My first open water scuba dive on Guam in 1977 was to a Zero fighter, at about 40 feet down. She was sitting upright on the bottom, the rising sun markings still visible on the fuselage and wings. The ammo belts and guns were still intact ,as well as the cockpit instruments, Even after 33 years. It was amazing. Since then i have been fascinated with the Zero. A truly classic WW2 fighter plane.
@@Perkelenaattori All of the Japanese aircraft designs looked functionally beautiful and graceful. Even bombers and support aircraft. Non looked silly or gross as did some western designs. The British, American, and some Russian planes. Beaufighters, Wildcats, and. Polikarpov I-16's as examples lacking sexy consumer eye style. All Japanese designs in general looked like handsome functionally well styled automobiles that style conscious consumers would want to buy. Non silly looking.
agreed. back in the 80s there was a real Zero with the complete engine sitting behind either 538 or 538 Peachtree St ,Atl. Ga. It is rotting now in some halfassed "museum" in Washington ST now...as best i know.
@@vet6822 You must be referring to Paul Allen’s “Flying Heritage” collection, which has two unrestored Zeros. It’s a great museum…not sure where you got the idea that it’s not legit.
I've never heard the true sound of the Zero's engine before, the plane is impressive. I'm genuinely surprised there are surviving Zero's from WW2. So many Japanese aircraft were destroyed during and after WW2. I'm glad someone took the incentive to restore this old war bird, she's truly impressive.
No. A katana is no broadsword. But the Zero is no Spitfire or even a Mosquito. The Zero would have died against an onslaught of organized numerous Messerschmitts. The Zero cut its way thru surprised unprepared defenders like shoji screens. Not so later when the opponent regrouped. A single Wildcat got all shot up, but took out a squadron of Zeros.
For what it's worth, here are two superb "documentary-esque" videos on the A6M _Zero_ by Drachinifel ft. Justin Puke. They begin by covering the history of Imperial Japan's aircraft industry in order for "us" to have a better understanding of the context for which the aircraft was designed (perhaps, more-so in the 2nd video): *[The A6M Naval Carrier Fighter - Zero or Hero?]* _(2h:33m)_ ruclips.net/video/ApOfbxpL4Dg/видео.html *[The A6M Naval Carrier Fighter - Homegrown or Copy?]* _(1h:33m)_ ruclips.net/video/r1sn-1ZCmDg/видео.html
I saw this flying at Camarillo airshow, after a lifetime of reading about the Zero and seeing movies and film clips I NEVER thought I would personally ever seen one flying.
I remember the Chino Zero from being at the first Chino airshow after the restoration many years ago. It is very quiet compared to allied radial warbirds. Gave the crowd and no doubt the pilot a real scare on landing when a brake locked. She swerved off the runway into the dirt and raised a cloud of dust. The gear legs shook quite a bit but she stayed up.
I remember the same thing (more quiet), they flew it up to Salinas air show many years ago. It was actually just sitting on static display but later when it was going to fly back to Chino saw (and heard) it flying. It was along with an F6F which was a cool matchup.
@@831BeachBum I believe so as I have pics of that show that include the RB-51 Red Baron in Michelob livery. That livery was only on it a few months before it crashed at Reno in Sep '79.
Was that rebuilt by Bert Rutan? Because the one he restored for the CAF, someone kept sabotaging it as it was an enemy aircraft, but nobody touched their Bf109.
I always wondered what the Japanese aviation industry would have accomplished if it hadn't been limited after WWII. The things Japan accomplished in terms of aircraft technology were pretty amazing; would have loved to see the Zero's successors at an air show.
@@Perkelenaattori it is a lot more agile, but those Grumman aircraft were specially designed to counteract the zero’s weaknesses in speed, operational altitude, and they were more versatile. The zeros, Hellcats, and Corsairs (especially corsairs) are just 😩
I think the Zero is one sexy bird. Much more beautiful than a Wildcat and definitely more nimble. Wildcats were actually pretty nimble too but in different ways. Better roll rate and in a dive they were fully controllable at maximum dive speeds unlike the Zero, which could not follow them long. Problem is the Zero could out climb, out turn, and out run them when not in a dive and also had much more range so they could usually dictate the conditions in which battle was engaged. Good thing Wildcats could dive well since the Zeros were nearly always above them when they each reached the AO.
You have a complete intact running Zero .. time to methodically recreate every single piece of it to be able to build more for air shows and let the original retire to the museum with the occasional appearance and flight....plus this would also mean there are spare parts if an original fails and cannot be replaced by another original...this shoud be the practice for every exisiting WW2 plane that still exists...
+ texaswildcat2000 Several of the flying restored Zeros today were all sub-contracted to a rebuild shop in Russia years ago, I think in the 1990s. So knowledge of the airframe exists and is available. Before the 1990s there wasn't much warbird rebuild interest in Russia but look how that early work has translated in to excellent restoration work there now with the new-build Yak-3Ms,, several Il-2s, some Mig-3s, etc.
@@FiveCentsPlease Most of what you see as zeros today are actually North American AT-6 Texan or SNJ-6 (Navy version), American WW2 advanced trainers... I've worked on a "conversion" T6 as it was being made to look like a zero... the dead giveaway, visually, is the wing... the basic trainer, Vultee BT-13, was used to create the torpedo bombers... when you watch an airshow and see Japanese WW2 planes, they are actually converted American planes. On rare occasion, you might get the chance to see a real zero. All of those planes are part of the CAF, Commemorative Air Force...... if memory serves, there were only 4 zeros that ever survived and only 2 ever flown after the war. The rest were destroyed by American forces after the Japanese surrender. My number may be off, slightly, but after 30 years, things in memory do get a little fuzzy, lol...
Visible in wheel wells are riveted on rubber tire stop blocks and also this craft has a broken spring on small gear door flap for fuselage central line drop fuel tank. Beautiful to see a flying example of an extremely historic aircraft. Much as a sport plane it was built around the idea of lightest possible airframe for maneuver and performance. Extremely long range capable for ferry missions. Pressed into higher speed regimes it balked as aileron control became very resistant to air pressure over wings making stick inputs nearly impossible. Later versions had exhaust ejected individually for attempt for speed increase. Only minimal gain. Gun selection lever is very motorcycle clutch lever similar. Twenty millimeter canons in wings inboard as possible or 7.7 millimeter machine guns over cowl/ instruments panel each side.
Oh wow, and this has the original engine? So cool, I love the warbirds. I can remember my late dad (a veteran of the Pacific War) describing the sound of the Zeros. He said you could hear them coming from a lonnnngggg way off. I appreciate him sharing even the littlest bit with me.
They sound really nice, smooth, and they roar at the same time. It's no wonder the Japanese gave the Allies in the Pacific quite a beating before the end.
Once the f4u and hellcats showed up in the Pacific, the zeros started getting it handed to them. They did well in the start because America didn't have a great naval fighter. Once American production kicked into gear it was over for Japan and they knew it
In 1943 once America had the Marine Voight Corsair, the Navy Hellcat, and the P-51 Mustang, the tide of the air war in the Pacific Theater turned against the Japanese. That same year the Japanese Naval code, Purple, had also been deciphered, and the allies knew every move the Japanese Navy were about to make.
@@SuperSaltydog77 and the zeros top speed ,was a major factor at only 351 mph ,the hell cats, and corsairs flown well over 400 plus mph . Much heavier armoured as well .....they could take a lickin and keep on tickin ? The zeros, exploded with little to no effort ,very nimble flimsy ....just like there motorcycles of today flimsy
Zero, with original engine is on display at Planes of Fame Air museum, Chino California. The museum just canceled their October 2021 air show. Maybe May 2022 for the next air show.
You have to remember that in December '41 this plane was the best and most lethal air-superiority fighter in the World, although the design was obsolete by the Fall of '43. However, as a low-speed dogfighter, the Zero still has no comparable.
It dominated the early naval battles of the pacific. Arguably , the best air-superiority fighter in the world in late 1941 was the FW-190. It took the allies a good while to come up with Spitfire, Yak, etc variants that could deal with them on equal terms. I would also not neglect to throw the Spitfire mark V or BF-109F into the mix as both better than the zero. In the pacific naval theatre , the Zero was quite dominate for a time. Even more so thanks to the excellent pilots flying them. The Zero was the right plane for the job, for that period of time. ( I would also add that I personally find it a beautiful plane ) That being said, if we are talking best in the world in 1941, I think most pilots would have gone with the Focke Wulf.
@@yxada1998 It's true the FW190 when it first appeared outclassed anything on the Western Front, including the Spitfire Vb - probalby the only time the Spit was actually outclassed in that theatre. However the Fw190 wasn't that manouverable, even though it was fast, rugged and heavily armed - it was more built for slashing attacks rather than dog-fighting, and it retained excellent energy to keep it's speed up - dive in slightly at full throttle, blaze away with the heavy cannons then carry on past the beehive of planes, use the plane's energy and pull up into a hard fast max-performance turn to rapidly about-face and come in for another high speed slash/pass. The Me109F series was an excellent dogfight & air superiority plane, probably the best in that aircraft's series, but it was hampered by weak armament and also the airframe itself was fundamentally weak (a problem with most of the Me109 series), especially aroudn the tail and the wings/wing roots. I do agree though, the Zero was an excellent fighting machine, a true air-superiority dog-fighter with a fantastic range for a small single-seat fighter (thanks mainly to its low fuel consumption, low HP engine and lightweight construction, also the IJN pioneered the used of drop tanks to increase its range still further). When it first burst on the scene in Dec '41 and for the next six months, it totally held sway in that theatre - best dog-fighter/air-superiority plane with all the right attributes a pilot needed (including excellent all-round vision, something a lot of the US fighters lacked) and also the best pilots in the world to fly it - no wonder the combined Allies never quite knew what hit them. Of course, if they had ever bothered to read Major Clare Chennault's reports about it, from the Flying Tigers operating in China 'unofficially', they might have known what was coming - instead in Washington he was dismissed as something of a loud-mouthed 'crank'.
@@xj900uk The Zero was indeed a very good plane, but even the F4F in the right hands and with proper team work could deal with them as shown by Jimmy Thach, and once newer American and allied planes arrived in theatre it really started to show its age. Many of Japans newer designs were major improvements on the Zero, but sadly Japan lacked the resources and pilots to get them in the air in any effective number.
@@solus48 True, although according to Subaru Sakai, who had the chance to fly some of the newer machines, he said that they 'felt like a truck' compared to his beloved Zero. True that the Japanese did have a lot of good designs on their drawing boards, they learned a lot quickly from how the air war was progressing, but lacked the resources to get them in to producion quickly or to re-tool the factories, so preferred to soldier on with the earlier and more obsolete types, which could be produced in large numbers. For example, experts on all sides agree that the best fighter plane that Japan ever got into service was the Ki100-i-ko model, powered by the Ha-112 radial engine rather than the unreliable and heavier inline Ha-40 engine that it was originally supposed to have - it could outfly any USAAF escort fighter including the Mustang, and could also take on the B29's with a reasonable chance of success - but only 275 saw service before war's end, and there were very few good pilots left anyway to fly the machines. The tale of the A8M Sam plane is even sadder, as it was designed to replace the Zero,b eing basically a Zero airframe with armour plate, reasonable armament and also a 2,000 hp engine to give it some serious umph - but thanks to allied bombing and an earthquake delaying the engine by a year, only 7 were built (1 seeing combat) by war's end.
Like hearing and seeing the engine running. A bit nervous about it actually flying because if something goes wrong, its gone forever. Maybe if there were a half dozen still existence I wouldn't feel that way.
@@1joshjosh1 Aviation enthusiasts the world over are generally more interested in the aircraft, the pilots and their stories than they are the governments for which they flew. If you had been studying aviation for any length of time you would know this. Wright Flyer, USAF (1968-1972).
@@wrightflyer7855 You're right. Technique is one thing and politics is another problem. I am sure that the Japanese is proud of the technical level of the aircraft's construction. Polish aviation fan.
Very well designed airplane. I have heard that the engineers were able to balance a lot of conflicting requirements in this design. Very long range as well.
I seem to recall that at the end of the report of the results of a fly-off of all the American front line fighters against the Zero there was a paragraph that stated that although the American aircraft could best the Zero if flown to their advantages, the Zero was the only aircraft that required no repairs for the duration of the testing. Other countries' industries of all sorts should have noted that.
No, not at all. Consider that there were multiple airfields on Oahu, including on Ford Island itself. It's not like someone hears an airplane or even multiple airplanes - a very common sound at the time in and around Oahu - and is suddenly ringing the bell to battle stations. Literally hundreds of aircraft flew at Hawaii during the PH raid and it wasn't until bombs were dropping and people identified the red meatballs on the aircraft that there was any conception there was an attack in progress. Until the actual attack commenced, the sound of the aircraft overhead just made people think the army or the navy were training that morning.
The sound of a radial engine at start up is unmistakable, and at power, it can be described "as smooth as a baby's butt." Only the V-12's were smoother through their operational tempos. Man they sound good.
Early version had a collection exhaust system manifold with two stacks near wheel wells. Would have been the type over Pearl Harbor that early Sunday morning.
@@光一ミュラー What the hell are you babbling about? Not all missions were flown by suicide pilots. The only way one could ever become an expert pilot was to land and then think about his missions.
@@光一ミュラー Yea, sarcasm has some nuances that were definitely lost in translation… All that aside. This example is not only an important piece of history but in fully flying condition and displaying the roughness of construction finesse you would have typically found as a young officer in The Imperial Armed forces might have been issued near the end of WWII. Those guys who climbed into such aero planes had to have either made their peace with death or had stainless steel balls to go up against their US counterparts who had bigger, heavier hitting guns (firing tracers) at the unprotected fuel tanks in that kite.
that is frankly amazing...thank you for sharing. To think of the tens of thousands of these warbirds that were made, the missions they flew, the men in the cockpits...regardless of nationality, one has to have nothing but respect.
I was at the Camarillo CAF museum when they flight certified an A6M about 3 years ago, and my younger brother works at the Pearl Harbor museum and says they have one in mint condition and is absolutely flyable. There's 1 or 2 still out there.
+ Dennis Zuis There are several rebuild Zeros that fly with P&W engines, but only one flies with the original Sakae radial. Also there are one or two restored examples in Japan that could likely fly with their Sakae engines but they do not. At least one project was planning to us a Sakae engine but those are so rare that it is difficult.
Etymology The kamikaze aircraft are part of a unit formed by Admiral Ônishi Takijirô (1891-1945), a "special attack unit" (tokkôtai), named after Shinpu. 💐 💐 🙏🙏🙏🙏🇮🇶🇯🇵
+ vet68 That Zero wreck ended up at Paul Allen's museum. His museum has currently paused operations and put several project aircraft up for sale. That Zero wreck was for sale again and is now "sold." But I don't know who bought it and very few shops work on Zero rebuilds. It will turn up soon.
Has anyone noticed the resemblance of the Japanese Zero and the German Me 190? The 190 is the best fighter interceptor the Germans coulda hoped for but got too few too late to stop the waves of allied bombers that became the unexpected point of the spear of the allies war efforts prior to D-Day. Their common features and design are near perfect for their missions. Had the germans enuf 190's, to accompany their Heinkel and Junkers bombers and stop the allies' bombers, win the airspace for Germany, that may have changed the entire outcome of many of the battles, if not the war itself. The Me-190 was that good; a war-winner itself. The legendary Japanese Zero looks almost identical and was just as devastating to its enemy until P-38 Lightnings and Corsairs emerged in numbers around 1943.
There was something almost like that: An Me-209 prototype that did not reach production that was a hybrid between the 2 planes basically. Had the 109 fuselage combined with the Jumo engine of the FW-190Ds IIRC.
@@bryangrote8781 Copy, Big Guy! The thing most persons don't realize in the debate between suitability of water vs air-cooled engineering is colossal when realized. Air-cooled engines, all things remaining the same are FAR better for (military) long-range aviation, BUT we didn't know that then. Lindbergh, and a decade later, Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan dramatically, but not firmly nor soundly enuf demonstrated this single point in their transAtlantic flights. The idea then to have a suitable, made-for-it, high-performance radial made for the slick Me-109 is a hybrid of unimaginable performance, i.e., all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of both designs, imho. That coulda delivered fighter interceptors that, if numerous enough, stopped the Allied bombers with impunity - and won the war.
@@bryangrote8781 Along the same lines as my previous reply, what I'm/we're suggesting is this: a German version of the Corsair, appearing about mid-1930's, in deployment and production numbers equivalent to both the 109 and 190, based defensively primarily, at first, and then, THEN used offensively, would have used the defensive default advantage of 10 to 1 as well as protecting Germany and its captured territories better and longer - mission accomplished.
I'd bet there are millions of aviation fans who are especially fond of the Zero AND appreciate the significance of its original engine and airframe combined. It was this specific combination that did so outstandingly well for the Japanese in WW2 and that is its most interesting and arresting feature. The Merlin engine of the British has the same reputation as magically, miraculously, magnificently, powerful, efficient and reliable - in their day and theater of war. Being the powerhouse of the great Zero makes the engine as exquisitely-engineered as is every feature of the Zero. Nothing is good but mission-success in every consideration of the airplane, its purpose altogether, when it was designed. But THIS ONE airplane has much greater importance, meaning, significance and wonder to all aviation enthusiasts because of its peerless heritage; that only ONE person could make happen and did - that one turning out to be Jiro Horikoshi. Everything about the timeless wonders of everything in the Zero, all things considered, stem from this great engineer AND the great adventure of the R & D of the Zero, of the likes and magic and drama of all the UK and and US aircraft designer counterparts - Japanese style - at its best AND as never been seen before. THE WIND RISES is an animated story of Jiro Horikoshi that IS one of the most wonderful stories of such a thing I know or ever read about. It beautifully tells the story that makes my point here - that the Zero was a pilots' airplane, perfected with all the total drive that unbridled Japanese nationalism of the period could provide. He was, so to speak, Japan, stepping up to play ball in world-class engineering (in this new thing, aviation). The Zero was his entirely masterpiece answer.
5200 lbs dry, amazing. I believe it went all the way to 7200lbs wet but I wouldn't bet on it. It's lightweight is the reason why it outclassed most allied fighters early in the war.
@Richard Blazek - Compare that to the Goliath P-47 Thunderbolt : 10,000lbs dry and 17,000 fully loaded! But the P-47 had an 18 cylinder 2,600 HP Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp radial for power. The Zero had but 940 HP in a 14 cylinder radial design. The super light weight of the Zero gave it the handling superiority, but the cost of this light weight fighter spelled disaster for pilot protection, which the Japanese didn't focus on, as they were deemed expendable! At least until they were all gone! They also were much easier to shoot down since they did not employ self sealing fuel tanks.
@@laurencethornblade8357 - Not sure where I got the info that it was a 12 cylinder, but your comment caused me to research it further and it was a 14 cylinder, twin radial. Thanks for spotting that - which I have corrected!
when Vanderhoof used to have it's air show in the 1980's i seen a Japanese WW2 plane fly over one year. was great living in Quesnel as i got to see a lot of aircraft i would otherwise never get to see
Wonder how many cylinders that engine has gone through. Any internal combustion engine has a limited number of times it can be overhauled before the cylinder walls become too thin for the engine to operate safely and reliably
There are a number of ways of elongating the operational life of this engine. Chroming the cylinder walls would eliminate wear on top of installing hardened valve seats and sleeving pushrod openings. Sleeving the cylinders is another option. Bearings are internationally standardized. This aircraft is registered as 'Experimental' NX?????? so any modifications can be done and the aircraft is not bound by time limits expiring. Being in Southern California, all sorts of new engineering technology is at hand and any part can be reverse engineered and reproduced. The limit is money. I'm sure Planes of Fame don't 'push it' to its limits, if something happens they talk to the world's museum and they can work out 'deals' to keep their Zero operational. Reminds me of a story of the Fleet Air Arm's Swordfish LS326. When the FAA's Pegesus needed help, the staff at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford would be warned to watch out for an FAA lorry with toolbag -carrying engineers looking to 'borrow' parts from the static displayed Stringbag!
+ Enterprise206 I am reading that Planes of Fame has put about 500 hours on the Sakae without problems since the rebuild. An engine restoration shop in California has the capability to service it and they do other rare types including the German stuff.
A friend once commented that the Zero's were like a Foil in fencing, light fast and deadly but the rest of the world was going Sabre, that is heavier, harder hitting and stronger.
further, my father, a crop duster (Army Air Corp p-39s) worked for another WW2 pilot who went to Yokohama Bay and retrieved a Zero he had downed. Was in 30 ft of water and the tires still were inflated (circa 1970). Upon it being delivered to a hangar in Bakersfield, Ca the first nite all armorment was stripped/stolen. Ultimately it was restored and donated to the San Diego Air Museum. Sadly it was among the aircraft there that were destroyed in a fire.
His first name was Jiro , but the statement but the statement is correct , he was also a bit upset with the Japanese Navy who insisted on the Nakajima 21 Sakae engine as opposed to the MItsubishi 920 HP radial Jiro wanted his airplane to be all Mitsubishi .
+ Franky46Boy Aviation builder Herb Tischler was very well known for bringing extinct aircraft back as replicas. I think the last project before he passed away was a mini production line of Nakajima Oscars. I think he built four of them, powered by R-1830 engines. ruclips.net/video/Jrn2RGm1524/видео.html
An utter work of art, in aircraft design. If Japan hadn't been beset by so many resource issues, the Allies surely would have been in for a longer fight.
Sorry, but I disagree. It would have been a great civilian aircraft by design. For war... it was feckless. Great attack aircraft, but unfortunately for them, in war people shoot back. No armor or self-sealing tanks.... add the meatball over the fuel tank as a focal target and you've got a disaster on your hands. There is a reason that there is only 1 left.
@@darrelljourdan3687 Well, on that matter it doesn't sound like you DO actually disagree? I called it a great design & 'work of art'--I didn't give the A6M any rating as a warplane....merely as an aircraft. For handling...extreme economy, yet reliability of design(..durability notwithstanding, you don't get 1000K+ miles ferry range, in naval conditions out of paper or cardboard!?..) ...efficient use of resources & application to ultimate performance. Everything you cite as problematic boils down to usage as dedicated military/combat hardware; which I'm sure--as for the aforementioned "..resource scarcity.." issues that always plagued Japan culture.. They most assuredly would have built more robust equipment, were they not pinching & 'cutting corners' all that they did.
My first open water scuba dive on Guam in 1977 was to a Zero fighter, at about 40 feet down. She was sitting upright on the bottom, the rising sun markings still visible on the fuselage and wings. The ammo belts and guns were still intact ,as well as the cockpit instruments, Even after 33 years. It was amazing. Since then i have been fascinated with the Zero. A truly classic WW2 fighter plane.
Experiencia envidiable , la tuya !
It's the looks. The Zero is beautiful and graceful while the Grumman planes especially are stubby and anything but graceful.
Has that plane been salvaged?
@@charleshultquist9233 Regretibly it was swept away into the abyss by a typhoon several years ago.
@@Perkelenaattori All of the Japanese aircraft designs looked functionally beautiful and graceful. Even bombers and support aircraft. Non looked silly or gross as did some western designs. The British, American, and some Russian planes. Beaufighters, Wildcats, and. Polikarpov I-16's as examples lacking sexy consumer eye style. All Japanese designs in general looked like handsome functionally well styled automobiles that style conscious consumers would want to buy. Non silly looking.
I always enjoy seeing and hearing a Zero that isn't a T6!
Right 🤣 thats the most non American sounding zero i ever saw!!!
agreed. back in the 80s there was a real Zero with the complete engine sitting behind either 538 or 538 Peachtree St ,Atl. Ga. It is rotting now in some halfassed "museum" in Washington ST now...as best i know.
@@vet6822 You must be referring to Paul Allen’s “Flying Heritage” collection, which has two unrestored Zeros. It’s a great museum…not sure where you got the idea that it’s not legit.
We shot down all the others.
Agreed Jon Jackson. FHCAM needs to reopen as well.
敵国だった人たちがこんなにピカピカにして保管してくれてるんだから感慨深いよ。
I've never heard the true sound of the Zero's engine before, the plane is impressive. I'm genuinely surprised there are surviving Zero's from WW2. So many Japanese aircraft were destroyed during and after WW2. I'm glad someone took the incentive to restore this old war bird, she's truly impressive.
It used a copy of the Pratt and Whitney radial engines
I've been waiting 60 years to hear the Mitsubishi. Finally. Kind of throaty.
Yes genuine. But it's not a Merlin by any means.
@@georgehunter2813 ...and a katana is not a broadsword.
No. A katana is no broadsword. But the Zero is no Spitfire or even a Mosquito. The Zero would have died against an onslaught of organized numerous Messerschmitts. The Zero cut its way thru surprised unprepared defenders like shoji screens. Not so later when the opponent regrouped. A single Wildcat got all shot up, but took out a squadron of Zeros.
For what it's worth, here are two superb "documentary-esque" videos on the A6M _Zero_ by Drachinifel ft. Justin Puke.
They begin by covering the history of Imperial Japan's aircraft industry in order for "us" to have a better understanding of the context for which the aircraft was designed (perhaps, more-so in the 2nd video):
*[The A6M Naval Carrier Fighter - Zero or Hero?]* _(2h:33m)_
ruclips.net/video/ApOfbxpL4Dg/видео.html
*[The A6M Naval Carrier Fighter - Homegrown or Copy?]* _(1h:33m)_
ruclips.net/video/r1sn-1ZCmDg/видео.html
Here is the Ace of aces of the Japanese Navy:
ruclips.net/video/OaRw3NLqJ5U/видео.html
Someone needs to take extensive sound recordings of this bird for archival purposes as well as movie sounds
I think Gaijin did a decent job recording for WarThunder since their engine sound revamp. Dunno if its actual recording or not.
@@primastanislaus9184 battlefield v did a great job of recording the sounds, they even recorded them flying
@@natedaninja3171 Oh, I didn't know that. I basically stopped following Battlefield franchise since that 2000 something something one.
And for actual sim games
@@primastanislaus9184 Battlefield 2142 ? The one that takes place during an ice age ?
戦争は抜きにして、当時の少年達が憧れる気持ちが分かります。
アメリカと銀行はあなたに戦争をもたらすためにできる限りのことをしました
I saw this flying at Camarillo airshow, after a lifetime of reading about the Zero and seeing movies and film clips I NEVER thought I would personally ever seen one flying.
I remember the Chino Zero from being at the first Chino airshow after the restoration many years ago. It is very quiet compared to allied radial warbirds. Gave the crowd and no doubt the pilot a real scare on landing when a brake locked. She swerved off the runway into the dirt and raised a cloud of dust. The gear legs shook quite a bit but she stayed up.
I remember the same thing (more quiet), they flew it up to Salinas air show many years ago. It was actually just sitting on static display but later when it was going to fly back to Chino saw (and heard) it flying. It was along with an F6F which was a cool matchup.
Was that in 1979?
@@831BeachBum I believe so as I have pics of that show that include the RB-51 Red Baron in Michelob livery. That livery was only on it a few months before it crashed at Reno in Sep '79.
Was that rebuilt by Bert Rutan? Because the one he restored for the CAF, someone kept sabotaging it as it was an enemy aircraft, but nobody touched their Bf109.
@@SvenTviking I don't recall Rutan having anything to do with the Chino Zero. That was all Fighter Rebuilders at Chino.
零戦はやはり素晴らしい！
good plane
呵呵
I always wondered what the Japanese aviation industry would have accomplished if it hadn't been limited after WWII. The things Japan accomplished in terms of aircraft technology were pretty amazing; would have loved to see the Zero's successors at an air show.
Hayabusha and Shinden probably, Hayabusha is zero with more powerful engine, Shinden is zero with canard design
Well at least they put their engineering into cars and bikes!
@@Enzoxvx Yup! And electronics, really consumer goods in general. Still, I would love to have seen the Japanese answer to Concorde and the Tu-144.
We got to hear it idle and in the air from far away... a fly-by would have been a nice way to actually hear what the plane sounds like.
当時は敵国だった日本の戦闘機を大切に保管してくれている事に一人の日本人として感謝します。
Even though I'm not Japanese, and despite the fact that my country fought against the Axis, I respect the Japanese for their unintelligent heroism
I only respect old Mitsubishi cars they’re the best
顔️⭕️顔️⭕️
I always loved the sound of these old engines when warming up and running
Looks great! Sounds great!
The Zero was a beautiful, graceful bird. With a good pilot, it was a very formidable fighter.
Utterly beautiful, thank you.
Wow! A 100% authentic Zero! A rare historic aviation treasure! 👍
Incredible that engine is 80 yrs old
Such a simple but beautiful aircraft.
オリジナルの栄搭載だからカウリングがデブじゃないのがいいよね
It's one of those aircraft that fit the adage, i"f it looks right it flies right"
Very nice.
It certainly looked a lot more graceful and nimble than the Grumman planes.
@@Perkelenaattori it is a lot more agile, but those Grumman aircraft were specially designed to counteract the zero’s weaknesses in speed, operational altitude, and they were more versatile. The zeros, Hellcats, and Corsairs (especially corsairs) are just 😩
@@J._.R577 I know. I was only referring to the looks factor.
I think the Zero is one sexy bird. Much more beautiful than a Wildcat and definitely more nimble. Wildcats were actually pretty nimble too but in different ways. Better roll rate and in a dive they were fully controllable at maximum dive speeds unlike the Zero, which could not follow them long. Problem is the Zero could out climb, out turn, and out run them when not in a dive and also had much more range so they could usually dictate the conditions in which battle was engaged. Good thing Wildcats could dive well since the Zeros were nearly always above them when they each reached the AO.
Something very graceful to that sound…
It runs smoother compared to other radials.
NICE START, LITTLE SMOKE AND NO MISSING!!
ALSO ADEQUATE IDLE TIME ALLOWING FOR LUBE OIL PRESSURE TO RAISE PROPERLY!!
Thanks for the knowledge
刀の様な美しさ
Such a beautiful design. At least I have seen one in real life.
You have a complete intact running Zero .. time to methodically recreate every single piece of it to be able to build more for air shows and let the original retire to the museum with the occasional appearance and flight....plus this would also mean there are spare parts if an original fails and cannot be replaced by another original...this shoud be the practice for every exisiting WW2 plane that still exists...
For every plane
And there are tons of skilled engineers around the world who would love to participate in this activity.
I like this idea A LOT
+ texaswildcat2000 Several of the flying restored Zeros today were all sub-contracted to a rebuild shop in Russia years ago, I think in the 1990s. So knowledge of the airframe exists and is available. Before the 1990s there wasn't much warbird rebuild interest in Russia but look how that early work has translated in to excellent restoration work there now with the new-build Yak-3Ms,, several Il-2s, some Mig-3s, etc.
@@FiveCentsPlease Most of what you see as zeros today are actually North American AT-6 Texan or SNJ-6 (Navy version), American WW2 advanced trainers... I've worked on a "conversion" T6 as it was being made to look like a zero... the dead giveaway, visually, is the wing... the basic trainer, Vultee BT-13, was used to create the torpedo bombers... when you watch an airshow and see Japanese WW2 planes, they are actually converted American planes. On rare occasion, you might get the chance to see a real zero. All of those planes are part of the CAF, Commemorative Air Force...... if memory serves, there were only 4 zeros that ever survived and only 2 ever flown after the war. The rest were destroyed by American forces after the Japanese surrender. My number may be off, slightly, but after 30 years, things in memory do get a little fuzzy, lol...
True Beauty, Zeke!
Imagine all the movies we've seen that never had the correct sound of the Zero!
@mcm95403 - And virtually all who watched them had no idea whatsoever!
Visible in wheel wells are riveted on rubber tire stop blocks and also this craft has a broken spring on small gear door flap for fuselage central line drop fuel tank.
Beautiful to see a flying example of an extremely historic aircraft.
Much as a sport plane it was built around the idea of lightest possible airframe for maneuver and performance. Extremely long range capable for ferry missions.
Pressed into higher speed regimes it balked as aileron control became very resistant to air pressure over wings making stick inputs nearly impossible.
Later versions had exhaust ejected individually for attempt for speed increase. Only minimal gain.
Gun selection lever is very motorcycle clutch lever similar. Twenty millimeter canons in wings inboard as possible or 7.7 millimeter machine guns over cowl/ instruments panel each side.
The Hei version of the A6M5 had x3 13mm machine guns instead of x2 7.7mm. One in the nose and one on each wing
She looks even better condition than she would've ever been back in the day
Oh wow, and this has the original engine? So cool, I love the warbirds. I can remember my late dad (a veteran of the Pacific War) describing the sound of the Zeros. He said you could hear them coming from a lonnnngggg way off. I appreciate him sharing even the littlest bit with me.
Gorgeous aircraft.
They sound really nice, smooth, and they roar at the same time. It's no wonder the Japanese gave the Allies in the Pacific quite a beating before the end.
Once the f4u and hellcats showed up in the Pacific, the zeros started getting it handed to them. They did well in the start because America didn't have a great naval fighter. Once American production kicked into gear it was over for Japan and they knew it
In 1943 once America had the Marine Voight Corsair, the Navy Hellcat, and the P-51 Mustang, the tide of the air war in the Pacific Theater turned against the Japanese. That same year the Japanese Naval code, Purple, had also been deciphered, and the allies knew every move the Japanese Navy were about to make.
@@SuperSaltydog77 and the zeros top speed ,was a major factor at only 351 mph ,the hell cats, and corsairs flown well over 400 plus mph . Much heavier armoured as well .....they could take a lickin and keep on tickin ? The zeros, exploded with little to no effort ,very nimble flimsy ....just like there motorcycles of today flimsy
Zero, with original engine is on display at Planes of Fame Air museum, Chino California. The museum just canceled their October 2021 air show. Maybe May 2022 for the next air show.
You have to remember that in December '41 this plane was the best and most lethal air-superiority fighter in the World, although the design was obsolete by the Fall of '43. However, as a low-speed dogfighter, the Zero still has no comparable.
It dominated the early naval battles of the pacific. Arguably , the best air-superiority fighter in the world in late 1941 was the FW-190. It took the allies a good while to come up with Spitfire, Yak, etc variants that could deal with them on equal terms. I would also not neglect to throw the Spitfire mark V or BF-109F into the mix as both better than the zero.
In the pacific naval theatre , the Zero was quite dominate for a time. Even more so thanks to the excellent pilots flying them. The Zero was the right plane for the job, for that period of time. ( I would also add that I personally find it a beautiful plane )
That being said, if we are talking best in the world in 1941, I think most pilots would have gone with the Focke Wulf.
@@yxada1998 It's true the FW190 when it first appeared outclassed anything on the Western Front, including the Spitfire Vb - probalby the only time the Spit was actually outclassed in that theatre. However the Fw190 wasn't that manouverable, even though it was fast, rugged and heavily armed - it was more built for slashing attacks rather than dog-fighting, and it retained excellent energy to keep it's speed up - dive in slightly at full throttle, blaze away with the heavy cannons then carry on past the beehive of planes, use the plane's energy and pull up into a hard fast max-performance turn to rapidly about-face and come in for another high speed slash/pass. The Me109F series was an excellent dogfight & air superiority plane, probably the best in that aircraft's series, but it was hampered by weak armament and also the airframe itself was fundamentally weak (a problem with most of the Me109 series), especially aroudn the tail and the wings/wing roots.
I do agree though, the Zero was an excellent fighting machine, a true air-superiority dog-fighter with a fantastic range for a small single-seat fighter (thanks mainly to its low fuel consumption, low HP engine and lightweight construction, also the IJN pioneered the used of drop tanks to increase its range still further). When it first burst on the scene in Dec '41 and for the next six months, it totally held sway in that theatre - best dog-fighter/air-superiority plane with all the right attributes a pilot needed (including excellent all-round vision, something a lot of the US fighters lacked) and also the best pilots in the world to fly it - no wonder the combined Allies never quite knew what hit them. Of course, if they had ever bothered to read Major Clare Chennault's reports about it, from the Flying Tigers operating in China 'unofficially', they might have known what was coming - instead in Washington he was dismissed as something of a loud-mouthed 'crank'.
@@xj900uk The Zero was indeed a very good plane, but even the F4F in the right hands and with proper team work could deal with them as shown by Jimmy Thach, and once newer American and allied planes arrived in theatre it really started to show its age. Many of Japans newer designs were major improvements on the Zero, but sadly Japan lacked the resources and pilots to get them in the air in any effective number.
@@solus48 True, although according to Subaru Sakai, who had the chance to fly some of the newer machines, he said that they 'felt like a truck' compared to his beloved Zero.
True that the Japanese did have a lot of good designs on their drawing boards, they learned a lot quickly from how the air war was progressing, but lacked the resources to get them in to producion quickly or to re-tool the factories, so preferred to soldier on with the earlier and more obsolete types, which could be produced in large numbers.
For example, experts on all sides agree that the best fighter plane that Japan ever got into service was the Ki100-i-ko model, powered by the Ha-112 radial engine rather than the unreliable and heavier inline Ha-40 engine that it was originally supposed to have - it could outfly any USAAF escort fighter including the Mustang, and could also take on the B29's with a reasonable chance of success - but only 275 saw service before war's end, and there were very few good pilots left anyway to fly the machines.
The tale of the A8M Sam plane is even sadder, as it was designed to replace the Zero,b eing basically a Zero airframe with armour plate, reasonable armament and also a 2,000 hp engine to give it some serious umph - but thanks to allied bombing and an earthquake delaying the engine by a year, only 7 were built (1 seeing combat) by war's end.
Like hearing and seeing the engine running. A bit nervous about it actually flying because if something goes wrong, its gone forever. Maybe if there were a half dozen still existence I wouldn't feel that way.
beautiful piece of history! Hard to believe that out of so many planes there is only one left. So sad.
Quite impressive !. Thank you for posting this. I am so much proud of this plane as one of a Japanese.
If I were you I would not be proud of anything 1930-45 Japanese.
War crimes everywhere you went.
@@1joshjosh1 Aviation enthusiasts the world over are generally more interested in the aircraft, the pilots and their stories than they are the governments for which they flew. If you had been studying aviation for any length of time you would know this. Wright Flyer, USAF (1968-1972).
@@wrightflyer7855 You're right. Technique is one thing and politics is another problem. I am sure that the Japanese is proud of the technical level of the aircraft's construction. Polish aviation fan.
Very well designed airplane. I have heard that the engineers were able to balance a lot of conflicting requirements in this design. Very long range as well.
Beautiful aircraft, would love to hear from the pilot on how she handles in the air 🇦🇺✈️😀
The Zero was a remarkable design. Unbelievable range.
Very little smoke on start up. Huh. or was it off camera?
I seem to recall that at the end of the report of the results of a fly-off of all the American front line fighters against the Zero there was a paragraph that stated that although the American aircraft could best the Zero if flown to their advantages, the Zero was the only aircraft that required no repairs for the duration of the testing. Other countries' industries of all sorts should have noted that.
Impressive! Until the Allies figured out the Zero's flaws, this plane dominated the skies in early WWII Pacific theater.
Made in Japan👍Wunderbar👏
オリジナルのゼロ戦の栄型エンジン音ですね。
A truly beautiful and graceful aircraft. My favorite of WW2.
Chino Planes of Fame is a great museum! So blessed to live close to it and able to see these birds fly.
The quiet engines could be another reason Pearl Harbor was such a surprise.
No, not at all. Consider that there were multiple airfields on Oahu, including on Ford Island itself. It's not like someone hears an airplane or even multiple airplanes - a very common sound at the time in and around Oahu - and is suddenly ringing the bell to battle stations. Literally hundreds of aircraft flew at Hawaii during the PH raid and it wasn't until bombs were dropping and people identified the red meatballs on the aircraft that there was any conception there was an attack in progress. Until the actual attack commenced, the sound of the aircraft overhead just made people think the army or the navy were training that morning.
1st time hearing the REAL engine note....amazing!
The sound of a radial engine at start up is unmistakable, and at power, it can be described "as smooth as a baby's butt." Only the V-12's were smoother through their operational tempos. Man they sound good.
品 色気 どこまでも美しい Zero
美しいですね
Early version had a collection exhaust system manifold with two stacks near wheel wells.
Would have been the type over Pearl Harbor that early Sunday morning.
Very nice kite. Lots of positive dihedral and very wide main gear! Must have been relatively easy to fly/land/taxi.
landing? what do you mean? you're a bomb, a cherry blossom petal can't return to its tree, and same as you
@@光一ミュラー What the hell are you babbling about? Not all missions were flown by suicide pilots. The only way one could ever become an expert pilot was to land and then think about his missions.
gee... it seems everyone think it serious, i was joking, people, i knew that Kamikaze occurs in the last stages of war
@@光一ミュラー Yea, sarcasm has some nuances that were definitely lost in translation…
All that aside. This example is not only an important piece of history but in fully flying condition and displaying the roughness of construction finesse you would have typically found as a young officer in The Imperial Armed forces might have been issued near the end of WWII. Those guys who climbed into such aero planes had to have either made their peace with death or had stainless steel balls to go up against their US counterparts who had bigger, heavier hitting guns (firing tracers) at the unprotected fuel tanks in that kite.
@@robertwalsh5461 yup, i always wonder how those brave young man be able to do such feats
that is frankly amazing...thank you for sharing. To think of the tens of thousands of these warbirds that were made, the missions they flew, the men in the cockpits...regardless of nationality, one has to have nothing but respect.
There is something romantic in the airplanes from the second world war... Bf109, P.11, Spitfire, MS.406, A6M, F4F theyre all gracefull planes.
I love all WW2 aircraft fighters, bombers, armored tanks, field artillary and you name it!
Incredible to think that this thing was one of the intimidating machines 70 years ago and know the only feeling that produce is pity.
A really beautiful airplane. Shame it wasn't ours!
I was at the Camarillo CAF museum when they flight certified an A6M about 3 years ago, and my younger brother works at the Pearl Harbor museum and says they have one in mint condition and is absolutely flyable. There's 1 or 2 still out there.
+ Dennis Zuis There are several rebuild Zeros that fly with P&W engines, but only one flies with the original Sakae radial. Also there are one or two restored examples in Japan that could likely fly with their Sakae engines but they do not. At least one project was planning to us a Sakae engine but those are so rare that it is difficult.
a beautiful aircraft, simple, smooth lines and remarkably small.
美しい。さすが三菱の生み出した零式艦上戦闘機。
made in Japan is very durable &great aircraft compare to China made 🤣🤣🤣
Etymology
The kamikaze aircraft are part of a unit formed by Admiral Ônishi Takijirô (1891-1945), a "special attack unit" (tokkôtai), named after Shinpu.
💐 💐 🙏🙏🙏🙏🇮🇶🇯🇵
I remember a real Zero sitting in a back yard in Atlanta on Peachtree St in the 80s,with the complete engine on it...
+ vet68 That Zero wreck ended up at Paul Allen's museum. His museum has currently paused operations and put several project aircraft up for sale. That Zero wreck was for sale again and is now "sold." But I don't know who bought it and very few shops work on Zero rebuilds. It will turn up soon.
Such a sweet looking plane and so small! Love to to see it next to a Thunderbolt!
Agile dancer vs fatty housewife
That might be a rare first, on friendly terms.
Like a Piper cub next to a B-29 Superfortress!
I think the British Merlin in the P51 Mustang and Spitfire is still the best sounding engine of all time...
....no......believe me....it's the DB 605 in a BF 109 G........search and hear on YT.
@@g.wenisch4481 yes
nice. very nice.
That plane is as beautiful as the p.51 mustang
Very quiet indeed.
Best seen after seeing Hayao Miyazaki's "The Wind Rises".
Wow....that is just damn impressive. I mean really.
Wonderful video of a stunning, legendary aircraft.
Has anyone noticed the resemblance of the Japanese Zero and the German Me 190? The 190 is the best fighter interceptor the Germans coulda hoped for but got too few too late to stop the waves of allied bombers that became the unexpected point of the spear of the allies war efforts prior to D-Day. Their common features and design are near perfect for their missions.
Had the germans enuf 190's, to accompany their Heinkel and Junkers bombers and stop the allies' bombers, win the airspace for Germany, that may have changed the entire outcome of many of the battles, if not the war itself. The Me-190 was that good; a war-winner itself. The legendary Japanese Zero looks almost identical and was just as devastating to its enemy until P-38 Lightnings and Corsairs emerged in numbers around 1943.
What I noticed was that there was never a plane called an Me 190.
There was something almost like that: An Me-209 prototype that did not reach production that was a hybrid between the 2 planes basically. Had the 109 fuselage combined with the Jumo engine of the FW-190Ds IIRC.
@@bryangrote8781 Copy, Big Guy! The thing most persons don't realize in the debate between suitability of water vs air-cooled engineering is colossal when realized. Air-cooled engines, all things remaining the same are FAR better for (military) long-range aviation, BUT we didn't know that then. Lindbergh, and a decade later, Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan dramatically, but not firmly nor soundly enuf demonstrated this single point in their transAtlantic flights.
The idea then to have a suitable, made-for-it, high-performance radial made for the slick Me-109 is a hybrid of unimaginable performance, i.e., all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of both designs, imho. That coulda delivered fighter interceptors that, if numerous enough, stopped the Allied bombers with impunity - and won the war.
@@bryangrote8781 Along the same lines as my previous reply, what I'm/we're suggesting is this: a German version of the Corsair, appearing about mid-1930's, in deployment and production numbers equivalent to both the 109 and 190, based defensively primarily, at first, and then, THEN used offensively, would have used the defensive default advantage of 10 to 1 as well as protecting Germany and its captured territories better and longer - mission accomplished.
Fastest take-off and landing i'v ever seen.
I'd bet there are millions of aviation fans who are especially fond of the Zero AND appreciate the significance of its original engine and airframe combined. It was this specific combination that did so outstandingly well for the Japanese in WW2 and that is its most interesting and arresting feature. The Merlin engine of the British has the same reputation as magically, miraculously, magnificently, powerful, efficient and reliable - in their day and theater of war.
Being the powerhouse of the great Zero makes the engine as exquisitely-engineered as is every feature of the Zero. Nothing is good but mission-success in every consideration of the airplane, its purpose altogether, when it was designed. But THIS ONE airplane has much greater importance, meaning, significance and wonder to all aviation enthusiasts because of its peerless heritage; that only ONE person could make happen and did - that one turning out to be Jiro Horikoshi. Everything about the timeless wonders of everything in the Zero, all things considered, stem from this great engineer AND the great adventure of the R & D of the Zero, of the likes and magic and drama of all the UK and and US aircraft designer counterparts - Japanese style - at its best AND as never been seen before.
THE WIND RISES is an animated story of Jiro Horikoshi that IS one of the most wonderful stories of such a thing I know or ever read about. It beautifully tells the story that makes my point here - that the Zero was a pilots' airplane, perfected with all the total drive that unbridled Japanese nationalism of the period could provide. He was, so to speak, Japan, stepping up to play ball in world-class engineering (in this new thing, aviation). The Zero was his entirely masterpiece answer.
5200 lbs dry, amazing. I believe it went all the way to 7200lbs wet but I wouldn't bet on it. It's lightweight is the reason why it outclassed most allied fighters early in the war.
But at what cost? The design failed to take into account what was most important, the safety of the pilot.
It's light weight was a double edged sword. No armor protection for the pilots meant a certain flaming death to the pilots when they took enemy fire.
@Richard Blazek - Compare that to the Goliath P-47 Thunderbolt : 10,000lbs dry and 17,000 fully loaded! But the P-47 had an 18 cylinder 2,600 HP Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp radial for power. The Zero had but 940 HP in a 14 cylinder radial design. The super light weight of the Zero gave it the handling superiority, but the cost of this light weight fighter spelled disaster for pilot protection, which the Japanese didn't focus on, as they were deemed expendable! At least until they were all gone! They also were much easier to shoot down since they did not employ self sealing fuel tanks.
@@Loulovesspeed 12 cylinders? 2 rows of 6 cylinders on a radial. Are you sure?
@@laurencethornblade8357 - Not sure where I got the info that it was a 12 cylinder, but your comment caused me to research it further and it was a 14 cylinder, twin radial. Thanks for spotting that - which I have corrected!
* * * Important Presentation , Thanks * * *
Very nice smooth sound.
NZ War Memorial Museum has a Zero fighter unrestored but complete on dislay. Check ..it should be online
when Vanderhoof used to have it's air show in the 1980's i seen a Japanese WW2 plane fly over one year. was great living in Quesnel as i got to see a lot of aircraft i would otherwise never get to see
Stirring sound for the IJN
Wonder how many cylinders that engine has gone through. Any internal combustion engine has a limited number of times it can be overhauled before the cylinder walls become too thin for the engine to operate safely and reliably
There are a number of ways of elongating the operational life of this engine. Chroming the cylinder walls would eliminate wear on top of installing hardened valve seats and sleeving pushrod openings. Sleeving the cylinders is another option. Bearings are internationally standardized. This aircraft is registered as 'Experimental' NX?????? so any modifications can be done and the aircraft is not bound by time limits expiring. Being in Southern California, all sorts of new engineering technology is at hand and any part can be reverse engineered and reproduced. The limit is money.
I'm sure Planes of Fame don't 'push it' to its limits, if something happens they talk to the world's museum and they can work out 'deals' to keep their Zero operational.
Reminds me of a story of the Fleet Air Arm's Swordfish LS326. When the FAA's Pegesus needed help, the staff at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford would be warned to watch out for an FAA lorry with toolbag -carrying engineers looking to 'borrow' parts from the static displayed Stringbag!
+ Enterprise206 I am reading that Planes of Fame has put about 500 hours on the Sakae without problems since the rebuild. An engine restoration shop in California has the capability to service it and they do other rare types including the German stuff.
It was only in service for a few years....
*¡Qué grandioso¡*
*_Claro tenía que ser un MITSUBISHI JAPONES para que siga funcionando..._*
Beautiful little kite and...it got great gas mileage. Actually it really did have impressive range.
Is there a Ralliart version of this?
Or an Evo?
Good one👍
I love Zero. Great plane.
Just look at it and then try to look at american fighters of the same era: you can clearly tell it was really advanced for its time.
The intro was beautiful
Up there with the spitfire me 109 and the Grumman wildcat
A friend once commented that the Zero's were like a Foil in fencing, light fast and deadly but the rest of the world was going Sabre, that is heavier, harder hitting and stronger.
had the Zero had .50 caliber guns a(as we did) instead of .30's the story may well have been quite different.
further, my father, a crop duster (Army Air Corp p-39s) worked for another WW2 pilot who went to Yokohama Bay and retrieved a Zero he had downed. Was in 30 ft of water and the tires still were inflated (circa 1970). Upon it being delivered to a hangar in Bakersfield, Ca the first nite all armorment was stripped/stolen. Ultimately it was restored and donated to the San Diego Air Museum. Sadly it was among the aircraft there that were destroyed in a fire.
Damn jin horikoshi was way ahead of his time
His first name was Jiro , but the statement but the statement is correct , he was also a bit upset with the Japanese Navy who insisted on the Nakajima 21 Sakae engine as opposed to the MItsubishi 920 HP radial Jiro wanted his airplane to be all Mitsubishi .
Much of the design was taken from the Hughes H-1 racing plane.
The Nakajima Sakae engine was also used on the Army counterpart of the Mitsubishi Zero: The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa 'Oscar'.
+ Franky46Boy Aviation builder Herb Tischler was very well known for bringing extinct aircraft back as replicas. I think the last project before he passed away was a mini production line of Nakajima Oscars. I think he built four of them, powered by R-1830 engines. ruclips.net/video/Jrn2RGm1524/видео.html
Sweet sounding
I remember reading John Deakin’s article about flying this plane almost 20 years ago. I’d imagine it’s this very one, based on the engine.
For a such capable fighter the engine sounds so smooth. It's almost soothing. Compared it with a "Stuka" it's really day and night.
The stuka would fucking scream at you while this one has less of a temper
the Stuka had a Jericho siren to scare the hell out of the public
It helps when you realize that it'll probably the last thing most of the kamikaze pilots will hear besides gunshots and bombs.
@@davidmcleod7757 i wish my car had that siren
Why would you compare a Zero with a Stuka? One is a fighter and the other’s a dive-bomber!
An utter work of art, in aircraft design. If Japan hadn't been beset by so many resource issues, the Allies surely would have been in for a longer fight.
I think it's more like the Japanese high command, with the exception of Yamamoto, underestimated American resolve.
@@nhot2132 Read :Operation Snow: by John Koster.You might come away with a different point of view.You'll def come away surprised.
It was a direct copy of a Pratt and Whitney engine
Sorry, but I disagree. It would have been a great civilian aircraft by design. For war... it was feckless. Great attack aircraft, but unfortunately for them, in war people shoot back. No armor or self-sealing tanks.... add the meatball over the fuel tank as a focal target and you've got a disaster on your hands. There is a reason that there is only 1 left.
@@darrelljourdan3687 Well, on that matter it doesn't sound like you DO actually disagree?
I called it a great design & 'work of art'--I didn't give the A6M any rating as a warplane....merely as an aircraft.
For handling...extreme economy, yet reliability of design(..durability notwithstanding, you don't get 1000K+ miles ferry range, in naval conditions out of paper or cardboard!?..) ...efficient use of resources & application to ultimate performance.
Everything you cite as problematic boils down to usage as dedicated military/combat hardware; which I'm sure--as for the aforementioned "..resource scarcity.." issues that always plagued Japan culture..
They most assuredly would have built more robust equipment, were they not pinching & 'cutting corners' all that they did.
Eagle Dynamics, you know what you need to do.
IN WAR 2 KAMIKASE JAPANESE MITSUBISHI ZERO 🥺😦😲