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Re: Recovered Ki-61 "Tony"

Posted by Rob Greinert on Thu Jun 19, 2003 07:42:48 AM

In reply top Recovered Ki-61 "Tony" posted by Laurent on Thu Jun 19, 2003 06:19:08 AM

This is a usefull discussion and thanks for raising it.

Firstly the Tony fuselage that I have currently here in Sydney, with the bit missing just behind the cockpit,is 292 ex Alexishafen airfield, Madang. Rcovered in 1984 and shipped to Moresby for the PNG Museum.

I can say this with authority because myself and a couple of other people put it on the truck in 84 and sent it to the Madang docks.

Unfortunately the airframe suffered badly in the Moresby environs and it was very much a case of save it now or loose it forever and two years ago a restoration arrangement was made with the PNG National Museum. Hence the machines appearance in Sydney.

We are still in the hunter/gathering stage at the moment and await the collection of a number of Kawasaki V12s and a wing.

The PNGs Museums really good Tony "640" is the ex Nuku machine as shown in Darbys book on page 3. What happened over the years is too long to go into but the situation is now stabilised.

As for other places like Borpop, you will still find Tony remains but the airframes are badly deteriorated due to the lack of protective surface finishes.

THe Borpop machine was never recovered. Dismantled and taken to the beach just before Independence was granted to PNG. For reasons far to complicated to explain here, the export was blocked by Sir Julius Chan, the incoming minister responsible for these things at the time. The white fella didnt come back and today the Borpop aircraft lies rotted on the beach.

When I was doing the Beaufort parts recovery at Tadji in Nov 2000 for the AWM we were taken by a villager to a Tony lying on its back. It was that fragile we were afraid to pick it up, the thing was that badly corroded. Had we put it on a truck and sent it down the coast some 250 miles and 38 river crossings, I doubt there would have been anything left.

For those that know me, leaving this behind was a really hard thing to do.

Trust this has been of some interest.

ROB

: Hello,
:
: Trying to fgure out exactly how many Ki-61 were recovered/
: preserved in the last 20 years.
:
: What did i find :
:
: - One ex Worcester collection now in store with Kermit Wee
: ks in the US (serial 379)
:
: - Another partial one ex Worcester collection in the hands
: of R. Greinert in Australia stored for possible future re
: storation (serial 299 ???)
:
: - One with the PNG museum in Port Moresby (serial 640).
:
: - One imported in the US (from Babo) early 90's and at one
: time with the MoF.
:
: Many ? remain :
:
: - Is the one with the PNG museum really the 640 we have al
: l seen wonderful photos in Ch. Darby book ? When i see it'
: s condition today, i can't believe we are speaking of the
: same aircraft
:
: - What happened to the one formely in the hands of the Mus
: eum of flying (MoF) ? Ant news ?
:
: - What are the whereabouts of the one recovered mid sevent
: ies from Borbop airfield (New Ireland) ?
:
: - Is anybody aware of any other Ki-61 not included in this
: too short list ?
:
: - Is there any recoverablr or restorable Ki-61 in the fiel
: d ?
:
: Thanks for your comments and have a nice day.
:
: Laurent

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