The Last Zero - Fighter planes left in the Pacific - 空技廠 彗星 - 零戦

Originally uploaded on 25 apr. 2020.

The Last Zero - Mitsubishi A6M5 - D4Y1 Suisei - 空技廠 D4Y 彗星 - 零戦

The Mitsubishi A6M "zero"is a long-range fighter aircraft and was the main fighter of the Japanese Imperial Navy. it was developed by Mitsubishi in 1937 and entered production in 1939.

Approximately 10,000 aircraft were built by August 1945.

It was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter, but was usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen(零戦, zero fighter)

The Zero quickly became known as a great dogfighter, with an outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1.

But by 1943, due to inherent design weaknesses, rendering it extremely un-maneuverable at high speeds, and an inability to equip it with a more powerful aircraft engine, the Zero gradually became less effective against newer Allied fighters.

After the war, all weapons, including Zero Fighters, that were left in various places were discarded.
However, in the South Seas, Airplanes capable of flying were used for communication with the Allies.

These aircraft were later dismantled and abandoned when they weren't able to repair them.

This aircraft was abandoned at an air base in Rabaul in 1945.
The wing fuselage was salvaged in 1974, several other parts from 2 other aircraft were send to Australia, and one aircraft was send to Japan.

The wing fuselage came from the aircraft 4241 and was used in the restoration of the aircraft.
In 1980, the aircraft was obtained by the Kawaguchiko Motor Museum and restored with parts recovered from a M6A5 serial number 1493, found at the South Sea Islands such as Yap Island.

However, the deterioration of the aircraft was more extensive than expected and it took 40 years to restore, and in 1999 it was completed.
and with numerous aircraft projects in the works, the Kawaguchiko Motor Museum has leant this Zero out to the Yushukan Museum.

Yushukan likes to claim it was restored by them, for the anniversary of the controversial Yusukuni Shrine in 2002.

The D4Y named by the Allies Judy was a two-seat carrier-based dive bomber developed by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal in the 1940's it was originally designed as a dive bomber, it would be used as a reconnaissance plane, night fighter and in special attack unit like the kamikaze.

The d4y was presumably one of the last planes to be used in a Kamikaze attack hours after the surrender of Japan. with admiral Matome Ugaki from the Imperial Japanese Navy on board and Ugaki apparently heard the Japanese surrender on the radio, but wrote in his diary noting that he had not yet received an official cease-fire order, and that he alone was to blame for the failure of his valiant aviators to stop the enemy, he would fly one last mission himself to show the true spirit of Bushido.

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■ Information obtained from several sites.
■ Wikipedia
■ tanks-encyclopedia
■ the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers
■ preservedtanks
■ pantser.net
■ the.shadock.free.fr/Tanks_in_France

■ Some music is from the YouTube Audio Library.

■ Music used:
EpidemicSound.com

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