As the war dragged on, improved bombers failed to materialize so Mitsubishi fielded different versions of the G4M to fulfill new missions, and to eliminate the various weaknesses in the basic design. The Type 91 had been designed specifically for the Hawaii attack and Pearl Harbors shallow water, though there it was carried by single-engine, carrier-launched Nakajima B5N2 Kates. Possibly, assigned to the 761 Kktai (761 Air Group). We are now sought out by governments and institutions, nationally and internationally, for our expertise in the restoration and operation of vintage aircraft. AS I AM FINANCIALLY INDEPENDEDENT I DONT HAVE ANY NEED OR DESIRE TO PLAY THE COLLECTOR MARKET. Subscribe here! But as Allied fighter strength increased, the BETTY began to reveal its fatal vulnerabilities. We called her Betty. Few would know it by its official designation, the Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber. wreck of betty japanese bomber in jungle, rabaul, east new britain, papua new guinea, pacific - betty bomber stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Teenager Betty Burden plays with a young boy on a bomb site in Birmingham, 13th January 1951. She can easily apply heavy pressure on the point or in flanking lanes using both Hail of Bombs and Cluster Grenade . With sale prices of restored warbirds so high, and even projects expensive, what is the 'value' of wrecked aircraft? He has an aircraft recovery permit Greinert himself has promoted 'false facts' specifically, on WRG Discussion Board (WIX) under his alias 'Jungle Bob' or writing letters to PNG Museum with allegations about others. AND PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS PWD OFTEN GET IT WRONG AND ARE RELUCTANT TO CHANGE THEIR REPORTINGS WHEN THE ERRORS ARE EXPOSED. IN REFLECTION, I THINK THAT ITS BEST TO CONSIDER SALVAGE, IN ORDER TO SAVE THE AEROPLANE FROM THE ENTHUSIASTS. APART FROM THE P47 PARTS ACQUIRED FOR OUR P47 PROJECT, WE WERE GIVEN THE TAIL OF [P-39F 41-38351] BY THE MUSEUM FOR OUR INHOUSE P-39 PROJECT. The PNG Museum's motto is 'Preserve and protect PNG's unique cultural, national & contemporary heritage' How does your work help this aim? From the first day of war until after the surrender, BETTY bombers saw service throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans. THE TONY RESTORATION WILL ALSO BE FEATURED IN A FORTHCOMING EDITION OF Classic Wings Magazine. Operationally, BETTY crews achieved much in their first year of combat. | Designed by Brent Peterson Digital Ink. One of the Bettys last combat assignments was to carry torpedo-shaped Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka single-seat kamikaze rocket planes to within striking distance of U.S. fleets. It was Captain Francis Low who first came up with the idea to use air craft carriers to launch bomber planes from the sea instead of the mainland. ONCE AGAIN IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE MATERIAL SAVED AND THE STORY OF THE 5TH AIR FORCE PRESERVED BACK IN AMERICA. THE ENGINEERING INVOLVED IN SOME CASES IS QUITE MIND NUMBING, CURRENTLY WE ARE INVOLVED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW CENTRE SECTION SPARS FOR THE PNG MUSEUMS P38. It is impossible to recover everything. The Allies gave the G4M the code name "Betty". The B-25 is not under threat of scrapping. Opens in a new window or tab. THIS I CONSIDER ALARMING AND A THREAT TO HERITAGE AND TOURISM. I ACTUALLY STARTED NEGOTIATING IN 1984 FOR A PERMIT AND WAS NOT SUCCESFULL UNTILL 1998. Of a total of 273 F-82s produced, 20 were F-82Bs. It was not recovered, rather restored in Arizona & flew itself to Australia and is registered as VH-EAG. EVERYBODY KNEW ABOUT THEM, NOBODY WAS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT, IT WAS GREAT TO SAVE THEM AND SEE THEM GO TO GOOD HOMES. IS IT REALLY THE GREATEST WW2 WRECK LEFT? CLARIFICATION The model has been enlarged along the z axis to allow for better . Two major portions survive: the nose including the entire flight deck, and ten feet of the fuselage. It was then bought by Lodwick Aircraft Industries, Lakeland, FL in February 1946 where it was first civilian registered as NX69345. When did you first travel to Papua New Guinea? Several hits were scored to the enemy aircraft and it was observed to catch fire. Minister Verrall said she had lost confidence that Mr . NONE THAT COME TO MIND. ITS BEEN A LOT OF FUN. Just picked up a Lindberg 1/72 Betty bomber and it looks like an old Aurora or Revell release from the sixties.Literally no interior detail,no instrument panel,joysticks radio s nothing,just 3 seated crew figures.Also features over size rivets that I had to sand down.True I only paid five bucks but wow worse than an old Airfix kit!On the positive side,it does seem to have the correct general . THESE GUYS RECENTLY CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF LILLY AND HELEN BOMBERS ON THE PNG NORTH COAST FOR POTENTIAL SALVAGE TO ORDER FOR AN AMERICAN COLLECTOR(S). Bettys flew on the opening day of WWII, and they helped close out the war as well. The NASM G4M Model 34 BETTY is not complete but it is the best-preserved example of this famous aircraft in the world. THE RECOVERY WAS SIMPLY PUT ON TO SAVE A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT P-40S THAT NEEDED SAVING. Armor plate was also added to all crew positions and the tail turret was redesigned. The plane was equipped with a top turret, waist guns and in later models a nose gun that was operated by the bombardier. their recovery Its official designation is Mitsubishi Navy Type 1 attack bomber (, , Ichishiki rikuj kgeki ki, Isshikirikuk) and was commonly referred . I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT AVAIATION HISTORY AND ITS PRESERVATION. As a result of these modifications, the fuselage was shortened and the center-of-gravity shifted forward. Why were tourist attractions taken? They did nothing. In his post Mr Campbell said, "Christopher Luxon might be able to rescue his party from stupidity on climate change, but rescuing this from a well he has dug himself might be harder.". War relics with remains aboard are consider 'war graves' by the United States, Japan and Australia a very different classification all three countries make efforts to recover remains only from these sites, Beaufighter A19-144 The Mitsubishi G4M1, or "Betty Bomber" aircraft lies 20 metres underwater at the Truk Lagoon. SIMPLY THE PROPOSED RESTORERS LOVE OF HISTORY AND HIS DESIRE TO SEE IT SAVED Bomber missions demonstrate the credibility of U.S. forces to address a complex and uncertain security environment.(U.S. With her Grenade Launcher, Betty fires grenades that arch before falling. Same engines, same twin-engine configuration, same size, give it some gunsjust make it a lot faster and longer-legged.. Betty . Speak about your Vanuatu recovery of P-40Fs. Greinert was/is AS REGARDS TOURISM AND IMPACT ON HISTORY, THATS AN ISSUE FOR GOVERNMENTS TO DECIDE. Speak about your work with established museums The bomber crew (little Arthur Askey & co) try to avoid betrothal, while convincing the girls to update their traditions. I BELIEVE IT WAS CHARLES DARBY WHO SUCCINTLY PUT IT THAT "ALL WRECKS" SHOULD BE SAVED WHERE POSSIBLE FOR POSTERITY. G4M Betty in flames after being shot down by the PB4Y-1 "Porter's Posse" of VB-106 off the coast of Biak Island on May 15, 1944. There was no self-sealing mechanism, which would have required a 1-inch-thick soft rubber layer weighing about 660 pounds, either inside or outside the fuel tanks, substantially reducing the tanks capacity. The Japanese called them wingtip escorts, assumedly so-named from their position in the main formation, and they were gunned up with extra 20mm cannons in place of light machine guns. One of the best-known Betty carcasses was on display for years at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, Calif. We had takeout burgers and chili beans. Our B-25 is painted in honor of Capt. No one ever imagined it would grow to the organization it has today but it certainly has become one of the foremost organizations in the field of aviation preservation. The G4M2 was a complete redesign but it did not overcome the airplane's vulnerability to Allied firepower. . Though the Betty was initially laid out by engineer Joji Hattori, the lead designer was Kiro Honjo, a good friend of Zero fighter designer Jiro Horikoshi. What do you feel should be done with remaining relics of war. To ensure the long term survival of an object for the benefit of future generations is one of the greatest privileges a person can have in life. It was recovered from New Guinea in 1991 by warbird salvager Bruce Fenstermaker, in a joint venture with the Santa Monica Museum of Flying. Like its stablemate, Mitsubishi's Zero Fighter (see NASM collection for two examples), the Hamaki soldiered on long after it became obsolete, even dangerous, to fly wherever Allied interceptors prowled. Robert Greinert is an Australian Like the Mitsubishi Zero Fighter (also in the NASM collection), the Hamaki soldiered on long after it became obsolete, even dangerous, to fly wherever Allied interceptors prowled. The coleslaw was great!! This is a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" livery for the Ju-88 so it can be used as a stand in for the Betty Bomber. CLARIFICATION The F-82B on display, Betty-Jo, flew from Hawaii to New York on Feb. 27-28, 1947, a distance of 5,051 miles, the longest non-stop flight ever made by a propeller-driven fighter. The white Bettys flew from Japan to Ie Shima, a small Okinawan island, where the Japanese were transferred to a C-54 and carried on to Manila to meet with Douglas MacArthur and his staff. Mitsubishi tried again to reduce the bomber's tendency to burn. displays a restored SBD-3 Dauntless dive bomber recovered by the US Navy from underwater in Lake Michigan where it had lain since 1944. The recovery of the Beaufighters caused a national stir. Mitsubishi incorporated this same design feature in the Zero, for the same reasons and with the same results. Here's how the last D-Day Tank Landing Craft was rescued. NASM restoration staff began working on the aircraft in January 1994. They would disgorge hundreds of commandos dressed in USAAF uniforms. The fuselage Hinomaru was outlined with a white square. Pre-Owned. Initial results were impressive, but the Navy shelved the bomber for a time in favor of a variant to be called the G6M1. The day of big-gun ships was over, though the worlds navies didnt yet know it. Many of the Grumman F4F Wildcats and Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers on display today were recovered from Lake Michigan years after training crashes sent them to rest on the murky bottom. Japanese Navy pilots called it "" Hamaki (Cigar), due to its cylindrical shape. IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE SPECFIC PROJECT AND ITS NEEDS. A view from above, also an indication of how far Betty fell when in the elevator. The F6F Hellcat gave the U.S. Navy the edge it needed to beat the Japanese. . Homeward bound, the Bettys were appropriately snakebit. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. HOW OTHERS SEE IT IS THEIR BUSINESS. Honjo apparently also decided that an untapered fuselage ending in a large tail-gunners station made sense aerodynamically. Leaving aviation objects outside to rot and be scrapped is not an option. How much of salvaged aircraft can actually be used? The only wreck known to be salvaged by USAF Museum is a O-38F. You have salvaged a variety of aircraft from PNG that were displayed at airports and their museum. WE ARE CURENTLY PLANNING A WEB BASED PRODUCT EITHER ATTACHED TO ANOTHER WEBSITE OR A STAND ALONE TO TELL THE WHOLE STORY. With no work done to date on P-38 project. What companies, groups, do you you work with? White G4M that carried the Japanese surrender delegation, 1945. removed from Girua Airport Co-piloted by Victor Tatelman, it escorted two Betty bombers carrying the Japanese peace envoys to Ie Shima on August 19, 1945, and again on the return mission from the conference in Manila with General MacArthurs staff. Rather than pull all-nighters, he spent a lot of time in Cambridge playing poker. Or, is it always cheaper to recover a 'real' wreck than to make new ones? Its G4M1 1280 was funded by another museum, which tried to sell it but found no buyers and was later donated to Plane of Fame. TO DATE THE PNG STATE HAS DETERMINED IT SHOULD COME OUT AND BE SAVED. WE FORWARD PLAN UP TO FIVE YEARS IN ADVANCE. Nobody is sure how many torpedoes hit the two British battlewagons, but three days after Pearl Harbor, wave after wave of Nells and Bettys achieved at least nine Type 91 hits and possibly as many as 21. The only Betty remnant in Japan is owned by a wealthy automotive importer/exporter, Nobuo Harada. It has become trendy for the younger generation to promote dissent within the International preservation movement and argue that wrecks should be left where they are. If this does not work then try restarting the game. What are your feelings about the 'Swamp Ghost'? Yet, items recovered have been traded, donated and sold to other organizations, or other items not part of promised projects salvaged for others, who do not have their own permits in that country. You have completed projects related to aircraft, but none with PNG aircraft yet. Any corrections he or anyone provides are verified and updated accordingly. Few would know it by its official designation, the Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber. THERE ARE SOME STRATEGIC RELICS SUCH AS [Ki-49 Hellen 3220] AT ALEXISHAFEN THAT SHOULD REMAIN WHERE THEY ARE. The G4M had . HASNT BEEN DONE BEFORE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. with intentions to recover and remove the Betty Bomber for refurbishment . I THINK THAT ANY INTELLIGENT THINKING PERSON WOULD SEE THE LOGIC OF A EVEN WELL BALANCED APPROACH WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DATE. export or removal, CLARIFICATION I HAVE BEEN CREDITED ERRONOUSLY FOR DOING A LOT OF THINGS I DIDNT DO. He omitted armor plate. Why is little about yourself or projects published? A LOT OF PEOPLE, VETERANS, ENTHUSIASTS, MUSEUMS ETC COME TO US AND ASK US TO HELP. In 1994 restoration was started to create Betty's Dream. The NASM G4M Model 34 BETTY is not complete but it is the best-preserved example of this famous aircraft in the world. The tail gun was a 20mm cannon, though a relatively ineffective one. The B-25, 45-8835, switched hands a couple of times in Canada including, Aurora Aviation Ltd, G&M Aircraft Ltd and eventually ended up back in the United States at Aero Trader in Chino, CA in 1993. Delivery & Pickup Options - 294 reviews of Betty Bombers "Went there past 9pm, nice ambience, three people were there and i thought uh oh, hope that their food is good and it was!! The Allies called it the BETTY but to the men that flew the airplane, it was popularly, but unofficially, the 'Hamaki,' Japanese for cigar, in honor of the airplane's rotund, cigar-shaped fuselage. Retail $37.11. Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), PACIFIC AIRCRAFT WRECKS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. The importance of this piece as an artifact from the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme did not go unnoticed and eventually the Australian War Memorial approached me with a view to acquiring it. A VERY SELECT SAMPLE FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES IS MORE LIKE WHAT I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN. During the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945, the U. S. Navy lost 21 vessels sunk and 217 damaged. At the age of 19 I hauled back to Sydney with a friend the remains of an Avro Anson cockpit which was my first restoration effort. https://www.historynet.com/mitsubishi-g4m-betty-bombed/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot. IN THE CASE OF PNG THE MODERN HISTORY SECTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM WILL ISSUE A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION PROCEEDURE. The Airacomet was the first jet aircraft in U.S. service, and this example, s/n 12-108777, is believed to be the tenth airframe in the production run. IF YOU ARE LIVING IN A INTERNET COCOON YOU ARE NOT GOING HEAR MUCH ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON Many items from the PNG museum's collection were removed in late 2000-1 by yourself and '75 Squadron'. What do you say to those worldwide who would like to visit this wreck, and see it remain there the way the war left it? Trucking to Sydney. Before serial production of the Betty began in 1940, Mitsubishi was ordered to first create a G4M heavy fighter variant designated the G6M1. Recently we were selected by the South Australian Government to repair and operate the Southern Cross replica. Planes of Fame did not salvage any Pacific Wreck. THE MEMORY OF OUR FATHERS IS NOT SERVED WELL BY A PILE OF CUT SCRAP THAT HAS BEEN DRAGGED IN FROM THE BUSH AND SMELTED IN THE LOCAL SCRAPYARD. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Is salvage a thing of the past? The Mitsubishi G4M (or "Type 1 land-based attack aircraft") (, Isshiki rikuj kgeki ki, Isshikirikk) was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. Drum-fed from an archaic 47-round pancake magazine atop the gun, the Lewis had a long history of aviation use. ITS GREAT TO SEE KEARBYS FIN ON DISPLAY AT [USAF Museum at] DAYTON. The U.S. Army Air Forces would later try the same thing with its YB-40s, which were B-17s carrying 18 or even more .50-caliber guns, flying as formation escorts. THERE ARE STILL 800 WRECKS OUT THERE IN PNG ALONE AND A LOT OF THE GOOD ONES HAVE BEEN LEFT DUE TO TOURISM OR MIA ISSUES. VIROYA Military Fighter Alloy Die Cast Model, 1/144 Scale Mitsubishi G4M BETTY 1941 Model, Adult Toys And Decorations, 6.7Inch X 5.5Inch Military Knowledge: The G4M, a naval attack aircraft, is the most famous Japanese bomber in the Pacific War. Outside the collections of the National Air and Space Museum and The Air Museum - Planes of Fame, the majority of surviving Japanese aircraft were recovered from their battlefield resting places and subsequently restored. PLANS ARE A FOOT AND THEY WILL BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE SOON ENOUGH [in late April, early May 2006 B-17E 41-2446 aka 'Swamp Ghost' was salvaged. At the age of 17 I came across an article in Air Classics magazine outlining the recovery of a P-39 Airacobra [P-39 "Erminie" 41-6951, actually recovered by CART and aquired by Beck] in North Queensland by Syd Beck. The G4M series was begun late in 1937 at the request of the Japanese Navy, which wanted a land-based bomber that was even better . THESE THINGS TAKE TIME. I BELIEVE PEOPLE WILL ENJOY IT. What is wreckage used for when exported? Five minutes later, three G4M Betty bombers were spotted approaching the vessel at 20,000 feet up. Anything else you wish to add about yourself? 1/900th scale G4M Betty Bomber model. LIKE I SAID, ANYBODY INTERESTED IN THIS SORT OF WORK SHOULD APPLY TO THE MUSEUM FOR A SET OF GUIDELINES. A LOT OF THE SPECULATION AND MYTH PROMOTED BY PEOPLE SUCH AS YOURSELF WILL BE DEALT WITH. Yamamotos weapon of choice was the torpedo, and the Betty was first and foremost a torpedo bomber, carrying a single 1,890-pound Type 91 tin fishthe worlds most accurate and powerful aerial torpedo right up until the end of the war. One highly regarded Japanese book about Bettys in combat is titled Wings of Flame. At the heart of the collection are . THE DEVESTATORS [TBD 0298 and TBD 1515] IN THE MARSHAL LAGOONS FOR EXAMPLE. Mitsubishi produced a total of 2,414 G4M airplanes but few remained when the war ended on August 15, 1945. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Terms & Conditions; Privacy Policy . What is wreckage used for when exported? Any corrections are verified and updated, CLARIFICATION SO WHAT WAS THE POINT? When carrying an 800-kg (1,768 lb) torpedo or the same weight in bombs, the Navy needed the bomber to fly at least 3,700 km (2,300 mi). In 2011 it was operated by Fighter Hangar 1, now known as the Texas Flying Legends Museum. I developed a longing to own a WWII fighter to fly but never imagined it possible. Therefore, this was a bomber similar to the ones used by the US to penetrate deep inside German lines. Whether his engineering team found it aesthetically pleasing is open to question. The rubber mat shaved about 6 mph from the G4Ms speed and reduced range by almost 200 miles. WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO UNDERTAKE A PROFIT MAKING EXERCISE. How much of salvaged aircraft can actually be used? Sentimental Journey (44-83514) is the nickname of a B-17G Flying Fortress bomber. It worked for a while, but increasingly inexperienced G4M crews and the chaos of night attacks rendered even these desperate measures ineffective. MAN IS THE BIGGEST WORRY. YOU TRY AND SAVE WHAT CAN BE SAVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. C-121C Serial 54-0157 was 'relegation to storage at Davis Monthan Air Base'. THIS IS YOUR PERSONEL OPINION, NOT A STATEMENT OF FACT PROVEN BY HISTORY OR OTHER. They ranged across the length and breadth of the Pacific Theater, attacking targets from the Aleutians to Australia. The firm changed the wing to a single-spar configuration and installed self-sealing fuel tanks with a capacity about one-third less than earlier versions. THE [previous] MUSEUMS BOARD ASKED MY OPINION AND I CAN TELL YOU IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE THEME OF THIS INTERVIEW. Yamamoto was a smart guy, even though he only got a C+ for his two years of English studies at Harvard from 1919 to 1921. Interview April 2006. The Rikko assignment went straight to Mitsubishi, which had already paid its bomber-building dues with the G2M and G3M. In 1994 restoration was started to create Bettys Dream. The benefits of laminar flow were probably illusory on Bettys, since IJNAS aircraft of all types had paint jobs that ranged from beater-bad to junkyard special, peeling and flaking in a manner that would have tripped any incipient laminar airflow. They called the design the snail, sometimes translated as slug.. ONCE AGAIN THESE ARE ISSUES FOR GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE Is there anything left in PNG still worth salvaging? Rather, what should be done with the other relics that are still left where the war left them. Anything else you would like to add about yourself? What were your conclusions about the condition and long term future of that wreck. Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre's Lancaster bomber - known as Just Jane - is three years into a 10-year restoration project to get it airborne. The debate is over what to do with those relics (leave them in situ, protect them, salvage them), CLARIFICATION Here's some of the fascinating stories he shared. The next time the Mitsubishi bombers attacked Allied ships, on February 20, 1942, they were after the U.S. carrier Lexington and its task force. THE TOURISTS GO THERE, TAKE PHOTOS AND LEAVE HAVING HAD THEIR WAR RELIC EXPERIENCE. I SPEND A LOT OF MY OWN MONEY ON PRESERVING HISTORY. Only two months later, the Navy issued a specification to Mitsubishi for a NELL replacement. The B-25 was crewed by six men; pilot, copilot, bombardier or nose gunner, radio operator or waist gunner, flight engineer or navigator and tail gunner. Betty La Bomba is a Damage Champion in Paladins, added on March 23rd, 2022. The BETTY was so prone to ignite that the Allies nicknamed it the 'flying lighter.'. It could operate at 565 km/h at 6 km elevation and made into several variants to serve according to the requirements. The end had arrived for the Japanese and the BETTY bomber. If that doesn't work then go into gmod and redownload the mod. Like the Zero, its speed and ordnance-carrying capabilities were very good at the expense of crew protection. [in late April, early May 2006 B-17E 41-2446 aka 'Swamp Ghost' was salvaged. The area is also home to sunken bulldozers and submarines. P-39 project? The atomic bombs put an end to this sideshow. This aircraft, coded '302,' was the last flyable bomber left at Rabaul by the end of WWII. ITS THEN VERY MUCH ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. THE REST OF THE MATERIAL WAS ACQUIRED BY 75TH SQUADRON IN MELBOURNE. The Mitsubishi G4M was a twin-engine, land-based medium bomber formerly manufactured by the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. 30 October: Special Project . I ONLY RECOVER FOR MY OWN RESTORATION WORK AND PASS ON SURPLUS MATERIAL. I WOULD REFER YOUR READERS TO Classic Wings Magazine WHICH HAS JUST DONE A EXCELLENT COVERAGE ON THE TRAILS AND TRIBULATIONS OF RESTORING A P-47. The Nell was the scourge of China, ranging far and wide during the Sino-Japanese war that preceded WWII. Jim Morehead, who had flown in the Java campaign, was credited with three kills - added to his current two this was enough to . On October 23, 1939, the Japanese G4M, named the "Betty" bomber by the Allies, made its maiden flight. If these wrecks are indeed worthless, why are they being salvaged? The Mitsubishi G4M Type 1 "Betty" was a medium bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during WWII. Casualties were horrific. Bendix Aviation had bought several B-25s during that period including the B-25H model Barbie III. . The Japanese more genially nicknamed the Betty Hamaki (cigar), and many sources have assumed this was a reference to the airplanes flammability when struck by enemy fire. CLARIFICATION A few things to do on the post maiden punch list. Mitsubishi G4M Betty of 4 Kokutai at low level flight. Within 20 minutes, Hellcats had shot down all 18 bombers. What place do salvage & tourism serve? ITS TRUE VALUE IS IN THE HISTORY AND THE STORY IT WILL TELL FUTURE GENERATIONS. Bendix Aviation Corp out of Teterboro, NJ bought the B-25 in June of 1946 and used it as a test bed for the next twenty years. The website wreckchasing.com furthers the argument succinctly. THE QUICKEST RECOVERY WAS THE RUSSIAN MIG-15 NOW IN CANBERRA. Why do you believe this work is important? I USE IT ALL THE TIME. 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