Fagen Fighters acquires a Zero

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 10:53 am

Fagen Fighters just posted on Facebook that they've acquired a Zero. N553TT

Quote:

Fagen Fighters has added 3858 Mitsubishi A6M3ZERO N553TT to our Pacific Theater aircraft. Currently the Zero is at Planes of Fame in Chino, California for an extensive annual. We look forward to this addition to Fagen Fighters WWII Museum. No date for the Zero's arrival has been set, and we will post the date when its known.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q= ... SEARCH_BOX

MKD1966 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:12 am

That's awesome news - especially coming on the heels of the news of acquiring the P-51B/C project... You know since their in a collecting mood right now they should look at the F8F Bearcat belonging to John Sessions that just hit the market this week to go along with their Wildcat & Hellcat... Just a thought - LOL... It will be nice to see this Zero displayed more often than in years past...
Mike

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:13 am

Another great addition to a great collection!

JohnTerrell · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:15 am

Loving these fantastic surprises!

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:40 am

Is this the airplane that was up in Alaska a couple of years ago?

JohnTerrell · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:44 am

Yes it is, and it had a couple of stints in Japan too, operating/flying there in recent years before being moved back to Chino.

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 1:59 pm

The Boschung Global listing for this aircraft notes that a Sakae engine was available with the aircraft. It would be awesome if the Fagen group eventually installed the Sakae! Even if that's not feasible or part of the plan, this is an exciting move.

https://www.boschungglobal.com/Inventor ... ERO/N553TT

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

I hope it has a smoke system.
I have a hunch it’s going to spend a lot of time with a P-40, Wildcat and/or Hellcat on its tail...

k5083 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 2:43 pm

Warbirdnerd wrote:

I hope it has a smoke system.
I have a hunch it’s going to spend a lot of time with a P-40, Wildcat and/or Hellcat on its tail...

Fagen has a certain twin-engined fighter that might also like a piece of it.

This is good news for a number of reasons, one being that we might see a real Zero at Oshkosh more often now.

August

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

Some 3858 info, https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m3 ... plica.html

old iron · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:29 pm

Note that the Pacific Wrecks webpage documents this as a reproduction, built in Russia during the mid-90s but advertised in the US as "completely original except for engine." Let the buyer beware.

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:48 pm

old iron wrote:

Note that the Pacific Wrecks webpage documents this as a reproduction, built in Russia during the mid-90s but advertised in the US as "completely original except for engine." Let the buyer beware.

A number of years ago I spoke with one of the guys in Manitoba that had built/rebuilt a Zero from scratch (not the Diemert crew) and they said that one of the leading (and old) aluminum manufacturers in the US had metallurgically analyzed some of their original, Japanese aluminum. What he said was, their assessment of it was that it was kind of a primitive ancestor of 7075 alloy, and don't even think about using any of the original metal in a flying airplane.

Conversely, I was in one of the hangars at POF a few years ago when their Zero was disassembled for what looked like quite an in-depth C check, and the whole forward fuselage was opened up and paint stripped and I was able to have quite a good look at it. The metal was all clean and bright with very little to no evidence of any corrosion, and very little in the way of cracking or crack repairs. It looked to be in beautiful condition, and was obviously largely original structure.

Spitty · **Posted:** Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:28 am

Yes the Zero structure was quite advanced compared to the other countries building planes..The main wing spar held a 7075 type material in its manufacture.I thought the fuselage bulkheads were as well until I was corrected and told they were a more contemporary 2024 type but with a LOT more added lightening holes..A few modern Japanese guys have done a fair bit of study of what remains of the engineering behind it..
https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/m ... ect.31284/

Matt_in_NC · **Posted:** Fri Jun 05, 2020 5:41 pm

What ever became of the A6M3 "Hamp" that was under restoration at Legend Flyers? Originally, it was supposed to be powered by a Sakae, but apparently they ran into some problems so decided to go the R-1830 route. Anyone know?

https://roncole.net/blogs/ron-cole-coles-aircraft-aviation-art/12315517-story-of-a-zero-fighter

http://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/legend-flyers-restoration-update.html

JFS61 · **Joined:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:44 pm **Posts:** 305

If certain rumblings about events in the Pacific Northwest run out to be true, they'll be able to pick more than just a Zero in the near future.

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Fagen Fighters acquires a Zero

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