Aviation expert hopes to return Zero fighter to skies over Japan

A New Zealand resident originally from Tochigi Prefecture is campaigning to bring one of the four airworthy Zero fighter aircraft in the world back to Japan, where it can fly again in the skies of its homeland.

“(The Zero fighter) is a historic heritage and a memorial of the war,” said Masahide Ishizuka, 52, who runs a company that manufactures flight jackets for pilots and also writes for aviation magazines. “I hope to link (the Zero) to activities to call for peace.”

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the mainstay of the Imperial Japanese Navy, was produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nakajima Aircraft. Japan produced about 10,000 carrier-based Zero fighter aircraft during World War II.

In the early stages of the war, the Zero gained a reputation as a fearsome dogfighter with its slick maneuverability, long-distance range and high speed--three important attributes of fighter aircraft.

In 2009, Ishizuka established a company in the United States with the goal of bringing one of the fighter planes back to Japan. His company purchased an airworthy Zero fighter for 350 million yen ($3.72 million) from a U.S. collector of vintage fighter planes. All four airworthy Zeros today are registered in the United States.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201303290083