BARON SHIGENO AKA Kiyotaki Shigeno

Baron Shigeno Courtesy of David Lam, 8-3-07

 

Biplan Japonais du Baron Shigeno      En tubes d'acier, envergure du plan supérieur 9 m., envergure du plan inférieur 6 m., profondeur des plans 1 m. 50, poids 300 kgs. - Moteur Grégoire GYP 30/40 HP. - Sur le gouvernail de direction est peint le drapeau japonais.      Out of tubes of steel, length of the upper wing 9 M., length of the lower wing 6 M., width of wings 1 M. 50, weight 300 kgs. - Engine Gregoire GYP 30/40 HP. - On the rudder is painted the Japanese flag. Courtesy of David Lam, 8-3-07

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Dave Lam, 9-4-07      Hi Ralph, Kiyotaki Shigeno earned his French license number 744 on 19 février 1912 in a Caudron. I don't currently find a military license listed for him, though I assume he must have had one sometime. Dave

 

ONLINE RESOURCES - 1      If you search for "Baron Shigeno +aviation", using the Google search engine, (9-3-07), you will find about 7 links Among the most helpful are the following.

The Pioneers : An Anthology : Yves Paul Gaston Le Prieur (1885 - 1963)      You will find the following article on Russell Naughton's website. La Mission française d'aéronautique au Japon (1919-1920) http://www.ambafrance-jp.org L'aéronautique française s'est fait connaître au Japon, dès ses débuts. En 1909, le lieutenant de vaisseau Le Prieur effectue un vol de démonstration, aux environs de Tokyo, à bord d'un planeur remorqué par une automobile. Le premier vol de l'histoire dans le ciel japonais est effectué le 19 décembre 1910 par le capitaine TOKUGAWA à bord d'un avion FARMAN français. Pendant la Première guerre mondiale, le baron SHIGENO sert dans l'escadrille des Cigognes aux côtés de Guynemer. Ces premiers contacts conduisent les deux gouvernements à décider de l'envoi au Japon d'une mission française d'aéronautique pour aider le Japon à créer son aviation militaire The French Mission of aeronautics in Japan (1919-1920) http://www.ambafrance-jp.org French aeronautics was made known in Japan, as of its beginnings. In 1909, Lieutenant Le Prieur made a demonstration flight around Tokyo, on board a sailplane towed by a car. The first flight in the Japanese sky was accomplished on December 19, 1910 by Captain TOKUGAWA on board a French FARMAN plane . During the First World War, Baron SHIGENO was useful in the flotilla of Storks at the side of Guynemer. These first contacts led the two governments to decide sending a French mission of aeronautics n Japan to help Japan create its military aviation Editor's Note: The website cited appears to have vanished from the net as of 9-3-07.

 

Check Six!      On this page, written in French, you will find a very brief reference to Baron Shigeno's participation in WW I. For those of you who can't French, myself included, here is a machine translation of the paragraph. In 1914-18, Japan was in the camp of the allies, and fought Germany at the sides of France. There even were Japanese aviators engaged in the French Army, like the baron Shigeno, companion of Guynemer with whom he shared a victory, or certain Isobe, which flew on Nieuport 17 with its name in kanjis on the fuselage.      If you do read French, you can visit the homepage by clicking on the title above.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES - 2      If you search for "Kiyotaki Shigeno", using the Google search engine, (9-4-07), you will find about 3 links The one cited below is very interesting..

Les débuts de l'aviation en Picardie Beginnings of aviation in Picardy      On this page, written in French, you will find a very brief reference to Baron Shigeno as one of the students of the Caudron Flying School. For those of you who can't French, myself included, here is a machine translation of the paragraph. " In 1928, the flying school of the CROTOY is transferred to AMBERIEU. With the school of ROYAN, these three schools CAUDRON train 17000 pilots until 1939. But school CAUDRON of the CROTOY has the memory to have formed of the pilots who became famous. Among oldest: Joseph CEI, BON Lieutenant, Maurice ALLART, Charles GUILBAUD, Marie-Louise DRIANCOURT, the first woman controls in 1911, Pierre CHANTELOUP, Auguste MAICON, Etienne POULET, Baron Kiyotaki SHIGENO, Robert of TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, Didier LECOUR GRANDMAISON, Rene FONCK, Raymond DELMOTTE, as well as others... ."      If you do read French, you can visit the homepage by clicking on the title above.

 

 

Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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