Item:
ONSV8714

Original U.S. WWII 1945 Japanese Nakajima J1N1 Gekkō Irving Night Fighter Recognition Model Airplane by Cruver

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. During World War Two there was a mass of teaching materials used by the armed forces to train gunners and aircrew in the identification of aircraft, ships and ground vehicles. The ability of servicemen to identify "friend or foe" in an instant was crucial to combat survival and the subject of recognition was taught in just about every World War II service school. Trained spotters were important to the war effort and to aid them 1:72 scale plastic models were made. The manufacturers Cruver and Design Center for airplane models are well known as being the primary providers of almost all production models in plastic.

This is a beautiful, original (cellulose acetate) Cruver model with no distortion or deterioration. Underbody designation reads:

IRVING
JAP F. & REC.
MAY
'45
Cruver Circle C logo

This model  with a wingspan is 9.25" and fuselage length 6.5" and is offered in excellent condition.

The Nakajima J1N1 Gekkō (月光 "Moonlight") is a twin-engine aircraft used by the Japanese Imperial Navy during World War II and was used for reconnaissance, night fighter, and kamikaze missions. The first flight took place in May 1941. It was given the Allied reporting name "Irving", since the earlier reconnaissance version the J1N1-C, was mistaken for a fighter.

In early 1943, Commander Yasuna Kozono(小園 安名 of the 251st Kōkūtai in Rabaul came up with the idea of installing 20 mm cannons, firing upwards at a 30-degree angle in the fuselage. Against orders of central command, which was skeptical of his idea, he tested his idea on a J1N1-C as a night fighter. The field-modified J1N1-C KAI shot down two B-17s of 43rd Bomb Group attacking air bases around Rabaul on 21 May 1943.

The Navy took immediate notice and placed orders with Nakajima for the newly designated J1N1-S nightfighter design. This model was christened the Model 11 Gekkō (月光, "Moonlight"). It had a crew of two, eliminating the navigator position. Like the KAI, it had twin 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannon firing upward in a 30° upward angle, but added a second pair firing downward at a forward 30° angle, allowing attacks from above or below. This arrangement was effective against B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and B-24 Liberators, which usually had Sperry ball turrets for ventral defense. The Gekkō's existence was not quickly understood by the Allies, who assumed the Japanese did not have the technology for night fighter designs. Early versions had nose searchlights in place of radar. Later models, the J1N1-Sa Model 11a, omitted the two downward-firing guns and added another 20 mm cannon to face upward as with the other two. Other variants without nose antennae or searchlight added a 20 mm cannon to the nose.

The J1N1-S was used against B-29 Superfortresses in Japan, though the lack of good radar and insufficient high-altitude performance handicapped it, since usually only one pass could be made against the higher-speed B-29s. However, some skillful pilots had spectacular successes, such as Lieutenant Sachio Endo, who was credited with destroying eight B-29s and damaging another eight before he was shot down by a B-29 crew, Shigetoshi Kudo (nine victories), Shiro Kuratori (six victories), and Juzo Kuramoto (eight victories); the last two claimed five B-29s during the night of 25–26 May 1945.[citation needed] Another Gekkō crew shot down five B-29's in one night, but these successes were rare. Many Gekkō's were also shot down or destroyed on the ground. A number of Gekkō's were relegated to kamikaze attacks, using 250 kg (550 lb) bombs attached to the wings.

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