1/48 - Salmson 2-A2 - Otsu 1

Built in a large numbers, the French Salmson 2A2 was the most widely used reconnaissance aircraft in the final year of the First World War. So much was the amazement of the Japanese observers in France at its performance that several of these two-seater biplanes were sent to Japan and were later used to train the Japanese aircrew according to the most up-to-date flying techniques. Also, in 1919 the President of the Kawasaki Dockyard Company acquired not only the manufacturing rights to it, but also an army contract to build it. This became a reality in 1920 although the Japanese Army was only allowed to manu- facture engines. Salmson representatives filed a protest, but the two parties came soon to a mutual
agreement and worked in collaboration thereafter.