After the Yokosho (Yokosuka) E1Y Reconnaissance Seaplanes were retired from service with the IJNAF, a number was released to civilian operators and some of them were converted to carry three to four passenger while the pilot still remained in the open cockpit. They were usually used for sightseeing, commercial or photo flights and others.
One such converted E1Y1 was operated by Nihonkai Koku Kaisha (Japan Sea Air Company) and received the civilian registration J-BEHH. The photo below from a vintage magazine is quite rare. Note the overall blue colour of the fuselage.
The "Japan Sea Air" was a very small airline founded in July 1931 by the major of Kinosaki, Hyogo prefecture Nakajima Kyutaro (?) and operated at least two aircraft one Mitsubishi MC-1 equipped with floats flying from Kinosaki to Osaka and later from Kinosaki to Matsue, Shimane prefecture and the converted E1Y1. The airline merged with other smaller ones to form Dai Nippon Koku (Imperial Japanese Airways).
2 comments:
Great find George. What are the other airlines that merged to form Dai Nippon Koku and do you know the dates of merger?
John Godwin
nucinfo@aol.com
Dates of merger, no.
Nippon Koku Yuso absorbed smaller companies like Nippon Kokusai Koku, Kokusai Koku, Nippon Koku Yuso Kenkyujo, Tokyo Koku KK and Nihon Kai Koku and Dai Nippon Koku was created.
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