Gasuden/Kokenki (Tokyo Gasu Denki) « Wings of the Century »

[Batman10]

Has anyone ever heard of a plane simply dubbed "Wings of the Century" "This big Japanese monoplane remained aloft for 62 1/2 hours and flew 7,245 miles to set an endurance record and distance record for Japan. The flight was made around a "closed course" which ringed the sacred mountain Fujuiyama. The pilots were Major Fuita and Sergeant Takahashi.
The craft was manufactured by the Tokyo Gasu Denki concern. It had a wing span of 88'6' and was 49' 2" long. Gross weight was 7,840 pounds and the ship has a top speed of 133 mph fully loaded.

Source Air News Year Book 1942 page 203, 262.

 

[Batman10]

Has anyone ever heard of a plane simply dubbed "Wings of the Century" "This big Japanese monoplane remained aloft for 62 1/2 hours and flew 7,245 miles to set an endurance record and distance record for Japan. The flight was made around a "closed course" which ringed the sacred mountain Fujuiyama. The pilots were Major Fuita and Sergeant Takahashi.
The craft was manufactured by the Tokyo Gasu Denki concern. It had a wing span of 88'6' and was 49' 2" long. Gross weight was 7,840 pounds and the ship has a top speed of 133 mph fully loaded.

Source Air News Year Book 1942 page 203, 262.

Here is a photograph of this Airplane

Does anyone know anything about it?

Thanks
Batman

 

[ChuckAnderson]

Hi Everyone!

There's an excellent entry about this aircraft in the book:
Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941
pp.90 & 91
Robert C. Mikesh and Shorzoe Abe

Chuck

Has anyone ever heard of a plane simply dubbed "Wings of the Century" "This big Japanese monoplane remained aloft for 62 1/2 hours and flew 7,245 miles to set an endurance record and distance record for Japan. The flight was made around a "closed course" which ringed the sacred mountain Fujuiyama. The pilots were Major Fuita and Sergeant Takahashi.
The craft was manufactured by the Tokyo Gasu Denki concern. It had a wing span of 88'6' and was 49' 2" long. Gross weight was 7,840 pounds and the ship has a top speed of 133 mph fully loaded.

Source Air News Year Book 1942 page 203, 262.

Here is a photograph of this Airplane

Does anyone know anything about it?

Thanks
Batman

 

[Chunks]

Here's a bit from the Classical Aeroplanes site

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/airplane/museum/koukenE.html

 

[blackkite]

Hi! There is a replica of Kokenki(航研機) in MISAWA AVIATION AND SCIENCE MUSEUM AOMORI JAPAN.(Near MISAWA air base)
http://www.kokukagaku.jp/01_museum/01_frame.html

One of the designer of Kokenki was Dr.Hidemasa Kimura(木村秀政), the professor of Tokyo Imperial university, who also designed A-26 long distance record plane, YS-11 and Kawanishi TB America bomber. He also did not speak about TB at after the war. He was born in Aomori, this is the reason why the replica of Kokenki is in Misawa Aomori.
Span:27.93m, Length:15.06m, Height:3.6m, Wing area:87.3m2, Empty:4,224kg, MTOW: 9,216kg(at record flight), Cruising speed:196km/h(1,000m), Service ceiling:3,410m, Range: 12,540km(altitude 1,000m), Take off run:1,000m. Engine: Hitachi modified BMW-8 liquid cooling engine(Max power 800hp), Crew : 3.
Source: My No.2 bible and internet site.

 

[Batman10]

Thank you so much.
Anyone know if there is a model?

Thanks
Batman

 

[blackkite]

Hi!
http://www.platz-hobby.com/products/725.html
http://www.platz-hobby.com/categories/1_11_65/sort6/page2.html

 

[Batman10]

Thank you,
to everyone who provided this information.
I have been searching for this information for a long time.

Cheers,
Batman

 

[verner]

Mr. Blackite. I have pics of this aircraft labeled "Waturu". Any idea what this means? TIA

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Sorry I have no idea about Waturu. I never heard such Japanese. ;D I want to see the picture which you have.

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Kokenki. You will see the movies bottom of the following site.

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/airplane/museum/koukenE.html

 

[theponja]

Some fantastic pictures and details about the Gasuden Koken-ki long range Japanese aircraft here:
http://arawasi-wildeagles.blogspot.com.ar/
A blog I recommend for any person interested in Japanese aviation.

Someone has a detailed 3d view of this aircraft?

Regards
Alcides

 

[Winston]

Wow thanks for this

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Enjoy!
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,17021.msg109609.html#msg109609

 

[Winston]

Now I see that the air intake slots at the bottom of the fuselage were added in and not removed! See my comparison photo.

Edit: here's a better one.

 

[theponja]

Hi! Enjoy!
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,17021.msg109609.html#msg109609

Damn ... how difficult is looking for a japanese aircraft. The search didn't bring me this post, of course I didn't know this "another name" for this plane.

Thanks a lot blacktitte the 3d view is the best I've seen until now. Do you think one with panelline like the one on the box model picture exist?

Regards
Alcides

 

[blackkite]

Hmmm....I will check.
Enjoy this video.
http://www.yamafami.com/cm/koukenki/record.html

 

[Stargazer]

Didn't realize we had two threads on the same aircraft... Topics merged.

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Photo gallery.
http://www.yamafami.com/cm/koukenki/photo.html
And some photos.

Explanation of Kokenki.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/07/05/national/only-world-record-setting-japanese-plane-remembered/
The engine was Kawasaki modified BMW-6 engine.(Kawasaki Ha-9)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_VI
And Miki Shobo's Kokenki book.
http://www.mikipress.com/books/2010/02/koken-long-range-mono-plane.html

 

[blackkite]

Hi! English explanation.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/airplane/museum/koukenE.html
And model pictures.
Kokenki（航研機） was a simplified name of "航空研究所試作長距離機(Koku kenkyusho shisaku chokyoriki(experimental long range aircraft))"
機 means Hikoki(飛行機, the aircraft). 飛行 means flying, 機 means machine.
航空研究所 : The Tokyo Empire University Aviation Laboratory
And,
http://hans5.com/samplePdf/koukenki.pdf

 

[blackkite]

Hi!
When record flight, Kokenki had a modified larger area vertical tail stabilizer and oil cooler.
Please compare pic 2 and pic 3.

 

[Stargazer]

Perhaps the best looking plane of the 1930s (and if not, certainly in the top ten). Thanks for keeping the legend of that amazing aircraft alive!

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Kokenki 3-side.
Source : LONG RANGE FLIGHT TEST PLANE "KOKEN-KI" Seirin sha, ISBN4-915552-0515-1 C3053(a collection of photography)
You can compare the vertical tail stabilizer shape by the first 3-side view(after the modification) and the second 3-side view(before the modification) of Kokenki.

 

[Stargazer]

Wow. That book looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing, blackkite.

 

[theponja]

Fantastic Blackkite. Thanks a lot for the pictures.

 

[blackkite]

You are welcome Star and Alcides. Please get the book. Super book!
Second hand book.
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/offer-listing/4915552357/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376998207&sr=1-1&keywords=%E5%86%99%E7%9C%9F%E9%9B%86%E3%80%80%E8%88%AA%E7%A0%94%E6%A9%9F&condition=used