconnaissance pilots, also training under harsh winter conditions. Aircraft types: Ki-36 "Ida", Ki-51 "Sonia".
· Hailar Gakkō (Manchuria) → 20 pilots
Frontline reconnaissance school, focused on tactical close reconnaissance, operating near the Soviet border.

Total branch schools: 40 pilots

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Overall Recon & Specialist Schools
· Main schools: 70 pilots
· Branch schools: 40 pilots
Total in schools: 110 pilots

Pool Recalculation (as of 06.12.41)
· Original overall pool: 2,202 pilots
· Deducted for fighter schools: 390 pilots
· Deducted for bomber/attack schools: 170 pilots
· Deducted for recon/specialist schools: 110 pilots
Total in schools: 670 pilots
Remaining pool available: 1,532 pilots

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With this, the three main pillars of the IJAAF training system are accurately represented in-game:
· Fighters (Akeno, Tachiarai, etc.),
· Bombers/Attack (Hamamatsu, Utsunomiya, etc.),
· Recon & Specialist (Shimoshizu, Tokorozawa, Harbin, Hailar).

[Peiper1944]

2,202 Pilots in the Starting Pool on 06.12.1941 is Completely Unhistorical

Historical Reality of the IJAAF
· The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) never had a “surplus” pool of thousands of fully trained pilots.
· In 1941 the IJAAF had around 35,000–40,000 men total, of which only about 7,000–8,000 were flying personnel (pilots + observers + gunners).
· These were almost entirely tied to active front-line Sentai or training units.
· A real “pool” only existed in the form of graduating classes, immediately assigned to units after completion.
· Larger “reserves” simply did not exist – Japan was already facing pilot shortages by 1942.

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Why Does the Game Give So Many in the Pool?
This is due to a simplification in vanilla design:
· Instead of modeling a realistic training system with schools and graduating classes, the game simply grants Japan a huge stockpile of pilots.
· This prevents the Japanese player from collapsing immediately after suffering early losses.
· It is basically a gameplay crutch – but not historical.

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What Would Be More Realistic?
· A realistic starting value for 1941 would be more like 200–400 “free” pilots, just out of training.
· The rest should be tied up in schools (as we already modeled with ~500 in training).
· The pipeline would look like this:
o 500–600 in schools (fighters, bombers, recon).
o 200–400 in the pool (fresh graduates).
o The rest = locked in front-line Sentai.

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Consequences for Gameplay
· With vanilla logic, Japan has far too many pilots and can unrealistically absorb massive losses in 1942–43.
· With our school system, the situation becomes far more historical:
o Enough pilots early on, but not in unlimited supply.
o Noticeable shortages starting in 1943.
o By 1944, catastrophic declines in quality.

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In short: The 2,202 pilots in the pool are an artificial “cheat buffer” that Japan never had historically.
With my school system, i correct this – making the game situation much closer to historical reality.