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| IJN ? Kōkūtai  Andrew Dickes 2006   ONE NEWS 2007 |
Aircraft History Built by Nakajima, estimated date of assembly November 1942. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 0 Carrier Fighter Reisen / A6M2 Model 21 Zero manufacture number 2487. Wartime History Assigned to an unknown Kōkūtai (Air Group) with with green upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. This Zero with a drop tank attached was likely damaged while parked at Ballale Airfield on Ballale Island. Likely, the Japanese removed the tail section and engine as usable parts. The rest of the Zero was abandoned in the boneyard area on Ballale Island. Wreckage This Zero center section and wings remained in situ the boneyard area on Ballale Island. A portion of rear canopy remained and the drop tank was still attached. The engine and tail section were removed. Charles Darby adds: "This Zero was battered in appearance but largely complete in the 1970s. No unit identifications on the plane." During December 2005, this Zero was moved by locals acting under the direction of Craig Turner / Solomon National Museum Project that made a wooden frame to lift the plane and move it the boneyard area to the beach. After a dispute with locals, this plane and others moved were abandoned. On November 6, 2007 Craig Turner with Gary Spoors / GJD Services Ltd returned to complete the salvage. On November 8, 2007 this aircraft was loaded aboard Solomon Islands Government barge MV Tina plus other aircraft from Ballale Island. Footage of this Zero aboard MV Tina appeared in OneNews: Shortland & Ballalae Aircraft Salvage" that aired on November 20, 2007. The salvage included four Zeros from Ballale including A6M3 Zero (no. 1), A6M3 Zero (no. 2), A6M2 Zero 2487 (this aircraft), A6M2 Zero 7434 plus F1M2 Pete 1250 and F1M2 Pete 5269 from Magusaiai Island and Poporang Island. The planes were transported to Honiara and stored briefly before being shipped to Australia in late November 2007 or early December 2007.Since then, the precise whereabouts of this Zero is unknown. Likely, all the aircraft are stored in Austral a western suburb of Sydney. Possibly, this aircraft was on-sold to a buyer. References Production figures of the Mitsubishi/Nakajima A6M Zero by Jim Long Pacific Aircraft Wrecks (1979) page 47 (upper) YouTube "OneNews: Shortland & Ballalae Aircraft Salvage" November 20, 2007 GJD Services - Solomon's via WaybackMachine.org February 25, 2008 Classic Wings Issue 64 "Solomon Salvation" pages 48-49 Contribute
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