Slitherine

Where does this twin tail model come from, I wonder? It seems that almost all images on the net are single tail models. (I hope this is the correct name for that design?)

I found 6 fantasy variations for the design of the Fugaku, most of which show a tall, B-17 / B-29 style vertical stabilizer. A sensible assumption but at odds with the few surviving historical records that suggest a tail proportionately too small. Most documentation/concepts were destroyed at the end of the war and AFAIK all thats actually left is some written dimensions and a post war interview with the lead designer. ( Most of the design was still at the brainstorming-around-the-board-room-table stage )

However the historical tail is far too small for an aircraft of this size. So while preparing a set of drawings, a US engineer proposed a twin tail, which is more likely to provide the surface area, and stability, essential for such a long aircraft. As there were no arguments FOR a tall tail, other than conjecture, but written historical evidence for one that was too small, I went with the twin.

Pat

Patrick Ward wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 6:35 pm I found 6 fantasy variations for the design of the Fugaku, most of which show a tall, B-17 / B-29 style vertical stabilizer. A sensible assumption but at odds with the few surviving historical records that suggest a tail proportionately too small. Most documentation/concepts were destroyed at the end of the war and AFAIK all thats actually left is some written dimensions and a post war interview with the lead designer. ( Most of the design was still at the brainstorming-around-the-board-room-table stage )

However the historical tail is far too small for an aircraft of this size. So while preparing a set of drawings, a US engineer proposed a twin tail, which is more likely to provide the surface area, and stability, essential for such a long aircraft. As there were no arguments FOR a tall tail, other than conjecture, but written historical evidence for one that was too small, I went with the twin.

Pat

Thanks for the detailed reply!

btw, I happened to find one design that claims to be for the Fugaku (or Project Z), drawn at spring 1943, that shows a twin tail design, wonder if this is the one used for the in game model.
archived page in Japanese

I dug a bit in the books I have and they mostly show a single stabilizer, but all of these are only visualizations, concepts and artistic interpretations. The Japanese only ever started to build a construction facility in 1943 where a prototype was to be assembled, they never got beyond that point. In 1945, they burned all official documentation of the plane project (as Patrick mentioned), so all we have are a few surviving, incomplete bits. There is no single source that can be considered fully reliable in this case. As such, I'd say there's a lot of freedom in interpreting how the plane would look like in the end.

Interesting points to make are also that the Kawanishi company took part in the 19 Shi project which was supposed to show an alternative proposition to the Nakajima G10N1. It also had a single stabilizer, but again this was just a blueprint concept, nothing beyond that.

Of the heavy bombers that were build, the Renzan, had a single stabilizer, but that plane was essentially a significantly improved B-17 copy. However, the earlier Shinzan plane did have a double stabilizer, so the concept of putting it on a large frame was not alien to Japanese constructors.

Tassadar wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 11:00 am However, the earlier Shinzan plane did have a double stabilizer, so the concept of putting it on a large frame was not alien to Japanese constructors.

Yeah, I came across a few images of the G5N Shinzan when searching for double stabilizer Fugaku, the two looks quit close on that part. Hope we could see that aircraft in the game at some point.