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The team
surveying the site, except for me--I am out taking
pictures! |
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From this
view you can see the Zero of site 3 in the background. |
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Aft view
of the Zero. |
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We feel that the damage indicates that this zero was armed,
fueled, and ready to go when it was caught in a strafing or
bombing attack.
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The
cockpit, especially at the forward fuel tank, shows
extensive fuel-fed fire damage. |
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While we
cannot say for sure that this was the same raid that damaged
this plane, the diary below describes a likely scenario for
how this plane was damaged. Thanks to Bill Ryan for sharing
his fathers diary. |
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The wing
tanks show only light fire damage, such as a fuel-fed fire
on the ground, except right where it meets the cockpit fire.
(left) The entire plane had shrapnel damage, like the
leading edge of the wing. (right) |
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This
engine was heavily corroded compared to all the other
engines we saw. This was from the metal being tempered by
the fuel-fed fire. One of the blades had a bullet hole and a
bullet slug in it. |
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The left
wing has a faint outline of the "meatball" hinomaru
Japanese insignia. |
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The aluminum alloy used for the
spar caps had a very high strength to weight ratio, but that
was at a price of anti corrosion properties. Virtually all
of the Zeros we saw were plagued by this type of wing
structural failure.
Right wing pictured. |
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The exfoliation corrosion of the
spar caps look very similar to wood grain and might be the
source for the rumors that Zeros had their spars made of
wood. The piece I am holding on the right had fallen to the
ground and was doing a good wood impression. |
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Sites 2 and 3 are only a half
mile from the new airport. Here a Continental B737 back-taxis on the runway. |
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