The Airacomet was the first jet aircraft in U.S. service, and this example, s/n 12-108777, is believed to be the tenth airframe in the production run. Many items from the PNG museum's collection were removed in late 2000-1 by yourself and '75 Squadron' What do you say to those worldwide who would like to visit this wreck, and see it remain there the way the war left it? On October 23, 1939, the Japanese G4M, named the "Betty" bomber by the Allies, made its maiden flight. Made by Mitsubishi, the same company that made the Zero . Bendix Aviation Corp out of Teterboro, NJ bought the B-25 in June of 1946 and used it as a test bed for the next twenty years. Our model is a B-25J which didnt have a nose gunner but instead had eight .50 caliber machine guns controlled by the pilot. Robert Greinert interview with Pacific Wrecks, Tell about your 'export permit' with the. Honjo apparently also decided that an untapered fuselage ending in a large tail-gunners station made sense aerodynamically. THE RECOVERY WAS SIMPLY PUT ON TO SAVE A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT P-40S THAT NEEDED SAVING. Speak about your Vanuatu recovery of P-40Fs. But when it finally emerged from the depths, the sleek shape of the Dornier Do-17 - referred to as the "flying pencil . Location, recovery and preservation of these objects is a an obligation and serves as a permanent reminder of their sacrifice. Nor was it a factor during the early days of WWII, when Bettys ranged virtually unopposed against the Philippines, Australia and, in their greatest single victory, against the Royal Navy. "passionate about aviation The U.S. Army Air Forces would later try the same thing with its YB-40s, which were B-17s carrying 18 or even more .50-caliber guns, flying as formation escorts. The last twenty five years have seen a wide variety of recovery and restoration work undertaken by myself and as a rule I do not promote it because as I have discovered, the internet is now a haven for those that have their own agenda and seek to criticize what I view as good works. from Papua What projects are you involved and accountable with the PNG Museum? The G4M had . The Mitsubishi G4M was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. This aircraft shot down a "Zero" and a "Betty" bomber over New Guinea in 1943. What made the Hellcat Such an Effective Zero Buster? What do you feel should be done with remaining relics of war. I PREFER TO HAVE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL MATERIAL IN THE REBUILD AS POSSIBLE AND I GO TO EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS TO SEE THAT IS ACHIEVED. Front-line combat units operated many variants and subvariants with different engines and armament packages. Hasegawa Item # hsg00550. A NEW ISSUE FEATURING THE P47 REBUILD IS NOW OUT. In the early 80s a decision was made by a group within HARS to recover and return to Sydney a pair of very corroded and incomplete Bristol Beaufighters [A19-144 and A19-148] in Western Australia. What is wreckage used for when exported? Mention the Australian Beaufighters recovered. RESTORATION IS BEING CONDUCTED TO THE HIGHEST MUSEUM STANDARDS WITH EXTREME EMPHASIS ON ORIGINALITY AND COMPLETENESS. Its outstanding range literally revolutionized operational concepts in the Pacific. PNG's population is not starving or lacing 'basics of life', (Americans do not have universal health care / meds!) OCCASSIONALLY I MAY BUY OR TRADE IN IT SO I CAN ACQUIRE WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE VARIOUS RESTORATIONS. Almost certainly it will eventually be fully restored and placed on display. For more information on donations and ways to give, please contact Liz Esparza at liz.esparza@planesoffame.org or call (909) 597-3722, ext. Any corrections are verified and updated, CLARIFICATION The only wreck known to be salvaged by USAF Museum is a O-38F. 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. Every major aviation museum has, or is actively locating crash sites for potential exhibits or restorations. 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. It was a reliable plane and while many survived past the war, very few combat veteran B-25s remain. Within 20 minutes, Hellcats had shot down all 18 bombers. Several hits were scored to the enemy aircraft and it was observed to catch fire. Against limited fighter opposition, the lack of armor and self-sealing fuel tanks was no hindrance. Number built: 1,486 (470 D3A1), (1,016 D3A2) The Aichi D3A, Allied reporting name "Val" was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). One of the best-known Betty carcasses was on display for years at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, Calif. WHEN ALL ADDED UP, THE COST OF RECOVERY EXCEEDED THE THEORETICAL "PROJECT VALUE" OF THE WRECK BY A WHOOPING $200,000 USD. A simple video to say thanks to all the men and women who have flown the B-25, Sit down with Warren Pietsch as he takes us through the history of our B-25J Mitchel bomber, "Betty's Dream.". With no work done to date on P-38 project. WETHER THE WRECK COMES OUT OR NOT IS A GOVERNMENT DETERMINATION. The museum displays the only complete Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bomber in a setting depicting the way it was located in the jungle. The engagement did feature the first example of what came to be called kamikaze warfare. Operationally, BETTY crews achieved much in their first year of combat. They ranged across the length and breadth of the Pacific Theater, attacking targets from the Aleutians to Australia. We called her Betty. Whether his engineering team found it aesthetically pleasing is open to question. If its a rainy day: Homeade chili (Large), 10 wings, Fire and BBQ Pork and cheese fries and a coke float and a brownie (Dont judge its cold out) If I get fired I love to order Spicy Buffalo Chicken Fries, The Blackout AND the Mustang burgers, and some Nachos to wash that all down with (Dont worry . The plane was equipped with a top turret, waist guns and in later models a nose gun that was operated by the bombardier. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE WORKED WITH A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE. SITTING IN A KUNAI PATCH FOR SIXTY YEARS IS NOT GOING TO PUT FOOD IN THE MOUTHS OF THEIR CHILDREN OR GET THEM THE CRITICAL MEDICINES THEY NEED. 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. Speak about your work with established museums It worked for a while, but increasingly inexperienced G4M crews and the chaos of night attacks rendered even these desperate measures ineffective. Betty was actually a waitress in Pennsylvania. 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. The IJNAS requirements were a top speed of 247 mph, a maximum range of almost 3,000 statute miles and a loaded range of 2,300 miles. IS QUITE LENGTHY, ONCE AGAIN I WOULD REFER YOU TO THE MUSEMS GUIDELINES. Subscribe to Dark Skies: https://bit.ly/dark5skiesFaster and with a longer range than aircraft at the time, Mitsubishi's G4M was a true beacon of Japanese po. Invariably those sources dont have a clue as to whats going on or how its actually happening but they still go out of their way to promote false facts. Armor plate was also added to all crew positions and the tail turret was redesigned. The atomic bombs put an end to this sideshow. It is based at the Commemorative Air Force Museum in Mesa, Arizona, US. From the first day of war until after the surrender, BETTY bombers saw service throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is impossible to recover everything. Why were tourist attractions taken? ITS A DIFFERENT STORY WITH EACH PROJECT. Japanese Navy pilots called it "" Hamaki (Cigar), due to its cylindrical shape. They did nothing. Our B-25 is painted in honor of Capt. That object will convey many things to many different people. 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. The Japanese built more of them than any other bomber during World War II. As a result of these modifications, the fuselage was shortened and the center-of-gravity shifted forward. At the heart of the collection are . I WAS INVITED TO GO ALONG AT THE TIME TO ASSIST WITH THE RECOVERY OF Ki-43 [5465]. Why is little about yourself or projects published? All of a sudden my world changed and I decided that maybe it was just possible and one should start looking. The Air Force would not let . With its pair of Mitsubishi MK4A-11 "Kasei" 14-cylinder radial engines of 1,530 horsepower each, the G4M1 (Model 11) managed a maximum speed of 265 miles per hour (cruising at 195mph), a range out to 1,770 miles and a service ceiling up to 28,000 feet. ONE DOES WHAT ONE MUST DO, SAVE FOR THE FUTURE. Few would know it by its official designation, the Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber. IT HAD BEN ILLEGALLY REMOVED FROM THE TRADITIONAL LANDOWNERS PROPERTY IN THE EARLY 1970'S AND THEN ILLEGALLY ERRECTED AT THE AIRPORT (SO CALLED FOR TOURISM PURPOSES) EVENTUALLY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES TOLD THE LANDOWNERS IN WRITING TO REMOVE THE CRAFT. CLARIFICATION 30 October: Special Project . 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. The Betty design would work. Remains of German WWII Junkers Ju 88 bomber recovered from Thames Estuary. Interview April 2006. Despite a distinct military bent, my work over the last 30 years in vintage aviation has been about preserving aviation objects for future generations. The plane that was developed was the twin-engine Mitsubishi G4M Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber. THESE GUYS RECENTLY CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF LILLY AND HELEN BOMBERS ON THE PNG NORTH COAST FOR POTENTIAL SALVAGE TO ORDER FOR AN AMERICAN COLLECTOR(S). 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