After the completion of an extensive annual by Steve Hinton, Jr. of Fighter Rebuilders, Fagen Fighters Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero c/n 3858 N553TT arrived Tuesday at the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum, Granite Falls, MN. It was flown by Bernie Vasquez from Northern California. This Zero is one of only five flyable Zeros today. “We are excited to have the Zero in the Fagen Fighters collection.”
The Zero’s air-to-air combat abilities were second to none during much of the war, making it the most famous symbol of Japanese air power. Made by Mitsubishi and officially called the “A6M,” these machines were used in the infamous 1941 attack on the U.S. Navy fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It also was a flying suicide machine. Japanese air force Kamikaze pilots flew Zeroes more than any other aircraft, according to the U.S. Air Force Museum. Thousands of Kamikazes intentionally guided their planes into enemy ships during the war. Photo courtesy Fagen Fighters WWII Museum.
