Special Japanese A6M2 Mod. 21 Zero & B-17E 'Naughty But Nice' Double Relic Display

$400.00

Own and display exceptionally rare pieces from this B-17E veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack, and this Japanese A6M2 Zero!

History of Our A6M2 Zero:

This aircraft was built under license by Nakajima in April of 1943, and immediately assigned to the famous 201st Kokutai (Naval Air Group, Imperial Japanese Navy) based at Tobera (Rabaul), New Britain, Papua New Guinea, in the South Pacific. The aircraft's serial number was 7830, and its tail code was WI-129. Many 'Aces' flew this aircraft, as the 201st accumulated over 450 claimed 'victories' between June 1943 and January 1944, when it was withdrawn to Saipan, and Japanese pilots weren't assigned specific aircraft. In around October of 1943 this Zero received multiple .30 caliber hits to its main fuel tank, probably in combat over Torokina, and was forced to make an emergency landing on Balalae Island, then a bypassed Japanese garrison. It remained there until 2019, and arrived in Zanesville, Ohio from Australia in July 2022.

I've depicted this Zero intercepting another famous aircraft that I own parts of: B-17E Flying Fortress 'Naughty But Nice'.

History of B-17E 'Naughty But Nice':

On December 6th, 1941, this Boeing B-17E (s/n 41-2430) Flying Fortress left San Francisco, California, bound for the Philippines. On the morning of Dec. 7th, she arrived over Pearl Harbor to find the facilities under attack by the Japanese. Over the days that followed, and expecting Oahu to be invaded, orders were given to press ‘430’ into the Hawaiian Air Force. This aircraft was hurriedly painted in a wild camouflage scheme designed to hide it from another air attack, and the B-17 was used in the vain attempt to find and destroy the enemy Navy’s strike force. After invasion fears abated, 430 was sent to the South Pacific.

On March 3rd, 1943, 430, now nicknamed ‘Naughty But Nice’, took part in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea (depicted here). The B-17 was attacked from the front by two Japanese Army Air Force Ki-43 ‘Oscars’ of the 11th Sentai. The fighters ‘raked the bomber from nose to tail’. Five crew aboard 430 were wounded, the pilot, 1st Lt. James Easter, severely. ‘Naughty But Nice’ made an emergency landing but was repaired and returned to action.

This aircraft’s last mission was flown on the night of June 26th, 1943, against the Japanese bastion of Rabaul. After making a successful bomb run, 430 was approached from beneath by a Japanese Navy J1N ‘Irving’ night fighter flown by Shigetoshi Kudo. Three passes were made by Kudo, who utilized his aircraft’s oblique-firing 20mm cannon to set the B-17 on fire. No one aboard ‘Naughty But Nice’ ever saw Kudo’s aircraft and thought that they’d been hit by anti-aircraft ground fire. Only the B-17’s navigator, Jose Holguin, escaped by parachute. He was captured by the Japanese.

In 1981, Holguin returned to the crash site with members of an Australian research and excavation team, and several parts of 430 were recovered, including the part included in this display.

The Display:

Each display includes 1x2-inch skin sections from each of these historic and rare aircraft. Both depict well-preserved original paint.

Each display is in a black frame made in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and is ready to hang.

There will only be 75 of these ever made and all are signed & numbered by the artist.

Very limited!