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Need some help with a 'meatball' a/c

Heya folks!

I'm a scuba diving instructor who lived on Guam for two years. One of my goals in life is to model some of the sites that I dove. Two wrecks are easy to do in my prefered scale (God's own scale!) of 1/72: an LVT "Waterbuffalo" which is the exact same kit as the Airfix kit, and a Val bomber. I'm having some trouble with the third.

I don't even know what kind of a/c it really is. It's a seaplane with two floats, and two seats both facing forward. I have conflicting reports from other divers that it is either a Japanese or a pre-war US civilian type. I'm under the presumption that it is Japanese. Giving that it DEFINITELY has two floats that leaves us with only a couple of options: Either a Zeke or an Alf. I'm PRETTY sure that it has a round forward fuselage like a Zeke. I've been told by a few divers that there is a second wing nearby, which implies that it's an Alf.

Here's my question: Does anyone out there know of any other WWII Japanese seaplanes that had two floats and two seats to them? If so, can you respond with links to pictures so that I can compare them to pics that I have from divers.

Thanks a bunch!

-andyh

Reply to
Drew Hill
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At first you indicated it might be a civil aircraft. Two floats were the common float arrangement on aircraft converted to seaplane from landplane, so if you are still open to civil, it could be just about any civil aircraft with a radial engine. I am assuming from your choices of Japanese aircraft it is low wing, right? Could be a Lockheed Altair if it is wood fuselage. Can you tell if fuselage is wood, metal, or fabric/tube?

Reply to
Don Stauffer

on 3/8/2009 10:18 AM (ET) Drew Hill wrote the following:

Maybe an Aichi E13A1 "Jake"?

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Reply to
willshak

Technically, Jakes were 3-seaters. Still it could be one. It could also be an Aichi E16A1 Paul, an M6A1 Seiran, a Watanabe E9W1 Slim or a Yokosuka E14Y1 Glen. That's assuming it's Japanese. Alf and Slim were biplanes.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Reply to
Mad-Modeller

It's most definitely a low wing and most definitely metal. Weirdly enough, the wing(s) are upside down and the fuselage is rightside up pointing to the aft of the wing. The tail of the aircraft is rounded on trailing edge, and the two seats are hard fastened pointing forward. The majority of the divers I've talked to believe that the a/c is Jap- anese, not civilian. But no one is sure.

I really appreciate all of the help folks!

Reply to
Drew Hill

Cool link! I checked the photos there (that would be a seriously cool dive site!) but the a/c I've dove on is most assuredly not a three seater.

Thanks for the effort though!

WWII Meatball a/c just aren't my bag is all. :)

Reply to
Drew Hill

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