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Takaoka Susumu ( 高岡 迪)
Takaoka Susumu was a Japanese test pilot who was born on February 24, 1912 and died on February 6, 1999, at the age of 86. Susuma was the pilot of the first Japanese jet aircraft (Kikka and T-1)
Biography
Takaoka Susumu was born on February 24, 1912 in Tadotsu City, Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Tadotsu Gymnasium, he went to the Naval Academy, where he graduated from the 60th grade in November 1932. In April 1933, he entered the Imperial Japanese Navy with the rank of Ensign. In November 1935, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. On November 15, 1937, he was transferred to the Omura Naval Air Corps, where he trained on naval attack aircraft. Thanks to his training, on December 1, 1937, he was sent to the aircraft carrier Soryu, where he was promoted to captain on June 1, 1938. On December 1, 1938, Susuma becomes the team commander and instructor of the Yokosuki Naval Air Corps. On December 7, 1939, he became a team commander on the aircraft carrier Soryu. On 16 September 1940, Susuma became a squad leader on the aircraft carrier Hiryu, but on 5 October he returned to the aircraft carrier Soryu. On September 10, 1941, Susuma was assigned to the Naval Aviation Arsenal Flight Experiment Department, where he was to serve as a test pilot. On November 1, 1942, he was promoted to major. From the autumn of 1944, Susuma took part in the development of the Kikka aircraft. Finally, on August 7, 1945, Susuma sits at the controls of the Kikka aircraft and makes the first jet flight in Japan. Then, on August 11, the second flight takes place, which ends with the crash of the plane (more about the prototype Kikka is here). For his services to Japan, Susuma was promoted to lieutenant colonel on September 5. Unfortunately, Japan capitulated shortly before (September 2), so on September 20, Susuma was sent to the reserve, like most military men during this period. It is not known what Susuma did after the war until 1954, when the Japanese Self-Defense Forces were formed. On October 30, Susuma joined the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) where he received the rank of colonel 2nd class (lieutenant colonel), and on August 16, 1956 he was promoted to colonel 1st class (colonel). At that time, the Japanese were developing the T-1 aircraft. The pilot who is to fly it is to be Takaoka Susumu, who flew the first Japanese jet 13 years earlier. The flight takes place on January 19, 1958, and it is the first flight of a Japanese jet after the war. For his services, on April 24, 1958, Susuma became the Director of the Gifu Training Ground. On August 1, 1960, he became the Commander of the 16th Flight Training Wing and the commander of the Tsukijo base. On July 17, 1961, Susuma was transferred to Matsushima Air Base, where he became commander and commander of the 4th Air Wing. Then, on July 1, 1962, Susuma was promoted to major general, then on August 1, he was transferred to the Air Staff Office (ASO), where he retired from the army on September 11. After retiring from the military, he was employed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, where he worked until 1974. Takaoka Susumu died on February 6, 1999 at the age of 86.
Photos by Takaoka Susumu
Aircraft tested by Takaoka Susumu
- Henkiel He-119 (?)
- Nakajima Kikka
- Fuji T1F2
He worked on the Mitsubish MU-2 aircraft.
Summary
Takaoka Susumu was a very interesting character. He was the first pilot to fly the first Japanese jet plane, he was the first pilot in Japan to crash a jet plane, and the first pilot to fly the first Japanese jet trainer. It is rare to meet a person who has scored so many first times in a category, although he was certainly not proud of some of them. In my opinion, this is the perfect candidate for a profile photo for War Thunder.
Source
高岡迪 - Wikipedia
Nakajima Kikka - Wikipedia
高岡迪 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 (wikipedia.org)
SENSHA: Japan’s First Jet Plane [3/3]: The Fate of ‘Kikka Kai’ & Variant Development (sensha-manual.blogspot.com)
海軍兵学校卒業生一覧 (日本) - Wikipedia
Nakajima Kikka - Minijets
T1ジェット機 (www.ne.jp)
富士T-1AB研究 The Study of the FUJI T-1A and B Jet Trainer (hikokikumo.net)
T-1 (練習機) - Wikipedia