Zero times 3

[Elwyn Aud]

http://www.cafsocal.com/

I wonder how many decades you would have to go back to see a sight like this?

[wwwarbird]

 Yep, very cool. There is supposed to be three of them at Chino for the 2012 Airsho this weekend.  Sure wish I could be there.

[Clint Ormosen]

I think those are currently the only airworthy Zeros left.

[John Stiles]

Kinda gives ya a sorta deja vu don't it? 

[Dennis Adamisin]

WOW that is fantastic.  Those ain't "Hollywood Zeros" either!

[Michael Boucher]

Wow, amazing.

[FLOYD CARTER]

None of these three examples have the insignia design that I copied from Profile Publications.  Seems like they had many variations!  Just like the US. 

This Zero has RO-Jett 76RE with retracting gear.

Floyd

[Mike Keville]

Wow, that's a beauty!  When did you build that one, Floyd?

[Elwyn Aud]

If i remember correctly the lead Zero is even running the original Japanese radial! The other two are using P & W engines.

[Fred Cronenwett]

On Dec 7th, 1991 - 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor The Planes of Fame air museum flew a P-40, SBD dauntless and the Zero over Chino airport and it gave me goosebumps watching that as they flew over. Everyone watched in quiet respect as they flew over.

Seeing the three Zero's flying together would be an amazing site.....sounds awesome. Chino has done some amazing things over the years, they once had three Tigercats at the museum.

Fred C.

[dankar]

Great looking airplanes to say the least.

[Dan McEntee]

   I'm going on some long memories here from reading books and magazines, but at one time there were only two complete Zeros in the world and only one was flying; one at the Planes of Fame museum in California, the other in a location I can't remember. There weren't any even in Japan, as most examples were lost in the war or destroyed following the war. The example that the Chino group had was the captured example that was flight tested during the war and was purchased by the Malloney (spelling??) family right after. I think it is the example that still has the Saki engine in it. Any other currently flying have been rebuilds or new builds done in the last 10 to 15 years. There was a group working on building several Oscar fighters, as there were none that survived the war. Chino is on my bucket list to attend their big Memorial Day weekend airshow. Was hoping to maybe fly out there and do it this year, but life got in the way, and will have to try another year.
   Chris McMillin!!! Help me out here!!!! What all do you remember??
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[billbyles]

   I'm going on some long memories here from reading books and magazines, but at one time there were only two complete Zeros in the world and only one was flying; one at the Planes of Fame museum in California, the other in a location I can't remember. There weren't any even in Japan, as most examples were lost in the war or destroyed following the war. The example that the Chino group had was the captured example that was flight tested during the war and was purchased by the Malloney (spelling??) family right after. I think it is the example that still has the Saki engine in it. Any other currently flying have been rebuilds or new builds done in the last 10 to 15 years. There was a group working on building several Oscar fighters, as there were none that survived the war. Chino is on my bucket list to attend their big Memorial Day weekend airshow. Was hoping to maybe fly out there and do it this year, but life got in the way, and will have to try another year.
   Chris McMillin!!! Help me out here!!!! What all do you remember??
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

"The example that the Chino group had was the captured example that was flight tested during the war and was purchased by the Malloney (spelling??) family right after. I think it is the example that still has the Saki engine in it." 

Hi Dan,

You are correct - the Planes of Fame Zero is the only one flying with the original engine & propeller.  The only mods to their Zero was to change to later American wheels & brakes due to the originals being inadequate for landing on runways rather than arrested landings on a carrier.  Back in about 1981 or 1982 I watched Jim Maloney go off of runway 26 due to brake failure on one side during the airshow.  Right after that they changed to the later brakes.

[Dan McEntee]

  Hi Bill;
    Chris must be on a trip. I should have remembered that you would know some of the history. It's REALLY a VERY significant airframe.  And I think I'm correct also on Japan not having even a static example until recent history one when was contracted for to be put into their national museum. I remember reading that a stock, factory fresh Zero would not even get an airworthy certificate in today's world due to the construction methods and much had to be done to be able to fly the Maloney Zero, and I'm talking about detail type stuff like control cable rigging, wiring, stuff like that that you can't normally see. There was a group working on building several Oscar fighters because none of those survived the war either. It's really a very neat airplane and one I would like to fly ifin' I had the proper credentials. One of these days a model will have to do.
  Thanks a lot,
   Dan McEntee

[billbyles]

  Hi Bill;
    Chris must be on a trip. I should have remembered that you would know some of the history. It's REALLY a VERY significant airframe.  And I think I'm correct also on Japan not having even a static example until recent history one when was contracted for to be put into their national museum. I remember reading that a stock, factory fresh Zero would not even get an airworthy certificate in today's world due to the construction methods and much had to be done to be able to fly the Maloney Zero, and I'm talking about detail type stuff like control cable rigging, wiring, stuff like that that you can't normally see. There was a group working on building several Oscar fighters because none of those survived the war either. It's really a very neat airplane and one I would like to fly ifin' I had the proper credentials. One of these days a model will have to do.
  Thanks a lot,
   Dan McEntee

Hi Dan,

The only Zero that Japan had was a strictly static display one that Planes of Fame put together from a Zero they had that was so full of corrosion there was no hope of fixing it.  I helped Jim Maloney some on that one and when we started on it the main spars had swollen about an inch above the surface of the wings due to intergranular corrosion.  We used my pneumatic body grinder to just grind the spars flush with the wing surfaces.  Then it was slap on the Bondo on pretty much the whole airplane, prime, & paint.  It was shipped to Japan for strictly static display (this was back in about 1980 or so.)

The Zero that the Museum is flying has had the spars all replaced also due to unacceptable intergranular corrosion.  They had to have the spars milled out of 7075-T6 aluminum, which is what the originals were made from; however, Japan did not have the technique at that time for heat-treating the 7075 properly so they got a lot of intergranular corrosion.

[Elwyn Aud]

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45465

According to this there are currently 4 airworthy Zeros. I'm waiting to hear  about the polished bare metal P-40B or C pictured in one of the later postings. What a beauty!

[FLOYD CARTER]

There is part of a Zero on display at the aircraft museum in McMinville, Oregon.  Only the fuselage, and it's too beat-up to ever restore.
Floyd