Blayd Corporation
Owners: Dr. John Calverley (deceased) and Earl Calverley
184 Main Street North
Carman, Manitoba R0G 0J0
Canada
Tel: +1 204-745-2878

Blayd Corporation was founded by Dr. John Calverley and his son Earl Calverley in Carman, Manitoba Province in Canada. The company provides machine shop services and build aviation parts for Bombardier. Around 2015, John Calverley passed away and son Earl Calverley continues the business custom aviation metal work.

During the 1990, the Blayd Corporation became involved with Robert Diemert in a potential collaboration to rebuild a A6M2 Model 21 Zeros using his remaining original parts. During the deal, the Blayd Corporation paid Diemert for Zero parts that he delivered but further collaboration ceased.

A6M2 Model 21 Zero Tail A1-1-129  (Reconstruction)
Reconstruction of a Zero painted in the markings of A6M2 Zero 6544 Tail A1-1-129 crashed February 4, 1943

Starting in 1994, the Blayd Corporation used the original parts from Diemert as templates to build a reconstruction A6M2 Model 21 Zero known as the "Blayd Zero". They estimated 60,000 hours would be required to build a reproduction aircraft. Mitsubishi Corporation provided some original plans and Japanese engineering student to translate them. Blayd succeeded in copying roughly 14,000 parts for the fuselage, tail and wings and used an original set of landing gear legs. They manufactured enough parts for three Zeros but only one airframe was to be built.

Later, this Zero was purchased by a consortium of owners based in ND and MN and became known as the "Dakota Blayd Zero". The airframe was finished at Tri-State Aviation where the engine, instruments and hydraulics were added. Painted in the markings of A6M2 Zero 6544 Tail A1-1-129. On July 29, 2004 this Zero reconstruction made a first flight. The initial owner was Jerry Beck. Since 2011 to the present day, this Zero is displayed at the Texas Flying Legends Museum.

Today, Earl Calverley still has the Zero acquired from Robert Diemert. The only large identifiable pieces in this collection is a deskinned left wing from A6M2 Zero 5459 and the deskinned front fuselage section from A6M2 Zero 3471.

References
“Warbirds A Multimillion Dollar Industry Had Its Beginnings In Carman" by Matt Dedrick
A Brief History of the Blayd Zero and Its Markings by Ryan Toews June 15, 2014