Kayaba Ka-1 Autogyro

[clipper1801]

Just discovered I don't have this beauty in my collection! I don't think we have any rules for rotor wing minis!?

[csadn]

Just discovered I don't have this beauty in my collection! I don't think we have any rules for rotor wing minis!?

Nope -- but looking at Francillon, some possible rules:

-- Unit may perform two Steep maneuvers in a row. [Side Note: Apparently, the Ka-1 could "hover" if one kicked the nose up 15 degrees.]
-- Speed will be appalling slow -- X[n], if that. However, sharp turns should be non-Steep.
-- Firepower is effectively nonexistent, at least for air combat; the Ka-1's only armament was a pair of 132-lb. depth charges.
-- HP in single-digits; max. wgt. was just over 2,500 lbs.

Oh, and if you're making Ka-1s, you'll need one of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japane...er_Akitsu_Maru , and a few of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokusai_Ki-76 .

Video of Ka-1, including _Akitsu Maru_: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EFt7cLCRSY .

[Baxter]

Very good footage and thanks for the info and links. Neat little ships and useful planes too. Interesting that both ships in the class were torpedoed and sunk by US submarines given that their air complement was anti submarine. I wonder how hard it is to fly one of those autogyros in comparison to a normal plane or helicopter

[csadn]

Very good footage and thanks for the info and links. Neat little ships and useful planes too. Interesting that both ships in the class were torpedoed and sunk by US submarines given that their air complement was anti submarine.

The Japanese feared US subs, and for good reason -- Japanese sub-hunting gear Sucked Out Loud. The only reason US subs weren't far more effective was the infamous FUBAR involving the assumption that Pacific Ocean water was the same as Atlantic Ocean water.

I wonder how hard it is to fly one of those autogyros in comparison to a normal plane or helicopter

Francillon's book reports the Ka-1's flight characteristics were insanely good -- a very short (98') takeoff run with no wind; capacity to "hover" (put the nose up 15 deg., and firewall the throttle), and perform a 360-deg. turn while so doing; and no real vices. Apart from being too small to carry depth charges and a second crewman at once, it was a useful unit.

[Jager]

An interesting aircraft I've not heard of; not sure about it's use in WGS, but interesting. Thanks for the new info, David.

The Japanese feared US subs, and for good reason -- Japanese sub-hunting gear Sucked Out Loud. The only reason US subs weren't far more effective was the infamous FUBAR involving the assumption that Pacific Ocean water was the same as Atlantic Ocean water.

I hadn't read anything about water quality differences in WW2; I thought it was the infamous torpedo issues.
Karl

[csadn]

I hadn't read anything about water quality differences in WW2; I thought it was the infamous torpedo issues.
Karl

Yeah -- misprint on my part; I typed "water" instead of "warhead" (one of the *many* problems was a difference in density between dummy 'heads and actual 'heads).