Zero HALINSKI 1/33

    Hi Yu,


    great model indeed! How does the model compare to the Zero from P-Model, which also looks quite detailed?


    Best,


    Matthias

    When I built this Zero, I just assembled it straight from the kit without adding details.
    Recently happened to find out pictures of restored seat for Zero and would like to introduce it to modelers who are interested in building Japanese fighter planes of WWII.
    According to explanation, the belt attached to left side top of the seat is fastened to the similar width belt located at lower right side of the seat to hold pilot.
    I assume other Japanese fighter planes of this era must have had similar seat construction.
    　
    Just for your reference

    Yu, beautiful build! And many thanks for pertinent information on the seat belt (the issue came up in another thread, didn't it?).


    Norm, I made the same observation (about the low position of the instrument panel) when I first looked into a museum DH Vampire (used by the Swedish Air Force as a tie-over introduction to the jet era). My only conclusion was that the pilots neither needed, nor wasted time on, watching the instruments very much.


    The report of one young pilot taking the Vampire into the air for the first time (after having flown prop aircraft only) bears witness to this. He found himself at 20.000 feet before even looking at the instruments for the first time after take-off.


    Incidentally, you will find the same curious configuration of the instrument panel on slower aircraft as well, for exampel the Aironca C2.


    L.

    Dankbar für die Gelegenheit auf Englisch schreiben zu dürfen, kann aber Antworten problemlos auf Deutsch lesen.

    Edited once, last by Leif Ohlsson ().

    @Gunni-san,
    Thank you for your warm compliment


    @Norm-san,
    I didnt even think of position of instrument panel.
    I'm very much impressed with your careful observation


    @Henni-san,
    I visited your thread and was shocked by your build. Its much better than my build :super:


    @Leif-san,
    Thank you very much for your convincing explanation about position of instrument panel. Thanks to your explanation, I feel like I become a bit wiser.
    Yes, this topic was raised in other thread and after reading that thread I got interested in Japanese planes construction and found out those pictures pertaining to seat belt.


    And other interesting article found out is ejection seat.
    Even during WWII, Germany had ejection seat powered by compressed air later by an explosive cartridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ejector_seat) but it is unlikely that Japanese planes were provided with ejection seat during WWII　because, in the first place, there are no article pertaining to Japanese ejection seat found. In the second place, many survived pilots later told that they were told to die rather than being taken prisoner. From the ancient time, in Japan, being taken prisoner is considered to be the greatest shame. You can find out this mind set in James Clavells novel SHOGUN. During the war, military official reiterated this slogan. For them captivated soldiers are same as dead because they can no longer fight against enemy. It can be easily imagine that with this mind set they must not have taken the trouble to develop ejection seat. In the third place, according to survived pilots account, many of them did not bring parachute with them because of the slogan they were told and, especially navy pilots, there were no hope for deliverance in a vast ocean even they escape from a plane.
    Japan didnt have rescue team then.
    Japanese legendary ace pilot of Zero, Saburo Sakai, later told that he too did not bring parachute with him. He made up his mind to die in the cockpit because he was told the slogan and even he equips parachute, as it is laid on the seat, it will be of no use because it goes rotten with urine.