Tachikawa KS Railway survey plane - cameras/window/interior

[marvinneko]

I have a bit of a fascination with 1930s photo survey planes. I picked up this little fellow today for $7.70. 

 

 

This was a military trainer but two were built for the ministry of railways, with big windows in the side and bottom (missing in the kit) and a big camera inside with seats for the surveyors.

 

This site has a photo and some info

https://arawasi-wildeagles.blogspot.com/2012/10/tachikawa-ks-1.html

 

 

airwar.ru has another photo... looks like a piece cut out of the lower rear wing area perhaps for the photo window...

 

 

Any additional info? Not much on the Internet.

 

Or suggestions about camera setups? For Canada I've seen pretty huge ones used in the Vickers Delta and some early flying boats.

 

EDIT: rising sun decals has a set. One scheme is Hairokushoku (Greenish Gray Gunze Mr Color 128), another is yellow and blue. They suggest the I on the tail is a symbol of the railway.

 

https://risingdecals.com/72-115-j-birds-part-iv/

 

[MOK61]

13 hours ago, marvinneko said:

I have a bit of a fascination with 1930s photo survey planes. I picked up this little fellow today for $7.70. 

 

 

This was a military trainer but two were built for the ministry of railways, with big windows in the side and bottom (missing in the kit) and a big camera inside with seats for the surveyors.

 

This site has a photo and some info

https://arawasi-wildeagles.blogspot.com/2012/10/tachikawa-ks-1.html

 

 

airwar.ru has another photo... looks like a piece cut out of the lower rear wing area perhaps for the photo window...

 

 

Any additional info? Not much on the Internet.

 

Or suggestions about camera setups? For Canada I've seen pretty huge ones used in the Vickers Delta and some early flying boats.

 

EDIT: rising sun decals has a set. One scheme is Hairokushoku (Greenish Gray Gunze Mr Color 128), another is yellow and blue. They suggest the I on the tail is a symbol of the railway.

 

https://risingdecals.com/72-115-j-birds-part-iv/

 

Well, that's different, David. An absolute bargain too.

 

Murray

[Mattlow]

Nice looking plane... Does it have DeHavilland DNA in it? Or is it just coincidence that the tail looks very 'Moth' like..

Matt

[marvinneko]

2 hours ago, MOK61 said:

Well, that's different, David. An absolute bargain too.

 

Murray

 

  too often, unusual kits are vastly overpriced and difficult to build. I try to watch, wait, and pounce  

 

1 hour ago, Mattlow said:

Nice looking plane... Does it have DeHavilland DNA in it? Or is it just coincidence that the tail looks very 'Moth' like..

Matt

 

Zthis site http://arawasi-wildeagles.blogspot.com/2012/10/tachikawa-ishikawajima-kky.html says inspired by a Fox Moth originally

[FRANCE'41]

Very interesting project!

Edited October 28 by FRANCE'41
Mistake

[yasssirt]

Great find! 1930s photographic survey planes are a fascinating niche subject – a blend of pioneering aviation, geodesy, and period photographic technology.

[marvinneko]

It's not ok to use bots to post to forums, or to conduct AI research using bots on forums. I don't know what the endgame is, but it will ruin the forums.

[Mike]

On 02/11/2025 at 22:08, yasssirt said:

Great find! 1930s photographic survey planes are a fascinating niche subject – a blend of pioneering aviation, geodesy, and period photographic technology.

That's an interesting reply.  Care to expand on that?  We don't have many Algerian women on the forum that are so knowledgeable, so we're all ears