This is my Tribute the A6M3 model 32 Zero fighter officially known as 3148 , The plane was built my Mitsubishi in September of 1942, it was sponsored and payed for by the Manchurian Middle schools, blessed by a Shinto priest in a ceremony before being sent to a remote island called Taroa to fly with the 252nd Kokutai, this plane was believed to have flown by Japanese ace Isamu Miyazaki, who said that he most certainly flew the plane with the tail number S-112, It is also believed to have been one of the Zeros that shot up and shot down Louis Zamperini's B-24, the man who's story and book "Unbroken" is going to come out as a Movie Christmas 2014.
this plane was taken care of lovingly by those Japanese airmen and crew on he island, but the Pacific war eventually came to Taroa, an air attack by US forces severely Damaged the plane beyond local repair, the plane was abandoned, decades later it was acquired and bought by an American along with several other Zero wrecks to be restored, but the restoration was delayed for decades more, until finally it was aquired by Legend Flyers, who rebuilt a FW 190, are rebuilding the A6M3. Only able to use a small amount, of the orginal parts, due to most of plane having been to weathered to use in the build, Legend Flyers commissioned an aviation artist, named Ron Cole, who had some earlier connections to this plane, to paint images of the Zeros, in return he was given many pieces of the original plane, but now, some of these pieces are for sale, I have bought one, a small piece, a wing bracket, that will be shown here when its delivered, so soon I will have my own connection to this plane.
After Studying Ron Cole's paintings for reference , I was able to make a skin of 3148 for the A6M3 in War Thunder, so now the plane lives on again, in a virtual realm. It took a few days, but I got it done, so here is the A6M3 model 32 "3148" tail number "S-112"
The Top image is how the plane is rendered in War Thunder's game engine
the bottom image is of the Real plane from Tale of the Zero Fighter by Ron Cole shown for comparison