Zero or T6
 

Heard a warbird taking off from Love Field (KDAL) today and could only catch a glimpse as it flew away from me. It was white, painted in Japanese markings, but had a triangular tail like a T6.

I can't see why anyone would paint a T6 in Japanee markings, but I thought the only flying Zero got crushed when that storm blew through Lancaster a few years back.

Maybe it was something else.

Anyone got any ideas?

The CAF Mitsubishi A6M2 , spends half the year at KMAF, that's only 275 miles away, so it's possible it could have been passing through.

Sounds like it was one of the Tora Tora Tora "Zero" modfied T-6s -there's still a few around I think. The film crew built a numbe rof creditable Zero/Kate/Val/or whatever look-a-likes from T-6s, Vultee Valiants, and so on.

Thanks. I thought the Lancaster one had been destroyed.

I saw a Zero flying at Duxford aroond 5 years ago, not part of large display and I believe one recently restored, although not owned by the museumorone of the resident display teams

One of the "Tora" film replica "Zeros" was operated by the Harvard Formation Team from North Weald in 1989. It then spent some time with the Old Flying Machine Company at Duxford before, I believe, going to New Zealand. These replicas are slightly larger than a real Zero. They have a DH Otter propeller and reduction gearing and thus have a much lower prop RPM without the Harvard take-off scream! It was great for looping manoeuvres but was very difficult to keep straight when rolling out of a half cuban.

There are certainly several real Zeros flying in the US - Planes of Fame has one at Chino - though I think they have P&W or Wright engines. There was a dismantled US registered real Zero at Duxford several of years ago which I think had been retored from a Pacific wreck in Russia. As far as I know it eventually moved across the pond.

One of the 'Tora' replicas is based at the Flying Fighters Museum, Archerfield in Brisbane. This may be the one mentioned as going to NZ.

I think the main mods are cowl, canopy shape, and fin/rudder. Looks great from a distance though.

Article on Flying the Zero
 

See here and here.

I just saw him again today...

He ran down 13 with a ton of extra power, pulled the nose up to a frightening level and whipped it back around for a tight base and final.

I still couldn't tell if it was a T6 or a Zero though as I was a little far away. : (

But if it was a zero, they look a LOT like the T6