JAPANESE ZERO COMES HOME

摘要

Japan's surrender on September 2, 1945, grounded all of the once-mighty Axis power's aircraft. After a few evaluation flights with Americans in the cockpit, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, once among the most innovative carrier-based fighters of its day, was never again seen in Japanese skies-until now. On June 3, A6M3 Model 22 serial no. 3858 flew during the Red Bull Air Race at Chiba, near Tokyo, with 66-year-old Kazuaki Yanagida at the controls. Built in 1943, the Zero operated from Babo Island in Western Papua New Guinea until it was disabled, possibly in May 1944. The wings and center section were rediscovered in 1970, and in 1991 Bruce Fenstermaker removed them, along with the wreckage of other potentially restorable Japanese aircraft, to the United States. Some 380,000 hours of work, performed both in Russia (1993-94) and California (1994-97), eventually returned the A6M3 to flyable status, though few components other than its landing gear are original. In place of its original 980-hp Nakajima Sakae 21 engine-, a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 was installed.