Japanese Secret Projects - Kayaba's Kraftei

[Skyraider3D]

Since Midland Publishing's Japanese Secret Projects book has been released last November/December, I thought I'd show another one of the images I made for this book, here!

This is the Kayaba Katsuodori, a tiny point-defence ramjet-powered interceptor. With the aid of four take-off rocket boosters it would get up to speed, ignite its ramjet and climb to meet hordes of allied bombers heading for Japanese cities.

In concept the Katsuodori was pretty much alike the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, which was nicknamed the Kraftei (power egg). Alike the Komet, it was a tailless design and had a two-cannon armament, the cannon being crudely mounted underneath the wing roots. There was simply no space for armament in the fuselage and I had great trouble figuring out how to fit both a pilot and a ramjet air duct in that tiny nose of this plane.

Like the Komet it was equipped with droppable landing gear and would land on a skid. But unlike the Komet it would probably not explode upon landing :lol: The ramjet didn't require the dangerous fuel cocktail used by the Komet's rocket motor. Flight endurance would likely have been better too.

The aircraft in the illustration wears the markings of the 71st Sentai of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. In the distance is a typical Pacific theatre-style 11-aircraft box, consisting of B-35 flying wing bombers.

Almost needless to say, the Katuodori never made it beyond a design proposal.


PS. Prints of several images made for Japanese Secret Projects book are now available through http://www.digitalaviationart.com

PPS. Ian Allan has devoted a website to the book and has recently interviewed me as part of this website. It's at: http://www.japanesesecretprojects.com/

 

[Grey Havoc]

Was it meant to be some form of solid fuel ramjet propulsion?

 

[archipeppe]

Absolutely gorgeous!!

 

[Michel Van]

Was it meant to be some form of solid fuel ramjet propulsion?

no
the solid rockets accelerates the Kayaba Katsuodori
to the speed that ramjet start to works

for artwork: marvelous B)

 

[Justo Miranda]

Was it meant to be some form of solid fuel ramjet propulsion?

Liquid fuel: a mixture of wood turpentine and charcoal developped for the Ne-20 turbojet or low quality oil from pine roots developped for the Maru Ka-10 pulsejet

 

[Grey Havoc]

Thanks. I was just wondering, since there was some work being done on solid-fuel ramjets around that time (primarily German work IIRC).

 

[Stargazer]

Splendid piece of work! B)

 

[Justo Miranda]

Please see japanese solid rocket samples here
Unknown source

 

[Skyraider3D]

Thanks for the comments! Glad you like it.

Unknown source

Looks like it's from http://www.hlj.com/product/MDA525

 

[airman]

Please see japanese solid rocket samples here
Unknown source

But was they used during kamikaze missions ? ???
Surely was necessary starting from ground base.

 

[Justo Miranda]

Please see japanese solid rocket samples here
Unknown source

But was they used during kamikaze missions ? ???
Surely was necessary starting from ground base.

Please see http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,6387.0/highlight,ohka%2043.html

 

[Lauge]

....a mixture of wood turpentine and charcoal......

I had some of that in Romania a few years ago. They refer to it as "Palinca" ;D

Regards & all,

Thomas L. Nielsen
Luxembourg

 

[airman]

Please see japanese solid rocket samples here
Unknown source

But was they used during kamikaze missions ? ???
Surely was necessary starting from ground base.

Please see http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,6387.0/highlight,ohka%2043.html

yes , i know, i am referring @ solid rockets mounted on wings !
Sorry if i haven't specified ! :