The Aichi E13A Type 0 'Jake' at the Kakamigahara Airforce base

Photos and Text by Johan Myhrman

There are not too many Jakes left today. At Kakamigahara Airforce base outside Nagoya, under a simple rain cover, sits one remain of a Aichi E13a Type 0 floatplane (there is also another more complete Jake at a museum somewhere in the Kagoshima area in the south of Japan). The Jake at Kakamigahara is in a miserable condition. It was found in Tokyo bay and it looks as if it has only been salvaged and then placed on the base. Non the less, this fact makes the remains very interesting to explore.

The aircraft is only accessible during air shows at the base. It sits among a group of more modern Japanese aircraft's like Sabers and Starfighters. There is also a battered Mitsubishi J8M1 Shusui rocket fighter among the group of planes.      

The Jake fuselage is split into two parts, the fuselage with missing tail and the right wing. The red brown protective primer that was used by the Navy can clearly be seen. The Hinomaru with what looks like white surrounding can still be seen on the rear fuselage.

The fuselage interior and cockpit is in shambles. The two pictures above show the left and right sides of the cockpit looking forward from the rear of the aircraft. The interior is demolishing and there is not very much left but the remaining paint is interesting.

The photo above is a close up to better show the effect of the colors and the wear. The impression is that the red brown primer is coming through the grey green overcoat due to extensive wear. Note the sea growth on the pipes at the bottom left. The aircraft has apparently been lying in the sea for along time. A fact that makes the true colors quite uncertain, but still of the true colors.