My friend over at wayfarerdaves.com has published a guide to all of the preserved A6M Zeros in Japan. Dave explains that he did not care about the Zero when he came to Japan, but as he traveled and visited museums, he kept seeing them more and eventually began to appreciate the Zero’s aesthetic. Now he wants to see them all and that’s a worthy goal. I tried to find a way to reblog the post over here but I could not find the button to do that. So here is a link to the post:

https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/?p=5149

I get what he means about learning to appreciate the Zero’s aesthetic and needing to see them all.

When I got back into the hobby around 2007, it was all about Corsairs for me. I bought some and I built some and I planned on building more. That changed a bit in 2009 when I…

An early F6F-3 Hellcat positioned in front of the island of the Essex-class carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10). The first Hellcats were delivered in the standard Blue Gray over Light Gray scheme with national insignia in six locations. This photograph was taken in May, 1943.

Yorktown again, but three months later. These Hellcats are finished in the graded scheme and feature the barred insignia with blue outline in four locations. The wings have extensive cordite staining from the guns.

Hellcats recovering aboard the USS Saratoga (CV-3). Saratoga survived the war, only to be expended as a target for atomic bomb tests.

F6F Hellcats and SBD Dauntless dive bombers warm up aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16) off New Guinea in April, 1944. Close examination of the photo shows kill markings displayed on Hellcats 5 and 20.

Plane handlers sunbathing on the wing of a Fleet Air Arm Hellcat Mk.1 of the Royal…