Mitsubishi AM6 ZERO

[Big J]

The Enola Gay was donated to the Smithsonion. But they had to chop parts off to squeeze it in.
It was attacked by Japanese nationalists who threw yellow paint over the cockpit end of the fuselage.

 

[Stearmen]

If this US owned and piloted Zero is safety certified by the Japanese, it will be the first Zero to fly in Japanese skies since 1945 (right now, the Japanese right-wing is all in a tizzy; they want it to fly for the 70th anniversary and to glorify the war, but they can't cope with the nationality of it's ownership and pilot).

Where ever you got that "since 1945" is dead wrong! The Planes Of Fame flew their Mitsubishi A6M5 with the correct Nakajima Sakae 21, 14-cylinder 1,130-hp air-cooled radial engine, over Japan in 1978 for a six month tour and again in 1995! Here is a documentary on the 1978 flights. [video=youtube;DOM5baRWTDA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOM5baRWTDA[/video]

 

[filfoster]

The Enola Gay was donated to the Smithsonion. But they had to chop parts off to squeeze it in.
It was attacked by Japanese nationalists who threw yellow paint over the cockpit end of the fuselage.

I suppose a squadron of B-25's in Doolittle Raider markings would be in equally poor taste.

 

[Stand By]

I saw the Enola Gay before it was restored - I went to the Smithsonian restoration facility out in W. Virginia around 1992/3 - when it was still open to the public! It remember that it was a big warehouse of a place and very much a workshop - dusty and dirty and bits of planes everywhere (the Horton fighter was there surrounded by stuff that looked like a scrapyard - it was all just lying around!).
And the Enola Gay was there - in 4 pieces as they'd had to dismantle it to fit it in and it was awaiting restoration … I couldn't believe my eyes! I got photos, but of course they were on 35mm and the prints are still in England at my parents, so I can't share them here … What a surprising treat that was!
A few years later, I saw it in the Smithsonian in D.C. and there was just a part of the front fuselage there and so it was in even smaller pieces than I'd seen at the Restoration facility - which I felt was wrong. It deserves to be in one piece, IMO.

Getting back to the Zero, I noticed in a recent copy of Fine Scale Modeller magazine that someone built a model of an A-6 Texan and did a kit conversion to make it to look like one of the "Zero's" from the movie Tora!Tora!Tora! I haven't seen it in ages, so I was unaware of that … he did a great job on it and it looked great.

 

[filfoster]

Getting back to the Zero, I noticed in a recent copy of Fine Scale Modeller magazine that someone built a model of an A-6 Texan and did a kit conversion to make it to look like one of the "Zero's" from the movie Tora!Tora!Tora! I haven't seen it in ages, so I was unaware of that … he did a great job on it and it looked great.

That seems like a lot better way to get one in the air than risking a nearly priceless original-same for all the other 75+ year old planes that are still airworthy. I'm sure replicas and conversions are not practical for many but what a shame when something happenst to them.

 

[Stearmen]

That seems like a lot better way to get one in the air than risking a nearly priceless original-same for all the other 75+ year old planes that are still airworthy. I'm sure replicas and conversions are not practical for many but what a shame when something happenst to them.

That wasn't why the T6 conversions were made. They made them, because there were no Zeros flying any where at the time. They had trouble even finding a B-17, and had to use the wrong P-40. We are so lucky, to see so many original WWII planes, with even more being restored every year. I hope they get the Betty bomber flying, I always wanted to see one of those flying!

 

[Big J]

Where ever you got that "since 1945" is dead wrong! The Planes Of Fame flew their Mitsubishi A6M5 with the correct Nakajima Sakae 21, 14-cylinder 1,130-hp air-cooled radial engine, over Japan in 1978 for a six month tour and again in 1995! Here is a documentary on the 1978 flights. [video=youtube;DOM5baRWTDA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOM5baRWTDA[/video]

Dude! It's not 'my 1945' it's The Japan Times!
I mailed them to say they were incorrect. If they reply, I'll post it here.

 

[Otter]

That wasn't why the T6 conversions were made. They made them, because there were no Zeros flying any where at the time. They had trouble even finding a B-17, and had to use the wrong P-40. We are so lucky, to see so many original WWII planes, with even more being restored every year. I hope they get the Betty bomber flying, I always wanted to see one of those flying!

Cool! I didn't know one was under restoration.

 

[Stearmen]

Dude! It's not 'my 1945' it's The Japan Times!
I mailed them to say they were incorrect. If they reply, I'll post it here.

Sorry, I meant, your source is wrong, not you. Hopefully they will do the research!

 

[Stand By]

Oh look! By startling coincidence, Mitsubishi apologizes for its use of Allied slaves in the war. They must have seen this thread on them!

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world...erican-prisoners-mines-Japan-Second-World-War

 

[Big J]

Sorry, I meant, your source is wrong, not you. Hopefully they will do the research!

No worries

 

[Big J]

Oh look! By startling coincidence, Mitsubishi apologizes for its use of Allied slaves in the war. They must have seen this thread on them!

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world...erican-prisoners-mines-Japan-Second-World-War

Could be a sign of progress, but why did they wait so long? I read that there were only two living survivors, and one is too infirm to travel. If you read up on Minamata mercury poisoning and the Hibakusha (civilians who were irradiated at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and after the war tried to sue the Japanese government, since they rejected surrender demands prior to the bombings), you'll see that SOP in Japan is to drag these things out for decades, until survivors are almost all dead, in order to reduce financial liability.

As for Mitsubishi, let's see what thier Japanese language statement says. A few weeks ago a whole bunch of old industrial sites were awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, and the Japanese UN delegation told the UN (in English) that they promised to inform visitors that Koreans and POWs were used as 'forced labor' at these sites.

On the same day, the Japanese government held a press conference to celebrate the UNESCO awards, and told the press that the sites will explain how some Koreans and POWs were 'allowed to work' at these same sites.

It's like the official report on the Fukushima disaster. The Japanese version says that it 'couldn't have been foreseen', whilst the English version says 'this was a disaster made in Japan' and was 'man made'.

It's a pattern; telling the world what it thinks the world wants to hear, and telling themselves something different.

 

[bentusian]

As for Mitsubishi, let's see what thier Japanese language statement says. A few weeks ago a whole bunch of old industrial sites were awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, and the Japanese UN delegation told the UN (in English) that they promised to inform visitors that Koreans and POWs were used as 'forced labor' at these sites.

On the same day, the Japanese government held a press conference to celebrate the UNESCO awards, and told the press that the sites will explain how some Koreans and POWs were 'allowed to work' at these same sites.

It's like the official report on the Fukushima disaster. The Japanese version says that it 'couldn't have been foreseen', whilst the English version says 'this was a disaster made in Japan' and was 'man made'.

It's a pattern; telling the world what it thinks the world wants to hear, and telling themselves something different.

That's pretty lame of Japanese authority to go with two different versions when admitting their mistake or wrongdoing. But then again, I wonder if this sort of shallow schizophrenic tactics work on the ordinary Japanese people? Who wouldn't tell the difference between 'forced to work against their will' and 'came to work'?

Besides, it's interesting to note that most of the Koreans think it's a total diplomatic failure (of the Korean gov't) to allow such installations to be inscribed in the first place.

 

[Big J]

That's pretty lame of Japanese authority to go with two different versions when admitting their mistake or wrongdoing. But then again, I wonder if this sort of shallow schizophrenic tactics work on the ordinary Japanese people? Who wouldn't tell the difference between 'forced to work against their will' and 'came to work'?

Besides, it's interesting to note that most of the Koreans think it's a total diplomatic failure (of the Korean gov't) to allow such installations to be inscribed in the first place.

Totally lame, and intentionally dishonest.

The Japanese government statement regarding the UNESCO listing said '働かされた’ ,which is the verb 'to work' modified to mean 'were allowed to work', much in the same way a child could say 'された’(allowed to to), as in 'My parents let me do it'. In English, 'forced labor' is a noun used to mean 'made to work against my will, with threat of physical force, and no human rights'. There is a word for this in Japanese; 強制労働 (kyosei rodo), which is also a noun, the use of which has been avoided since it would include the meaning that the human rights of the victims were violated, thus representing an official admission of crimes, and opening the door to legal reparation.

Which will the Japanese language Mitsubishi statement use?

These tactics work well on the Japanese. The majority believe they were the only victims of WW2. The Japanese press never reports on the differences between the English and Japanese language versions since it would 'disrupt harmony' and cause the people to become 'confused'. Press freedom in Japan is pretty appalling;

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/02/13/japan-slips-in-press-freedom-rankings/

 

[bentusian]

These tactics work well on the Japanese. The majority believe they were the only victims of WW2. The Japanese press never reports on the differences between the English and Japanese language versions since it would 'disrupt harmony' and cause the people to become 'confused'. Press freedom in Japan is pretty appalling;

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/02/13/japan-slips-in-press-freedom-rankings/

I didn't know it was that bad.

As far as I know UNESCO heritage inscription of the Meiji industrial installations went through an intensive and until-the-last-minute negotiations between the Korean and the Japanese governments. It was Korean side's original demand that the word 'forced labor' be included somewhere in the decision document, but the negotiation ended up with the following 'dilution':

The decision document:
- recommends Japan to give consideration to.. preparing an interpretive strategy for the presentation of the property which.. also allows an understanding of the full history of each site

..followed by a footnote:
- the World Heritage Committee takes note of the statement made by Japan, as regards the interpretive strategy that allows an understanding of the full history of each site as referred to [in the paragraph concerned] which is contained in the Summary Record of the session

The summary record is not yet available on the web, but according to the press report the Japanese delegate's statement went like:

"Japan is prepared to take measures that allow an understanding that there were a large number of Koreans and others who were brought against their will and forced to work under harsh conditions in the 1940s at some of the sites."

Personally the oral statement above sounds much stronger than simply using the word 'forced labor', which could explain why Japanese gov't is trying rather clumsily to cover up their diplomatic loss.

..Sorry it drifted so far away from the original subject.

 

[Stearmen]

No worries

I should say, it is not just the Japanese press, media all over the world get historical facts so wrong these days. I just watched a show today about a replica Jaguar D Type. The narrate, talked about the 1955 Le Mans victory, which was only because the lead Mercedes crashed into the crowd and killed at least 83. He stated that driver of the Mercedes was the great Juan Manuel Fangio, when in fact it was Pierre Levegh!

 

[Big J]

I should say, it is not just the Japanese press, media all over the world get historical facts so wrong these days. I just watched a show today about a replica Jaguar D Type. The narrate, talked about the 1955 Le Mans victory, which was only because the lead Mercedes crashed into the crowd and killed at least 83. He stated that driver of the Mercedes was the great Juan Manuel Fangio, when in fact it was Pierre Levegh!

Fair point. Standards of journalism can be as sloppy as standards in most other industries, I guess.

 

[bentusian]

A little more detailed story of the Zero restoration project by the Japanese enthusiast.

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2016/01/...-japan-once-more-in-demonstration-this-month/

 

[MisterCairo]

If this US owned and piloted Zero is safety certified by the Japanese, it will be the first Zero to fly in Japanese skies since 1945 (right now, the Japanese right-wing is all in a tizzy; they want it to fly for the 70th anniversary and to glorify the war, but they can't cope with the nationality of it's ownership and pilot).

All sorts of American pilots were flying over Japan in 1945, what's the biggie?

 

[MisterCairo]

I should say, it is not just the Japanese press, media all over the world get historical facts so wrong these days. I just watched a show today about a replica Jaguar D Type. The narrate, talked about the 1955 Le Mans victory, which was only because the lead Mercedes crashed into the crowd and killed at least 83. He stated that driver of the Mercedes was the great Juan Manuel Fangio, when in fact it was Pierre Levegh!

Pierre Levegh's Mercedes was BEHIND the Jaguar D type at the time of the crash. There were other Mercedes in the overall lead, by a lap or two as I recall, and Mercedes decided to withdraw from the race after the crash, as they had every right to do. Jaguar chose to remain in the race, as they had every right to do, and so officially won.