The Coolest Tora Tora Zero

[MattP38]

Nimitz also has a TBM, a B-25J that has been modded into a Doolittle C, a Lake Michigan F4F, a really shot up, truly crashed Val ( not the one pictured, they have what's left of a second airframe ), a bunch of tanks, and the Japanese midget sub that is in the surf in the Pearl Harbor pictures shot the day after the attack.

They also have the 78ft Higgins PT309, a true Med combat veteran. We actually had in the water and the volunteers almost had it ready to run before being taken back by the state and the museum. It now sits in a hole still on the transport trailer. It is supposed to be replicating being tied up at a dock. Unfortunately most of the boat is hidden.

There are more Val wrecks around than I thought. It will be interesting to see if anything happens with any of these airframes. HA-19 and a Higgins, cool.

[Chris]

I got in late on this thread but I really like Brian Reynolds Zero replica up at the Olympic Museum in Washington

[MattP38]

Not bad Chris, is it a Texan conversion? What do you know about it?

[Chris]

I think it's based on a Harvard. Brad or the Inspector may know more

[MattP38]

I think it's based on a Harvard. Brad or the Inspector may know more

Cool, thanks. I had asked earlier on how many Tora aircraft had been built. There are a few around me in the Tri-State area, and I am not sure if they are part of the group or not.

[k5083]

After the POF gained title to the Val they were going to "re-restore" it in time for the 60th or 65th anniversary of Pearl Harbor (can't remember which). After they started digging into it they were appalled at how poorly the original "wreckstoration" was. Since they basically had to start from scratch on the new restoration, they deemed the project would take too much time, money, and resources than they were willing to give at the time. Apparently, it will be a mammoth project to complete, with many of the original parts only good for patterns. They say someday it will fly, though.

50th anniversary, actually. My last pics of it fully intact are in 1988-89 when they thought they could get it going for 1991. The date then slipped a few times, then fell off the calendar as you describe.

August

[MattP38]

After the POF gained title to the Val they were going to "re-restore" it in time for the 60th or 65th anniversary of Pearl Harbor (can't remember which). After they started digging into it they were appalled at how poorly the original "wreckstoration" was. Since they basically had to start from scratch on the new restoration, they deemed the project would take too much time, money, and resources than they were willing to give at the time. Apparently, it will be a mammoth project to complete, with many of the original parts only good for patterns. They say someday it will fly, though.

50th anniversary, actually. My last pics of it fully intact are in 1988-89 when they thought they could get it going for 1991. The date then slipped a few times, then fell off the calendar as you describe.

August

A pity indeed. I would love to see the Fredricksburg airframe in person to assess the condition it is in.

[Brad]

CCF-4-16
Harvard IV
Built 1952

Owners: 20th Century Fox 15 July 68
Tallmantz Aviation 23 Feb 71
Gene Fisher 17 Feb 87
Zeke Inc 12 June 1992
Olympic Flight Museum 1997 or so

11-7-68 Converted to A6M2 at Cal-Volair. Airframe had 6,843.3hrs
4 Dec 68, 10.4hrs flying time for Tora Tora Tora at El Toro and USS Yorktown

2 July 75, wings removed for transport to studio
23 July 75 reassembled for filming of "Midway"
6 Sep 87 Flown 7.0 hrs from Midland to Pensacola FL by Ken Shugart
7 Sep 87-1 October 87 Flown in "War and Remembrance" from Pensacola and USS Lexington
3-6 Oct 87, Pensacola to ERI to N94 Total time 7109.1hrs

10 Mar 89. P&W 1830-92 installed from left side of ex-Canadian DC-3 # 12957. Cowl flap linkage from C-47, Spinner and backplate form Howard 250

The landing gear is part T-6, part Aerostar, part 421 Cessna, part homebuilt. The panel is laid out like a real Zero, complete with gun buts sticking through. The tail wheel is a BT-13 unit converted to retract. The Oil tank is in the rear fuselage, the back seat is mounted facing aft. The leading edge of the wings, rudder and elevators are modified, it has high speed ailerons and wing tips have been added. It will outrun any airplane in the Olympic Flight Museum up to 4,000ft. Then it slows down considerably! It starts easy, runs great and is one of our most dependable airplanes.

Glory shot of me running it up last June.











This wasn't taken with a zoom lens


A video I took a couple of years back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AugLcN6ZTd8

[MattP38]

Thanks Brad,

M.

[famvburg]

Why go to that extent on the landing gear? Not knocking the work, but is the result worth it? It looks kinda funky to me.

CCF-4-16
Harvard IV
Built 1952

Owners: 20th Century Fox 15 July 68
Tallmantz Aviation 23 Feb 71
Gene Fisher 17 Feb 87
Zeke Inc 12 June 1992
Olympic Flight Museum 1997 or so

11-7-68 Converted to A6M2 at Cal-Volair. Airframe had 6,843.3hrs
4 Dec 68, 10.4hrs flying time for Tora Tora Tora at El Toro and USS Yorktown

2 July 75, wings removed for transport to studio
23 July 75 reassembled for filming of "Midway"
6 Sep 87 Flown 7.0 hrs from Midland to Pensacola FL by Ken Shugart
7 Sep 87-1 October 87 Flown in "War and Remembrance" from Pensacola and USS Lexington
3-6 Oct 87, Pensacola to ERI to N94 Total time 7109.1hrs

10 Mar 89. P&W 1830-92 installed from left side of ex-Canadian DC-3 # 12957. Cowl flap linkage from C-47, Spinner and backplate form Howard 250

The landing gear is part T-6, part Aerostar, part 421 Cessna, part homebuilt. The panel is laid out like a real Zero, complete with gun buts sticking through. The tail wheel is a BT-13 unit converted to retract. The Oil tank is in the rear fuselage, the back seat is mounted facing aft. The leading edge of the wings, rudder and elevators are modified, it has high speed ailerons and wing tips have been added. It will outrun any airplane in the Olympic Flight Museum up to 4,000ft. Then it slows down considerably! It starts easy, runs great and is one of our most dependable airplanes.

Glory shot of me running it up last June.











This wasn't taken with a zoom lens


A video I took a couple of years back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AugLcN6ZTd8

[Chris]

Thanks for the input Brad. Great info. As for the question, why would someone go to all that trouble on the gear? To make it as visually accurate as possible. I heard that it can be a little tricky if pushed backward into the hangar-is that true Brad?

[Brad]

Thanks for the input Brad. Great info. As for the question, why would someone go to all that trouble on the gear? To make it as visually accurate as possible. I heard that it can be a little tricky if pushed backward into the hangar-is that true Brad?

That is true Chris. We push it back about three foot beyond where we want to park it and then pull it back into place. The geometry of the gear causes it to try and spread apart when the plane moves backwards. Three feet forward gets the tires back the proper distance apart. It's a little weird but after you know what happens it's not a big deal.

[Russ Matthews]

...man it would be sweet to see and hear one run.

Then you need to get yourself to Portland, Oregon to check out the PT 658

http://www.savetheptboatinc.com/

In the meantime -- you can hear those three Packards warming up here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-chGRzr7F1M

And learn more about the whole story here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG8x8C5I8a0

[skymstr02]

Gene Fisher left the airplane in Conroe, Tx, for a short period back in the 80's, and I did a bit of work on the airplane and had many conversations with Gene on the airplane.
The gear was made that way to ensure that it would fit entirely in the wheel well, and with the inbd gear door, it resembled a Zeke a little better than a stock T-6/Harvard/SNJ does. It needed the twin Cessna brakes because of the heavier landing weight with the larger engine installed, due to the kinetic energy at the landing speed and weights.

[Matt Gunsch]

anyone know how much lead there is in the back to keep the CG in place, and the empty weight ?