I studied the picture of an aircraft nameplate photographed by Justin Taylan at a museum in Mongolia. My examination was for the purposes of translating the data on the plate and reproducing the Japanese characters. In this way, I might be able to discover what aircraft component this nameplate came from and possibly confirm or suggest an aircraft type from which the nameplate may have come. Assessing the data on the nameplate, I conclude that the component was probably recovered from a Type 94 Reconnaissance Plane (Ki-4).
My first task was to search through my file of nameplates from WWII Japanese aircraft to see if any similar nameplates were present. In order to do that, I studied the Taylan nameplate to determine what data was presented thereon. Due to the damaged nature of the nameplate, some parts of the data were obscured. But I was able to make out certain entries. I saw entries concerning electrical terms, weight, manufacture number, and manufacture date. On the bottom line I saw the name of the manufacturer. Instead of translating these items then and there, I searched my files for similar entries on similar nameplates. I found three nameplates that were similar to the Taylan nameplate. Two were from aircraft generators and one was a from a voltage regulator. The one from a voltage regulator had almost the same layout as the Taylan nameplate. That plate became my guide for my subsequent investigation. The closely matching nameplate was from a voltage regulator which was used with an aircraft generator that had been retrieved from the wreck of a Type 99 Twin-Engine Light Bomber (Ki-48) (Lily) at Hansa Bay, New Guinea, in June 1944. See Figure 1.
By comparing the nameplate diagram from my files with the picture of the Taylan nameplate, I was able to draw up the image appearing in Figure 2. I have numbered each of the nine lines on my diagram of the nameplate for reference purposes.
The first two lines on the Taylan plate were very badly damaged and were covered with dirt and scratches. At first it seemed that nothing on them could be discerned. But after much careful scrutiny, I was able to make out a few characters on the first and second lines. The other seven lines were in better shape, though dirty and scratched in places. But since they matched the example I had from my files, they were fairly easy to work out. The following explanation treats each line in detail.
LINE 1: The first line or first two lines of an aircraft component nameplate identified the piece of equipment to which the nameplate was attached. Sometimes the name of the aircraft type appeared when the component was a significant part of the airframe. If the component were used with another component, such as a voltage regulator being designed to be used with a certain charging generator, the names of both items would appear. I believe this first line of the Taylan nameplate identified a generator. I was able to make out the designation Type 94 Model 2 on the first line. It is my guess that a translation of the complete top line would be Type 94 Model 2 Aircraft Generator Use, meaning that the object identified on the next line was made to be used with the generator identified on the first line. The spacing on my drawing may not be accurate. The term that the Japanese army was using to say that something was used with another something was a single Kanji character ( 用 ) read as “Yo” (computer spelling “You”). It appears as the last character of the top line on the reproduction of the nameplate on M.I.S. Card 17548, above.
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LINE 2: The second line has the nomenclature of the object, which was a voltage regulator. I was able to make out parts of three characters used in the name of the component. They were the same symbols that appeared on the nameplate from my files, the translation of which was given on the document as “Voltage Regulator.” The five characters that name the component may also be translated as “voltage regulation apparatus.” Here again, the spacing on my drawing may not be accurate. The circles at either end of line 2 are places for inspection stamps. Although I can’t see any evidence of the presents of such circles on the Taylan nameplate, they probably were there. One would have the army star, as seen on the example plate from my files. The other circle would have the mark of the manufacturer’s inspector, which might be a personal name-stamp or a company mark.
LINE 3: This line also has the same characters as the ones on my example nameplate. They stood for “capacity,” a measurement given in watts or kilowatts. In this case, the wattage figure can’t be read due to the dirt covering the stamped-in numerals. Several stamped numerals appear to be there, probably signaling that the capacity was given in watts instead of kilowatts. On the three example nameplates from my files, the two charging generators had their capacities given in watts; while the voltage regulator had its capacity given in kilowatts (see the entry on the plate from the Lily and note that the stamped 1 means 1 kilowatt).
LINE 4: Line 4 has two different entries. On the left are the label and a value for “voltage;” on the right, the label for electric current, given in amperes. The figure for voltage appears to be “25” or “26” and the figure for amperes might be “16,” “26,” or even “36.” But this is just speculation at this point, for I cannot make out any numerals except the “6.”.
LINE 5: This line is labeled “number of revolutions” and is expressed in revolutions per minute, giving a low and a high limit. This value probably refers to the rpm range of the generator with which the voltage regulator works.
LINE 6: This line has two different values. On the left, the weight of the object is given in kilograms. I could see only a “1” stamped in the entry rectangle. There may be a decimal point and other numerals there, as well. On the right, a model is noted. The characters mean “seal tight” or “airtight,” which I think means that the voltage regulator was the type of object that was sealed against dirt and moisture and was tamper-proof, the kind of unit that had to be replaced if it wasn’t working right, instead of being repaired or adjusted by a maintainer.
LINE 7: A manufacture number is stamped into the entry rectangle on line 7. I read it as 30791, followed by the character for “number.”
LINE 8: This line has the date of completion by the manufacturer. I can agree that the year number seems to be 13, meaning that the object was made during 1938.
LINE 9: This last line has the name of the manufacturer, identifies the type of company, and shows what company facility actually made the object.
In the following tabulation, I am showing the readings of the characters in Hepburn Romaji but without macrons, followed by computer Romaji and then English translations in Japanese order and finally in English order or phrasing.
LINE 1: 九四式二型 = Kyu Shichi Shiki Ni Gata = Kyuu Shichi Shiki Ni Gata = 94 Type 2 Model = Type 94 Model 2
LINE 2: 電圧調整器 = Den’atsu Chosei Ki = Den’atsu Chousei Ki = Voltage Regulation Apparatus = Voltage Regulator
LINE 3: 容量 = Yoryo = Youryou = Capacity = Capacity
LINE 4 LEFT: 電圧 = Den’atsu = Voltage = Voltage
LINE 4 RIGHT: 電流 = Denryu = Denryuu = Electric Current = Amperage
LINE 5: 回転数 = Kaiten Kazu = Kaiten Kazu = Revolution Number = Number of Revolutions
LINE 6 LEFT: 重量 = Juryo = juuryou = Weight = Weight
LINE 6 RIGHT (LABEL): 型式 = Keishiki = Model = Model Type
LINE 6 RIGHT(ENTRY): 密閉 = Nippei = Sealed Tight = Airtight
LINE 7(LABEL): 製作番号 = Seisaku Bango = Seisaku Bangou = Manufacture Number = Production Number or Serial Number
LINE 7 (ENTRY): ３ ０ ７ ９ １号 = San Rei Shichi Kyu Ichi Go = San Rei Shichi Kyuu Ichi Gou = Three Zero Seven Nine One Number = Number (or No.) Three Zero Seven Nine One
LINE 8: 製作 昭和 １３ 年 １０ 月 = Seisaku Showa Jusan Nen Ju Gatsu = Seisaku Shouwa Juusan Nen Juu Gatsu = Manufacture Shouwa (Era Name) Thirteen Year Ten Month = Manufactured October 1938
LINE 9: 中央工業株式会社大森工場 = Chuo Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Omori KoJo = Chuuou Kougyou Kabushiki Kaisha Oomori KouJou = Central Industries Limited Stock Company Omori Factory = Central Industries Company, Ltd., Omori Factory.
I am not able to reproduce some of the characters on the Taylan nameplate because they are rendered in the older forms. You will therefore see some differences in the following characters when you compare them. Some are completely different; some show slight modifications:
LINE 2, FIRST CHARACTER: Minor Modification.
LINE 2, SECOND CHARACTER: Major Modification
LINE 2, FOURTH CHARACTER: Major Modification
LINE 2, FIFTH CHARACTER: Minor Modification
LINE 4 LEFT, SECOND CHARACTER: Major Modification
LINE 5, FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD CHARACTERS: Major Modifications
LINE 7(LABEL), FOURTH CHARACTER: Major Modification
LINE 7 (ENTRY), SIXTH CHARACTER: Major Modification
LINE 9, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CHARACTERS: Major Modifications
New and Old Versions of Kanji characters used on the Nameplate
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New and Old Versions of Kanji
characters Used on the Nameplate
The only way to get a look at these older forms is to consult a comprehensive character dictionary. Scans from my dictionary are offered below.
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