I guess the kamikazes weren’t such a surprise then.
Jap Pilots Ride to DEATH on Flying Bombs
By Ray Holt
The current conflict between Japan and China has brought out an amazing revelation of the methods by which Japanese pilots assure air bombs reaching their target by putting a man inside to steer them. Why? Read the reasons in this article, and you’ll have a better understanding of Japanese psychology toward the machines of war.
IMAGINE yourself strapped within a hollow chamber inside a huge air bomb, surrounded on all sides by high explosives. In front of you is an airplane type rudder which steers the tail unit of the bomb. Windows in the nose enable you to see ahead. You’re loaded into the bomb, which is placed in its nest under the fuselage of a bombing plane. The bomber takes off, soars above a target—say, an ammunition dump of the enemy. Up above you, the pilot of the plane pulls a lever. Read the rest of this entry »
This certainly wouldn’t have any problem landing in the Hudson…
THIS PLANE BLOWS UP
BLOW it up and then fly it. That’s all there is to taking off with the new Inflatoplane developed by Goodyear Aircraft Corp. Deflated, the plane can be carried in the back of a station wagon. Wing, tail, assembly and pilot’s seat are made of Airmat—joined layers of inflatable rubber-coated nylon fabric.
The rubber craft can be pumped up in a few minutes and requires less air pressure than is used in four auto tires. A two-cycle, 40-hp engine mounted above the wing powers the little ship, which requires more than 300 ft. to take off. It is said to have a lot of bounce to the ounce.