Replica Zero Makes Appearance at Planes of Fame Air Show

This last weekend of May 6-7th 2017 saw the 60th anniversary of the Planes of Fame Air Show. It is one of the premiere vintage war bird airshows in the world. It is one of the only airshows where you can see up to two Japanese A6M Riesen Zero fighter planes that actually fly including one that is 100% original complete with its Sakae 12 engine. But this year saw the addition of a 3rd Zero that for reasons not stated did not fly.

This particular A6M3 Model 22 Zero is somewhat of a curiosity. It's tail code is A1-112. This plane was last seen flying over Kumamoto Japan to help uplift the spirits there after the recent natural disaster there.

There was no sign or any owner present that could tell us anything about this plane except for this small flyer written in Kanji taped to one of the propeller blades so we did some research. 

According to the Pacific Wrecks website, they noted that there have been some false claims including having been recovered from a wreck in Papua New Guinea in the late 1980's and another stating it had been built by Mitsubishi in 1943. But it turns out this was one of three replica Zeros that were built in Russia during the 1990's for the Santa Monica Museum of Flight. 

So as the story goes, this replica Zero which is powered by a Pratt & Whitney engine was constructed for around $300,000.00 USD. Mind you, that's 1990's money. She was last sold for $1.9 million USD. It is currently under private ownership and is said to be based in Mojave California.

While it is not a true original, it still retains the aesthetic of Jiro Hirokoshi's vision and remains a delight for Zero fans world wide despite not having it's familiar yellow stripe painted on it's forward on its wing.

We hope to see her fly in formation with her two original older cousins at a future.

 

Until then please enjoy this footage we found of this plane flying in Japan.

Lawsuit Against Chino Air Show May Ground Zeros

In what has been called an unwarranted underhanded move, Chino Airport tenants Yanks Air Museum and Flying Tigers Aviation have filed a lawsuit to stop the annual Planes of Fame Air Show. This was filed 30 days before the event. This air show has been held every year for the last 30 years at the Chino Airport. The annual event attracts military aviation enthusiasts and warbird history buffs alike from all parts of the country to see the rarest collection of WWII & Korean War fighter aircraft take to the skies and dazzle crowds. Yanks allege that they lose money each year and further claim the event obstructs their ability to do business. This of course has angered many in the warbird community who regard this as a frivolous lawsuit to ground the beloved air show which features two of the world's only flying Japanese A6M Zero fighters. Yanks has no flying aircraft in their museum nor has participated in the air show years. All parties in the suit claim they love aviation but those suing POF claims they don't like how the air show is being run. One could guess they want a bigger piece of the action for themselves. Internet reaction has been fierce and Yanks has become very unpopular as a result. While we do not expect the air show to be canceled, we call this suit  for what it is. Frivolous and Underhanded. 

POF has an on-line petition SAVE OUR AIRSHOW which at last count has over 14,650 signatures in support of the POF Air Show. We hope this case is thrown out of court and look forward to seeing over 40 vintage aircraft take to the skies and the Zeros fly once more. Please show your support and sign their Petition. Thank you!

Flight of the Three Reisen

It's incredible to think that 70 years after the end of WWII that only a handful of A6M Reisen Zero Fighter planes survived the war. Currently there are only three that can fly and of those three, only one retains it's original Sakae engine. Well thanks to the Planes of Fame Museum and the Commemorative Air Force this rare three Zero formation was able to take to the skies for us to enjoy. If you are a Zero affectionado as we are, you will enjoy this rare video where one could see Jiro Horikoshi's vision take flight. Please enjoy!

Two Zeros Take Flight

It is such a rare thing for WWII Aviation buffs to see one Japanese A6M Reisen Zero Fighter particularly one in flying condition, but entirely another to see two Zeros flying together! This last weekend at the Planes of Fame Air Show in Chino California saw this rare pairing of two of the world's five known flyable Zero's take to the skies to dazzle both war historians and aviation fans alike.

The Zero seen here tail number 61-120 is owned by the Planes of Fame Museum. According to her history, she was originally built by Nakajima in May 1943 and was deployed to deployed to Iwo Jima before being redeployed to Saipan where she was captured intact. After the war she was flown by many test pilots including famed aviator Charles Lindbergh and was destined for the scrap heap until Ed Maloney bought it in 1951 for his Air Museum in Claremont California. 

Still retaining its original Sakae engine, Zero 61-120 has the most original parts of the world's few remaining flyable Zero fighters. Seen here with the Commemorative Air Force's (CAF) Zero Tail number X-133, the two planes took to the skies and demonstrated Jiro Hirokoshi's  ideal air frame and performance that illustrated Japan's most profound wartime achievements in aviation technology. 

Despite it's tragic history, the A6M Zero symbolized Japan's resolve during WWII particularly late in the war when such planes were piloted by young cadets who made up the Special Attack Squadrons (Hotaru - Firefly) Kamikaze Squadrons. It is sad to imagine how so man young men in the prime of their lives climbed into these planes from their bases in Kagoshima to fight a futile effort that did neither bought Japan more time to develop jet fighters or win the war. 

All tragic history aside, it was something to see the look in the eyes of our friend and Buddhist Priest Reverend Ryuzen Hayashi who said his Grandfather flew the Zero during the war. You could see a sense of both cultural and national pride that his country (while tragically misguided into war) developed such a beautiful airplane. It was something unique to see. For us, the Zero will remain our aesthetic favorite for it's beautiful air frame design and a joy to watch as she took to the air.

We hope these planes will continue to be cared for so they can thrill future generations to come.

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day:

Seen here at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino California: A group of War Re-enactors led by Mr. Alex Chang posing with one of the world few remaining Yokosuka DY4 Suisei (彗星, "Comet") aka "Judy" dive bombers of the former Imperial Japanese Navy.

A Solemn Testament To Wars Past: The Death of Admiral Yamamoto

As seen in the photo above is the last known image of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto of the Imperial Japanese Navy taken hours before his doomed flight would be intercepted by American P-38 Lightning fighter interceptors. It has been often theorized that the Imperial Japanese Army bungled the message carrying his itinerary over an open code that tipped off the Americans where the head of the Imperial Japanese Navy would be next. Despite the desperate urging of the Army commanders to call off the flight and knowing his itinerary had been compromised, the Admiral chose to continue with minimal fighter escort. A decision some would say ended Japan's hopes of settling for peace with the United States. A peace that would only come after two more years of deadly war ending in Japan's catastrophic defeat. Whatever really happened, the reluctant admiral ( and we say this knowing he openly opposed the war with the United States ) perished with his staff and flight crew of the Mitsubishi GM4 "Betty" bomber that carried him into history on April 18th, 1943.

We thought much of the Admiral who was featured in the 2012 movie by the same name as we looked upon the solemn display recreating the wreckage that killed the best of Japan's Naval Leadership. The broken wreckage sits silently in a hanger in Chino recreating what one would have seen had they sifted through the thick jungle to recover the bodies of those aboard. While we have read many Blog Posts about this display with a degree of post war prejudice, we did not find it there. Rather, the display sits without any gloating or war time propaganda. It sits like a silent memorial to lives lost to a moment of time. As most wartime aviators will tell you, it was war and war is often impersonal ugly business. It is a sad reminder that there are human costs to war. The consequences of such which few can understand who have not seen combat. We appreciate the Planes of Fame Air Museum for recreating this display with a manner of dignity and respect.  While we are not here to re-fight WWII, it is our hope that such a war will never happen again.

To see this display please visit:
Planes Of Fame Air Museum
To learn more of the Admiral Movie please read our earlier blog post:
Isoroku Yamamoto 

A Tale of Two Komets

Aviation War Historians have long written much about the famed Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet rocket plane and its role in the defense of the German Reich during the final months of WWII. But what few people know is that same piece of German technology that took down fourteen American heavy bombers made its way to Japan and almost saw combat in the Pacific. 

 

Enter the Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui. Licensed by Messerschmitt, the J8M was ordered in anticipation of the American B-29’s that would soon fill the skies over Japan. The agreement between the two Tripartite nations called for a working prototype, rocket engines, and blue prints to be sent by U-Boats to Kobe Japan. But as the U-Boats were sunk en route, the Japanese were forced to make unforeseen adjustments that cost them critical time in the J8M’s production.  

Using a surviving operational manual recovered from the Japanese submarine I-29 that was docked at Singapore, engineers tried to reverse engineer a working prototype.  This was to be a secret joint project between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army. While the Japanese variant Ro.2 rocket engine did not have the operational thrust of the ME 163, they still used the same volatile propellants of T-Stoff oxidizer and C-Stoff fuel (hydrogen peroxide/methanol-hydrazine), known in Japan as Ko and Otsu which killed many pilots on the ground in Germany.

The first flight of the J8M was on July 7^th 1945. But at an altitude of 1300 feet, the engine stalled and was forced to be glided back to the ground clipping a small building that resulted in the death of the pilot the very next day. As a result, all J8M test flights were suspended until the technicians could find the cause of the accident but as history recalls, time had about run out for Japan. 

Today there are only two of these J8M’s in existence, one at the Mitsubishi Komaki Plant Museum and the other at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino California. We were lucky to see these rare planes, now you can too. Please enjoy!

To see both the ME 163 and the J8M in one place:

Please visit: Planes Of Fame Air Museum