Mitsubishi A6M5, 5357, "61-120"
History
Completed in May 1943 at the Nakajima Aircraft Company's Oizumi factory, Zero 61-120 was the 2,357th unit produced.It was assigned to the Imperial Japanese Navy's 261st Kokutai (Air Group), known as the "Tiger Corps," and operated over Kyushu, Japan. In late 1943, it was transferred to Iwo Jima and then to Saipan in March 1944 to defend the Marianas Islands. The aircraft was captured by U.S. Marines at Aslito Airfield on Saipan in June 1944.
Following its capture, Zero 61-120 was shipped to the United States aboard the USS Copahee and transported to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, for evaluation. It was flown by approximately 25 U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Navy, and civilian test pilots, including Charles A. Lindbergh. The aircraft logged over 190 hours of flight time before being declared surplus after World War II .
In 1950, the aircraft was acquired by Edward T. Maloney, founder of the Planes of Fame Air Museum. It was restored to flight in 1978 and again in 2016. In 2000, it was featured in the film Pearl Harbor and has since participated in numerous airshows and events, including goodwill trips to Japan .