Asian Group
Related: About this forumAviation expert hopes to return Zero fighter to skies over Japan
A New Zealand resident originally from Tochigi Prefecture is campaigning to bring one of the four airworthy Zero fighter aircraft in the world back to Japan, where it can fly again in the skies of its homeland.
(The Zero fighter) is a historic heritage and a memorial of the war, said Masahide Ishizuka, 52, who runs a company that manufactures flight jackets for pilots and also writes for aviation magazines. I hope to link (the Zero) to activities to call for peace.
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the mainstay of the Imperial Japanese Navy, was produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nakajima Aircraft. Japan produced about 10,000 carrier-based Zero fighter aircraft during World War II.
In the early stages of the war, the Zero gained a reputation as a fearsome dogfighter with its slick maneuverability, long-distance range and high speed--three important attributes of fighter aircraft.
In 2009, Ishizuka established a company in the United States with the goal of bringing one of the fighter planes back to Japan. His company purchased an airworthy Zero fighter for 350 million yen ($3.72 million) from a U.S. collector of vintage fighter planes. All four airworthy Zeros today are registered in the United States.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201303290083
bluedigger
(17,087 posts)Maybe "Mitsubishi, the people that brought you the Zero" doesn't sound like an attractive ad campaign to somebody.
Too bad, because it's a beautiful aircraft of historical significance. We're happy to let it fly here.
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)within the grounds of the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. No mention of whether it is in working order or not.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/遊就館
bluedigger
(17,087 posts)The Japanese-English translation is a little rough to work through. I couldn't decipher much other than that they have one on static display. I wonder if the Japanese government's reluctance to allow flying examples of such vintage aircraft is influenced by the population density and a fear of mishaps. They seem to have much higher safety standards than we do here.
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)That could imply that it is in working condition.
At any rate, next time I'm in Tokyo for pleasure, I might stop in at the museum and ask about it.