Very Rare B/W Photo of a WWII Japanese Pilot in Front of his Ki.61 Fighter-Tony!

Description: Hi,I have one great very rare photo up for grabs! Description- Original 3 1/4" X 4 1/2" B/W glossy photo of a WWII Japanese Pilot in front of his Kawasaki Ki.61 Fighter nicknamed the 'Tony" by allied forces. The pilot in this photo looks like he is a kid that is barely 20 years old and was probably killed in action. This photo is much more than just an ordinary one. Read on to see why. History-I sourced this photo from a collector who was parting ways with his large collection of WWII photos. I acquired several which I will be putting up for sale over the next month. This particular photo has some history which I discovered during my research. Since a few of the photos came from a well known author in the aviation world, Richard M. Bueschel, I decided to dig deeper. He has authored over 20 books and most deal with WWII Japanese Aircraft. He wrote books for the Arco-Aircam Aviation Series. Each one was about a particular airplane. I purchased a few of the books that matched the photos that I acquired. While thumbing through the Arco-Aircam Aviation Series No 27 on the Kawasaki Ki.61/Ki.100 Hien, I found the same exact photo. I took a picture of the books cover and the photo in the book. The book is not included in this sale. You can purchase one for around $20-$25 right here on eBay. Now there is much more to that photo and its relationship to the book, there is the connection of the photo and it helps show providence. Koku-Fan is a Japanese Aviation Magazine that is very popular with non-Japanese fans. Koku-Fan means Aviation Fan in English. Now, here is the connection. Bueschel(1926-1998), was an aviation fan and started collecting photographs and researching them at an early age. he specialized in WWII Japanese aircraft and Pinball machines! (Go figure) He developed a relationship with a few publishers including Arco-Publishing Co. in the 1960s and with Kuko-fan which has been around since 1952. He obtained the photo here from Kuko-Fan to use in his books. This is mentioned in the header. Some information on the actual aircraft in this photo. The Kawasaki Ki.61 had one other variant, the Ki.100. The cockpit, top and sides of fuselage, wings, and landing gear were the same for each. The Ki.61 had a air scoop under the fuselage which cooled the engine oil and coolant very similar to the P-51 Mustang. The Ki.61 had a streamlined nacelle. The Ki.100's cowling looked more like the Luftwaffe's ME109. The Ki.100 also did not have the pronounced scoop. Though the Ki.61 looks like it would be faster out of the two, the Ki.100 was considered the better fighter and one of Japan's most formidable in WWII. Lets talk about rarity. These original photos of Japanese aircraft are hard enough to find, but those with their pilots are even harder and are highly coveted by collectors. Ebay is filled with all sorts of Japanese Pilot photos, but they are all reproductions for under $10.00. That's fine if that all you can find, but its like buying a Shelby Cobra Kit car. You'll take the kit car but if you came across the original...you would kill for if you could afford it. This photo isn't cheap by any means but it is worth every penny. It is stored in a brand new BCW 4X6 Photo Screwdown Holder which is photo safe. PS-That's me in the last photo hard at work in my version of an office. I have all of my photography aides, laptop, scanner and digital microscope which I use to help identify relics, photos, postcards, stamps and other items. A lot of work goes into making these detailed listings. Shipping is included in this sale. Not only is it included, it will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail. In addition to the photo being protected in an acrylic Screwdown Holder, it will be well protected during shipping for a safe arrival. The best thing about my packaging? Each envelope or package is easy to open!!! How many times have you received a package only to spend ten minutes trying to open it without destroying the contents!!! No extra tape, glue, staples, or my worst fear, items shoved between two pieces of cardboard with tape on every edge requiring a surgeons scalpel to open it!!! I will be listing many more WWII era aircraft from famous collections like Peter M Bowers and others that are well known in the industry. I also have a few WWII Aircraft photos from a well known Japanese photographer. This is a new store for me but I have been on Ebay for over 26 years with perfect feedback. Look in my store for many other great collectables. Please contact me first with any issues. Thanks for looking.

Price: 349.99 USD

Location: Hollywood, Florida

End Time: 2024-07-28T20:38:48.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD