Zero fighter aircraft exhibit room
The Navy Type Zero Fighter Aircraft is displayed in this room. In addition, the parts of the very same Zero fighter are separately exhibited in the room.
Pictures, Scripts and Farewell Letters from the Pilots. The cases around the Museum exhibit about 4000 pictures, farewell notes and articles left by the deceased pilots. In some cases, displayed with the artifacts is the Japanese flag "Hinomaru" onto which family members or friends wrote short messages of encouragement to the pilots before their mission. Messages include remarks such as "Ganbatte" which translated from Japanese literally means "do your best".
The Navy Type-0 Fighter Aircraft
This is a navy type 0 carrier-based fighter, popularly called the Zero fighter which was codenamed Zake in Allies. Since the Zero fighter overpowered allied fighters in dogfights in the initial stages of the Pacific War, the name "Zero fighter" was feared by allied pilots then.
In May 1945, the type-0 fighter sunk into the sea. It was found 500 meters from Teuchi harbor in Koshikijima island near Akune city, Kagoshima prefecture at a depth of 35 meters.
In June 1980, the former Chiran town lifted the wreckage from the seabed. It was deteriorated considerably in appearance and shape due to the inevitable corrosion caused by 35 years in the sea. However, the original aircraft can be easily inferred from the recovered ruin.
This model, a former possession of the navy, is a 52 Hei type plane ,the most improved model for this type of aircraft during the war. It has two 20mm bazookas and two 13mm machine guns.