These photos and others like them are for those planes in my collection that I built with landing gear up so they could fly in the outdoor toy-soldier wars I used to run with my friends in the ’70s. Although the models here are mostly from later than that, until just a few years ago I kept building planes with wheels up so I could “use” them in play. To give them a place in my photo collection I use a leaf blower to get the props spinning and then do my best!

Nakajima B6N Tenzan (“Jill”)

Nakajima J1N1 Gekko (“Irving”)

Yokosuka K5Y Type 93 Trainer Akatombo

Nakajima J1N1 Gekko (“Irving”)

Nakajima B6N Tenzan (“Jill”)

Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki (“Tojo”)

Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (“Judy”)

Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (“Frank”)

Yokosuka K5Y Type 93 Trainer Akatombo

Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (“Frank”)