Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Fighter c. 1942 'Ameiro Gray' Relic Display
$250.00
Very rare aluminum skin sample from Mitsubishi A6M3 Model 32 Zero Fighter with near-perfectly preserved pre-1943 olive-gray (ameiro) exterior paint! This much disputed overall gray color was the standard Japanese Navy color specified for all Zero Fighters built from 1940 up until mid-1943, after which they were painted with a very different gray underneath and a dark green on their upper surfaces. The Zeros that were involved with the attack upon Pearl Harbor in 1941 were painted this olive-gray color - and each of these displays includes a 1x1-inch piece of this ultra-rare material from this Zero that saw much combat before being salvaged from its former South Pacific base in 1992.
This aircraft (serial number 3148) was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in September 1942. It was one of only 343 built. It was assigned to the 252nd Air Group (Kokutai) and deployed to Taroa in the Marshall Islands and was likely flown in combat by pilot ace Isamu Miyazaki. When Miyazaki was asked shortly before his death if he ever flew this specific Zero while based at Taroa (tail code S-112), he said, "Almost certainly". This was a very rare, sponsored aircraft, paid for by the Manchurian Secondary Schools and given to the Japanese Navy (note the fuselage markings aft of the hinomaru).
In April 1943, the 252nd, and possibly this specific aircraft, intercepted and badly damaged Lt. Louis Zamperini's B-24D bomber. This action is described in the best-selling book 'Unbroken', being released as a major Hollywood film in 2014.
Each display is ready to hang, and the artwork measures 8.5x11-inches.
Signed and numbered. Very limited - less than 30!
(ABOVE): This unusual olive-gray on a sample of underwing skin from this same aircraft with its Federal Standard number equivalent. Note that it was high gloss, as are the samples included in these displays.
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