Three Airworthy "Zeros" in One Spot!

[Bomber_12th]

The Planes of Fame air show is coming up this weekend, at the Chino, CA airport. Amongst many other things, one of the cool things they've brought together for this year's show is three airworthy (original) A6M Zeros! Also on display will be the museum's D4Y Judy (static, but running) and the museum's J2M Raiden (static - though they hope to get it flying again in the future). The show is also boasting 4 B-25's (Doolittle Raid remembrance), P-38's, P-40's, TBM's, SBD, FM-2's, J2F, F3F, F6F's, F7F's, F4U's, P-47, Firefly, Sea Fury, Yak-3, Yak-9, FW-190, Spitfire, Skyraider, F-86, Mig-15, numerous P-51's (likely including an A-36, P-51A, and P-51C), and others. Every year the museum tries to repaint one of their aircraft, special for the show, and this year the Planes of Fame P-51D is being painted in the markings of an Iwo Jima based 506th FG Mustang, named "Dolly" - it is simply stunning!

Here are some photos from the Planes of Fame Facebook page, preparing for the show.

 

[mikezola]

Nice pictures- thank you!

You wouldn't happen to know the story behind the Raiden and the Judy- were they recovered by ATAIU and later stored/restored, or did they get here by some other means?

- Mike Z.

 

[Bomber_12th]

Hi Mike,

The Raiden was found in Japan, after the end of the war, and brought to the U.S. for testing/evaluation. After that was done, the aircraft was fairly much abandoned and then given to a playground in the Los Angeles area. I don't know when, but Ed Maloney, the founder of the Planes of Fame Museum, found it and rescued it. From what I've read, it is the only example that remains.

The Judy, which is actually a D4Y1 variant, would have had the inline Aichi Atsuta V-12 engine, but without any of those or the cowlings to be found today, a P&W engine was mounted to the airframe to resemble the radial-engine variant of the Judy. The remains of the aircraft were found on Babo Airfield, still sitting on its landing gear, but without any engine. It was recovered in 1991, and went to the Santa Monica Museum of Flight. Shortly after, the Planes of Fame Museum acquired it. The aircraft has been restored to resemble a D4Y3. The goal for the restoration was to try and keep as much of the original structure and skins as possible. If it was a flying restoration, it would essentially have to be all new-build. It is a complete static example now, but with working systems, so the aircraft can be taxied around. In a few areas on the aircraft, you can still find bullet holes.

The Planes of Fame Museum are also restoring an original "Val", to airworthy condition, which has proven to be a very lengthy and involved process (mainly because the guy that 'restored' it before the Planes of Fame Museum got it, had done a horrible job with it). There are a number of other projects going on too, including restoring their Buchon, P-59, B-17, Navion, and NAA O-47 all to flying status.

 

[PRB]

Dang, looks like Rabaul out there! That's great to see three A6Ms flying.

That Val has been there a long time. They always put on a good show out there. One of the things I miss about living in CA.

 

[Bomber_12th]

Yeah, and it certainly confirms that the current count of airworthy "Zeros" stands firmly at 5. Besides the POF and the Commemorative Air Force examples in those pics, the third one is supposedly owned by a Japanese businessman, and is hangared at the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Camarillo</st1lace></st1:City> airport, just as the CAF's example is too.

Here's a video update on some of the activity at Chino. As you can see in the video shots, they actually have the dual-antenna setup on the spine of the museum's P-51, just like an "Iwo Jima" Mustang. The very aircraft was actually originally manufactured with the dual spine antennas, being a very late Dallas produced variant (P-51D-30-NT). The mounting holes have remained in-place all of these years, ever since the antennas were removed back at the time of surplus, so they could easily be added back on, without having to modify anything with the aircraft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxY9D_Za_c8

 

[Naki]

Great stuff.....amazing to think that I've seen one of those Zeros here at Tauranga.

The Judy I hardly recognised with a radial...only familiar with the V-12 version.

The Raiden looks cool...that reminds me I have never downloaded Tim's Raiden

 

[Bomber_12th]

Here are a couple more photos posted to the POF Facebook page. Man, I wish I could be out there! I have a feeling that "Dolly" is going to be a "hot ticket" for air shows all around the west coast.

Duane Lundgren, who headed the restoration of the "Judy", and POF founder Ed Maloney.

 

[crashaz]

Yep I saw the Zekes on their Facebook page.... and was kinda sick about it.... how many times in one's life can one see that today? Not going to be able to make it this year as I am shooting for 2012 AirVenture this year. Maybe next year.... then afraid all 3 won't be there again!!

 

[pilottj]

Great shots John. It has been quite some time since I have been to Chino. Did they still have their static Ryan Fireball?

There are some great youtube vids with Steve Hinton doing a walkaround and flying demonstration of the Zero, from POF's Roaring Glory warbird video series I think.

Cheers
TJ

 

[Bomber_12th]

The Ryan Fireball is indeed still at/with Planes of Fame. In recent/past years, the CAF California Wing's "Zero" and the POF "Zero" have been displayed together, both at Chino and Camarillo shows, however this does mark the first time, that I can remember, seeing three examples together.

The Planes of Fame Zero is of course a complete original example, recovered during WWII and brought to the U.S. for testing and evaluation. The two examples pictured, other than the POF Zero, were part of a batch of Zeros that were manufactured in Russia in the 1990's, using parts from various wrecks, as well as a lot of new-built material from original plans. The CAF California Wing's example contains the most of the original parts (it being the first finished, it used-up most of all of the good parts), with the other example in the photos being the second example finished. The Flying Heritage Collection's A6M3 was also part of that batch, and being the third completed, was all new-build. When FHC obtained it, they sent it to Fighter Rebuilders at Chino, to have the authentic field-mod two seat, two canopy configuration added to it. The FHC example has just recently been flying, and is in for paint, before its official unveiling on June 9.

Besides the three examples pictured, and the FHC example, there is also of course the former Blayd/Beck A6M2 which is now owned/flown by the Texas Flying Legends museum. This example too was manufactured new, all from original plans, and is likely the most perfect example flying (from a craftsmanship standpoint). Over the last few years it must have logged the most flight hours and distances flown, having criss-crossed the U.S. several times.

There are also a few examples under restoration at the this time, both to static and to airworthy condition (the Flying Heritage Collection, alone, also owns two other original "Zero's", one of which, a pure survivor like the POF example, was at one time owned by the Planes of Fame Museum). At least one of the examples under restoration to fly, will be powered by an original Sakae engine (currently being tackled at Vintage V-12's, if I recall correctly).

 

[Bomber_12th]

I should also add, that one time the CAF also had a white/light grey-painted A6M2 Zero, for a number of years. It flew for a while, but then was grounded when the low-quality of work that went into the restoration of it was found. "Restored" by the same guy that "restored" the original Val that the Planes of Fame Museum now have, it was found (like most of the guy's creations/restorations) that he actually used pop rivets in many areas, and other hardware store quality materials where he needed to make new parts. A few years ago, there was an effort mounted by the CAF California Wing to restore the aircraft to airworthy condition, but it posed too much work, with a lot of corrosion found, and just a ton of things that would have to have been completely replaced due to how it was "restored" before the CAF got it. Instead, they cleaned it up, and restored it to static condition, and it is now on display at the Pearl Harbor museum.

 

[Bomber_12th]

Three Zeros in the Air!

One of the first, of many images I'm sure, of the three Zeros in the air together: http://www.cafsocal.com/