I took this picture.
Posted on 01/27/2016 6:22:00 AM PST by Olog-hai
One of Mitsubishi's legendary Zero fighter planes took to the skies over Japan on Wednesday for the first time since World War II.
The restored plane made a brief flight to and from a naval base in southern Japan. Decorated former U.S. Air Force pilot Skip Holm flew the aircraft.
Zero fighters were considered one of the most capable fighter planes in World War II, rivaling the British Spitfire. Their long range allowed them to play a prominent role in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Only a few are still in operating condition. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at bigstory.ap.org ...
I took this picture.
I think this one was found on one of the Pacific Islands where it crashed without severe damage and then was brought back to Japan to be rebuilt. There should be a backstory on the net.
Thanks. I would like to see the story of its recovery and restoration.
That is a great picture.
Meant to finish the “Mitsubishi†thought train with “and now they make cars...â€
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And Mazda’s factory is at ground zero at Hiroshima.
The zero couldn’t have been all that great. The Japs still lost the war!!
It’s all up to God, ultimately.
Take note that the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter had all of the characteristics that most jet airliners have taken on, too, down to the swept-wing design.
I’ll keep an eye out in “Fly Past” magazine to see if they run an article on it. I think part of the re-build was done here in the States.
Seriously??? I did not know that...
It’s ironic - but in a good way - that one of our most vicious enemies became one of our biggest allies and an economic powerhouse after the war they started with us.
They’re an amazing people.
“This particular plane was found decaying in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s. It was owned by an American until Japanese businessman Masahiro Ishizuka purchased it and brought it to Japan last September.” for remainder see:
and from a different article:
“The aircraft was discovered back in the 1970s after it had crashed in Papua New Guinea during the war. Since 2008 a project called Zero Enterprise has spent years renovating and repairing the fighter in Anchorage, Alaska. Now that the plane is finished it is being shipped back to Japan for its inaugural flight.”
Thanks for the links.
I met General Robert L. Scott at a historical society in South Georgia.
Although he was pushing 90 he was sharp as a tack and really charismatic. I talked to him a little while and he told me about his time in Panama, flying a P-39 which he used to shoot sharks. He liked the P-39.
He said the AVG never fought against Zeroes and technicllly Scott was not a member tho Chennault did let him fly with them. After it became the 14th Air Force, most of the original AVG left. They did keep a few.
I do remember Scott saying that the last model of the P-40 was pretty hot. It would do well over 400. Scott ended up flying P-51s when they became available.
Good thing we have the F-35 to be able to absorb punishment like that and keep flying.
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