Mitsubishi Ki-57, foreign users

 

The Mitsubishi Ki-57 was a Japanese transport aircraft that was developed from the Ki-21 bomber. It was used by Japan but also by many other countries, like the following ones:

• People's Republic of China: After World War II and the subsequent follow-up of the Chinese Civil War, the Red Army of China took over many Ki-57 transports, left over by the Japanese, mostly in Manchuria, left overs at Changchun airfield. They were employed during the last part of the conflict in the mainland, mainly as trainers, in the flight academy that the Red Army of China (forerunner of the People's Liberation Army) had set in that region. After the war ended, in 1949, they were still being used as trainers until 1952, when they were written off due to their age.
• Republic of China: Just like their Communist foes, the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) used some captured MC-20s (the civilian version of the Ki-57 military transport) after the Japanese retreat in 1945. Those were captured mainly in the Mukden airfield, they were also used during the latest stages of the Chinese Civil War, however, they were mostly either destroyed or captured by the Red Army when the Nationalists retreated to Taiwan. 
• Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China: The Japanese collaborationist puppet government had, theoretically, one MC-20 in strength which was used as the presidential transport of Wang Jingwei (president of the collaborationist government). Further details are unknown and, as we couldn't find graphical information, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Dutch East Indies: In order to repatriate and liberate Allied civilian and soldiers prisoners of war the Rescue of Allied Prisoners of War and Internees (RAPWI) commission, set up a RAPWI-Air transport company. This was founded by Captain Arens, a former KNILM (the official airline of the Dutch East Indies) pilot and was composed of dozens of left-over Japanese airplanes, among them four Ki-57 machines as well as Japanese airmen. A number of those repatriation flights were conducted by Japanese pilots, often accompanied by Dutch soldiers. For example, one of those service repatriation flights was set up between the cities of Bali and Bandung.
• Manchukuo: The Manchukuo National Airways, more known by its Japanese acronym MKKK (a paramilitary organization working for the Japanese Kwantung Army), had in inventory a total of 20 MC-20 machines. These were supplied by Japan and were used as transport and VIP aircraft. During the last stages of World War II, they were taken over by the Manchukuo Imperial Air Force and flew with Japanese markings, though they kept their Manchurian numbers and pilots. Most of them were either destroyed during the Soviet Invasion of Manchuria or captured and given to the Chinese Red Army.
• Second Philippine Republic: The Japanese puppet government set up in the Philippines had one MC-20 which was used as the presidential transport of José P. Laurel (the president of that republic). As we couldn't find further info nor pics of this aircraft, the drawing should be considered as speculative.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-57

2. http://cwlam2000.epizy.com/manchu_x.htm#6、三菱陸軍百式運輸機_/_MC-20_（1945）（Mitsubishi_Ki-57_,_MC-20）(M-600,_601,602,_603,_604,_605...) (translated as much as we could)

3. https://www.ipms.nl/artikelen/nedmil-luchtvaart/vliegtuigen-m/vliegtuigen-m-mitsubishi-ki57 (translated)

4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_M-.html

Mitsubishi Ki-21, foreign users

 

The Mitsubishi Ki-21 was a Japanese twin-engined bomber which took part in the World War II. Its main user was Japan, however, it was used by some other users:

• France: After the War, some few Ki-21 were used in Indochina by the French Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) during the First Indochina War. They were originally Ki-21-IIb bombers converted ad-hoc into transports with their defensive armament removed. These machines were very worn out so their usage through that conflict wasn't very prolonged and they were most likely, replaced. 
• Manchukuo: The Manchukuo Imperial Air Force had 6 Ki-21-Ia bombers in strength in the year 1941. They were assigned to 2nd Air Unit, based in Fengtian, but, most probably, they were not used very much and were either destroyed on ground or left to rot. 
• Thailand: Nine Ki-21-IIa bombers were sold to the Kingdom of Thailand in 1940 to be used by the Royal Thai Air Force against the Vichy French forces in Indochina. However they couldn't take part in the Franco-Thai War as crews didn't complete training in time. They were part of the 62nd Squadron and were based at Don Muang, in Bangkok. In 1942, when the Japanese Army invaded Burma, the Thai Army invaded the Shan States, using their Ki-21 extensively against the defending Chinese forces. Two Thai Ki-21s were lost on air raids on 2nd May 1943 and 30th November 1944 when they were based in Lampang, North-West of Thailand. The remaining seven were kept in active after the war and it wasn't until 1949 that they were written off service and were immediately scrapped.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-21

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchukuo_Imperial_Air_Force

3. https://www.traditions-air.fr

4. http://wings-aviation.ch/51-Profiles/M/M-Basis-en.htm (translated)

Airspeed Envoy, part three

The Airspeed Envoy was a British light, twin-engined transport aircraft that was designed and built by Airspeed Ltd. in the 1930s.
The Envoy was designed by A.H. Tiltman as a twin-engine development of the earlier Courier. It used the same wooden construction outer wing panels and innovative retracting main undercarriage.
It was a twin-engined low-wing cabin monoplane entirely made out of wood with fabric-covered control surfaces. It had a rearwards retracting main undercarriage with a fixed tailwheel. It was built in three series. The series I was the initial production variant which didn't have trailing-edge flaps, with just 17 of them being manufactured. The series II featured split-flaps and just 13 of them were built. The series III was similar to series II but with detailed minor improvements and 19 of them were built. Each series was sold with a different engine choice, including the Wolseley Aries, Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah V or Armstrong-Siddeley Lynx IVC, radial engines. Those engines were housed in a variety of cowlings, mostly short-chord Townend rings, but also wider chord cowlings with or without blisters for cylinder heads.
The prototype, registered as G-ACMT, flew for the first time on 26th June 1934 and was shown to the public at the exhibition made by the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) at Hendon aerodrome, in London on month later, in July. Small-production scale was set-up at Airspeed's factory in Portsmouth.
It was manufactured in many variants, with the most produced ones being AS.6J Envoy III which was powered by two 345 hp Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah IX (27 exemplars made), and AS.6E Envoy III which was powered by two 340 hp Walter Castor engines (just 5 exemplars made).
It was used by many countries:

• United Kingdom: The first production Envoy I, registered as G-ACVH, flew in October 1934 and was used as a company demonstrator. The second, belonging to the Series I, but powered by two Wolseley Aries III engines, was delivered to Lord Nuffield, in order to take part in the MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia in 1934. However, the aircraft was damaged and it was withdrawn from the race, to be replaced by the Airspeed AS.8 Viceroy (which we made a post some days ago, check it out). One Envoy participated in the Schlesinger Air Race, from Portsmouth to Johannesburg, in South Africa, but it crashed killing the crew of two.
  At least three Envoy III were taken on charge by the Royal Air Force to serve with the No.24 Squadron. The military Envoys were used for VIP Transport duties from as early as 1937 (when the first one was officially acquired by the RAF) until 1942 when all of them were either damaged or destroyed).
• Germany: The German Luftwaffe had at least 3 Envoys. Two of them being ex-Czechoslovak, which were given to Finland in March 1942, and a captured one which was used at Fluglehrer-schule Brandenburg-Briest, a flying school. The fate of this machine is unknown but, most likely, it was destroyed during the course of the war.
• Japan: Two Envoys I were sent to Japan in 1935, one for evaluation by the Japan Air Transport Co. (NKY-KK) and one for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS), labelled as Airspeed LXM. Three months later they ordered four more Envoys and a production license was also acquired.
  Production started at Mitsubishi's factory, in Nagoya, Japan, as Mitsubishi Hinazaru-type Passenger Transport. It was initially powered by the Gasuden Jimpu radial engine, but later they were replaced by either the Armstrong-Siddeley Lynx or the Wolseley Aries III engines. Mitsubishi built eleven machines in total and they had landing flaps which weren't fitted to any other Airspeed-built Envoys. When the Jimpu-powered aircraft was tested, it all finished with a crash, killing the flight-test observer, being that the first fatality during flight testing of a Mitsubishi Aircraft. The crash was blamed upon the engines, which produced excessive drag, so a decision to switch to British engines was taken. As we said, eleven aircraft were made and all of them served with the NKY-KK, which later became Greater Japan Airways.
  Apparently at least one was given to Manchukuo Imperial Air Force.
• Manchukuo: It seems that an unknown number of Mitsubishi-built Envoys were passed on to Manchukuo National Airways, which was the paramilitary organization that acted as Manchukuo's airline. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of the Envoy serving in Manchukuo's colours, the drawing should be considered as speculative. The fate of these machines is unknown, but they were most probably, destroyed during the War.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspeed_Envoy

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchuria_Aviation_Company

3. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/114456/Airspeed-AS-6J-Envoy

4. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/114447/Airspeed-AS-6E-Envoy

5. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/airspeed_prewar.pdf

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._24_Squadron_RAF

Aichi D1A

The Aichi D1A was a Japanese carrier-based dive bomber. It was created as the Imperial Japanese Navy needed an advanced carrier-bomber and therefore, in 1934 they prompted Aichi to finish their AB-9 design, which had already one prototype into service, the D1A1.
It was designed by the German Ernst Heinkel who worked on request of Aichi. Initially it was highly based on the Heinkel He.50 but it was equipped with floaters instead of a fixed landing gear, however, the prototype of the very next model, the Heinkel He.66 was sold to Aichi which they manufactured it as the Aichi D1A1.
As it was based on the export model of the Heinkel He.50, (the He.66) it was a metallic biplane with a fabric covering, a fixed landing gear and a conventional tail landind skid. Initially they were powered by either 490hp or 580hp engines but it wasn't until the second model, the D1A2 came that it was powered by the more powerful 730hp Nakajima Hikari radial engine. It had an offensive armament of two 7.7mm type 92 machine guns plus one defensive 7.7mm type 92 one. It could also carry one 250 bomb under the fuselage and 2 30kg bombs under the wings.
They mainly were used from the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 until Japan entered the World War 2 in December 1941. At the beginning of the Pacific War all D1A1 models were decommissioned and the remaining D1A2 were retired from the frontlines and used as advanced bomber trainers. There is, however, one exception because some of them were still being used as second-line support bombers until 1942 in mainland China. After most of them were retired they were handed to the Manchukuo's coast guard where they served most probably until the end of the war.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_D1A
2. http://www.aviastar.org/air/japan/aichi_d1a.php