Japanese "Tora ,Tora,Tora" replicas

On the forum we have previously discussed the fate of the replica Kates, Vals and Zeroes made in California for the movie.

But what happened to the similar replicas made in Japan for the Japanese sections of the movie? From reading an old “Flypast” I understand some replicas were constructed by the Kawasaki aircraft company for the Japanese scenes although some unmodified AT-6s were also used. Do any of the Japanese – made “Tora” replicas still survive?

Colin,

Hi, I hope this info can help answer your question. There were 21 T-6G
Texans converted from Japanese (JASDF, JMSDF) serving aircraft at the
time of filming. There were three flyable Zeroes converted and five Kates
with US reg.: N6520, N6522, N6524, N6526, N6529. These are the Kates
we see in the opening credits and in the practice runs past the Geisha Girls
some way into the film. The kits were supplied to Kawasaki by Cal-Volair
in the US.

The other 13 T-6G Texans were standard Harvards used in background
scenes with very little conversion work, some had folding wing tips
though. Their fate is unknown.

12 Zeroes were completed in the US, these are the ones seen on the
Warbird scene today. 9 Kates were completed and 10 Vals (not 9 as
often reported, the mystery one being N18102 marked as ‘AI-245’ –
FAA records for this one are missing!).

On the forum we have previously discussed the fate of the replica Kates, Vals and Zeroes made in California for the movie.

But what happened to the similar replicas made in Japan for the Japanese sections of the movie? From reading an old “Flypast” I understand some replicas were constructed by the Kawasaki aircraft company for the Japanese scenes although some unmodified AT-6s were also used. Do any of the Japanese – made “Tora” replicas still survive?

Colin

Interesting.

Try asking the CAF Tora^3 Squadron, they might know something, or be intrigued enough to find out.

A quick bit of “Googling” turned up this:

http://www.mcasiwakuni.marines.mil/News/Photos.aspx?mgqs=2255991

Obviously it has been painted since I read the article mentioned above.

Yep… that’s the same aircraft and bunker!

The aircraft is in the same paint scheme as when it arrived at the base, but the bunker has had the concrete apron added.

When I was there the summer of 1984 there was grass there.

Good news… I did find my photos… and there is a series in & around the bunker, as well as ones from all around the Zero… including a few close-ups!

The bad news is that they are all “transparencies” (slides)… and therefore will have to be converted to digital before I can post them! If they were prints I could scan them in myself, but I’ll have to do these another way.

Sorry about that, but I hadn’t thought about them for years.

This is the cover of our “deployment book”:

read the zeke for sale ad in my previous post again “3 bladed prop”

Hi A2N. I was replying to Davids question #19

Yes three blader with the bigger 800 horse geared prop

It did not sound the same as the Harvard

read the zeke for sale ad in my previous post again “3 bladed prop”

A quick bit of “Googling” turned up this:

http://www.mcasiwakuni.marines.mil/News/Photos.aspx?mgqs=2255991

Obviously it has been painted since I read the article mentioned above.

There were certainly replicas made in Japan… I have touched one!

In mid-1984 my USMC A-6E squadron was deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. We went down to the Philippines for 6 weeks, and when we returned to Japan there was a Zero sitting in one of the hangars. I was able to walk all around and under it, and I am sure I took at least a couple of photos of it. It was definitely not a converted T-6.

There was an old concrete single-plane shelter on the base, on the west side between the USMC and JMSDF halves of the base, that I explored. It is my understanding that the intention was to display the Zero-replica there on a permanent basis, as soon as they got more things ready for the display.

I’ll look through my archives and see if I still have the photos.

I have an old Air Classics or Warbirds International stashed away somewhere with an article on what is probably this same replica. The aircraft in the article is a relatively accurate representation of a Zero that was built from scratch and was not (nor intended to be) airworthy. It was (at that time anyway) on display in an old concrete bunker and was bare aluminum with Hinomarus and little else in the way of markings as I recall. From what I recall it was constructed well after the Tora movie and was not related to it.

Does it still sound like a Harvard? I thought the replicas used the geared R-1340 as fitted in a Otter so it could turn a three bladed propeller .

It did not sound the same as the Harvard

I think some do and some don’t. There are certainly shots of them in the film with three-blade props, but most photos I’ve seen of the CAF Tora! group show them with two-bladers.

Does it still sound like a Harvard? I thought the replicas used the geared R-1340 as fitted in a Otter so it could turn a three bladed propeller .

The ex-OFMC “Zero” did indeed come here in 1992 for the Alpine Fighter Collection, it went to Randal McFarlane in about 1998/99 and has been up for sale for a few years (I don’t believe he still owns it). I’d love to see it come back personally but maybe the UK should have it: we do have the FW-190 after all :p

Great photos 🙂

So, if one was to buy an ex-Tora! “Zero”, how would that work in the eyes of the CAA? Would it be regarded as just a modified T-6 airframe? :confused:

Film makers were lucky that the A6m looked so much like a Texan/SNJ/Harvard.

Here we go…..afraid that they aren’t brilliant photos as just taken them from my Facebook page, rather than use the originals.

Taken on Easter Sunday 1989 from the back seat of Anthony Hutton’s Harvard Mk.4 with Charles Everett upfront.

Cheers,

Martin

Does Anthony Hutton fly any warbirds these days?

Interesting lot of aircraft in that ad. The SNJ that David Gilmour bought as well as (I think) the Invader Barbel Abela flew around the world.

T J

Anthony has now retired from aviation and resides in the South of France.

The TTT Zero replica operated by the Harvard Formation Team in 1989-91 was from the film and originally a Harvard Mk.4. It was sold to the OFMC at Duxford and now I believe lives in New Zealand.

I have somewhere some air to airs I took of it the day after the Squadron opened at Easter 1989. Will try and dig them out today.

Best wishes,

Martin

Does Anthony Hutton fly any warbirds these days?

Interesting lot of aircraft in that ad. The SNJ that David Gilmour bought as well as (I think) the Invader Barbel Abela flew around the world.

T J

Just found this in an old Squadron newsletter from spring 1990 showing the airworthy Zeke replica for sale the u.s. reg is shown so over to you guys!

There were certainly replicas made in Japan… I have touched one!

In mid-1984 my USMC A-6E squadron was deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. We went down to the Philippines for 6 weeks, and when we returned to Japan there was a Zero sitting in one of the hangars. I was able to walk all around and under it, and I am sure I took at least a couple of photos of it. It was definitely not a converted T-6.

There was an old concrete single-plane shelter on the base, on the west side between the USMC and JMSDF halves of the base, that I explored. It is my understanding that the intention was to display the Zero-replica there on a permanent basis, as soon as they got more things ready for the display.

I’ll look through my archives and see if I still have the photos.

Garys G-AZSC was indeed painted as a zero as im sure many remember him playing the baddie against the Harvard Formation team and shooting down Pete Treadaway in the Beech but there was also a tora replica at weald around that time

Tony Banfield I think was the BBMF pilot who sometimes flew the Zero.