High-Octane Memories
After reading the article on the Nakajima Ki.84 Hayate (“Last Deadly Gale From Japan,” by Jon Guttman in the May issue), I wanted to confirm that Mr. Guttman is right: The Japanese indeed used 80-octane fuel in their aircraft during World War II.

I was stationed at Yokota Air Base in Japan from 1968 through 1970, serving as a mechanic on U.S. Air Force Boeing WC-135s (Constant Phoenix atmospheric collection aircraft). During my time there, I collected issues of Japanese aviation magazines, and I still treasure them for their reporting accuracy. I will always be a fan of WWII Japanese aircraft, but I shudder to think of what they could have done with the 100-octane avgas that the Allies used. I’m afraid a lot more of our Boeing B-29s might have been shot down if that had been the case. Were you aware that the Japanese refined pine tar pitch to make their fuel? I am amazed that they managed to do what they did with what they had.

The Kawasaki Ki.61 Hien, known as the “Tony” to the Allies, was my favorite Japanese plane of that era. A Ki.61 was on display at Johnson Air Base, west of Tokyo, until late 1969, when it was removed and trucked away on a flatbed truck. I happened to be riding my motorcycle when the truck came my way. Although I had my camera with me that day, I didn’t get any pictures of it before it disappeared.

I also saw several Mitsubishi A6M Zeros on display. I was amazed at how lightly they were made. The landing gear looked very flimsy, but it did the job.

Al Nord
Via e-mail

No Restoration Needed
I was very interested to read the “Enduring Heritage” department in the July issue, about the restoration of a Douglas O-38F that spent nearly 30 years in the Alaskan wilderness. The hero of that story, Milton H. Ashkins — who managed to bring the biplane in for a “soft” landing in the tops of some fir trees — is a friend and fellow exercise classmate at the local YMCA.

Unlike the Douglas, Milt has not needed any restoration and is in terrific shape at 93, with regular weight training and aerobics. He is a real asset to our class, with a quick wit and a story for all occasions. I am sure that all his friends from 27 years in the Air Force would like to know he is still ready for action.

Thanks for the great magazine.

Mike Cleary
Carpenteria, Calif.

Long-Range Thinker Louis Breguet
Congratulations to Robert Guttman for his excellent article on Louis Breguet (“People and Planes” in the July issue). It was evocative and moving in its description of the terrifying Schlieffen autumn putsch to the West in 1914. It was also clearly well researched and beautifully written.

In addition to the many triumphs mentioned in that article, Louis-Charles Breguet made an important engineering contribution to the evolution of flight — the Breguet equations, used to calculate range and endurance of large aircraft. They are still used today, and have been ever since their publication during World War I.

Breguet (1880-1955) was still alive when I was told in class that he developed them as part of his thesis in engineering. Perhaps our instructor was trying to enliven a fairly dry grad school course on aircraft performance, but it sounds plausible. As a graduate student in aeronautics, I roomed with a French student who knew Breguet and commented effusively on his excellent career, so I felt quite close to Monsieur Breguet.

His contributions to the field are colossal: developer of an engineering performance theory; early designer; test pilot; combat pilot in an untried avion of his own design; industrialist; entrepreneur, founder of Air France. Is there any field of aviation he did not touch? Truly they were giants in those days.

Peter Lissaman
Santa Fe, N.M.

Engine Trouble
Several readers rightfully took us to task for a mistake that appeared in a book review in the September issue. In the review of Graham White’s R-4360: Pratt & Whitney’s Major Miracle, we stated that the 4360 was used to power the Lockheed Constellation. That should have read Lockheed R6V Constitution. All the “Connies” and the Fairchild C-119 were equipped with the Wright R-3350.

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