John Sterling
Recovery of A6M3 Zeros from Taroa
 During 1991, Mr. John Sterling of Boise, Idaho recovered several A6M3 Zeros from Taroa Airfield in the Marshall Islands. After
a year of negotiation, including sleeping in the jungle for nearly three
months to perform the recovery the Zeros were disassembled,
crated and shipped to the United States. During May 1991 the recovered aircraft arrived at his home in Boise, Idaho. Afterwards, Sterling focued his efforts on restoring A6M3 Zero 3318 and using parts from the others for this single restoration.
Recovered Aircraft
A6M3 Model
32 Zero Manufacture Number 3318
Recovered
by John Sterling, currently under restoration at Vintage Aircraft Ltd
A6M3 Model
32 Zero Manufacture
Number 3148
Recovered
by John Sterling, used in restoration of A6M3
3318 later sold to Evergreen Aviation then Vintage Aircraft Ltd
A6M3 Model 32 Zero Manufacture
Number 3685 Tail
Y2-176
Recovered by
John Sterling, later sold to the Imperial War Museum (IWM)
A6M2 Model
21 Zero Manufacture
Number 31574
Recovered
by John Sterling, currently being used in restoration of A6M3
3318
A6M2 Model
21 Zero Tail S-152
Recovered
by John Sterling, two side skins
from the vertical fin of an unidentified
References
Asahi Journal Vol 1 No 2 "The
Return of Japan's Legendary Zero Fighter" January 1998 interview with John Sterling.
FlyPast "Zero Restorations" by Ron Werneth August 2005
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