I have never seen this footage released anywhere else. The film has been locked away for years and was recently rediscovered.
I got a call not too long ago from Don Hoirup (VF-16 and VF-8), a PTO Corsair Ace. Don and I chatted about the segments in this movie and he confirmed that the tactics you will see were exactly what they used in battle. Don stated that his Corsair could overtake the Zero from above but the Zero was extremely maneuverable, could out turn the Corsair and could climb quickly. Once you receive this movie you will get a chance to see all of this action, just like Don experienced, in color.
"WOW!! This is best DVD any Corsair nut must see, great job, fast shipping, AAAA++++"
Movie Review
Tired of seeing those same sequences of air combat repeated in nearly every television documentary? Here is the answer: Rare Aviation's Corsair Versus Zero DVD. This release shows spectacular COLOR gun camera footage from F4U Corsairs in the Pacific. For anyone interested in dogfights and air combat, this release is not to be missed!
Series creator, Steve Rhode has color corrected each clip and set the sequences to music, which heightens the sense of excitement and combat in each segment. Also interesting are the snipits of cockpit audio present in some of the sequences - excited pilots calling out their victories or radio chatter during combat. After each sequence plays, it is repeated in slow motion, bringing out further details.
This DVD contains over fifty individual sequences of dogfight combat, nearly all over water. Most of the sequences are against the famous A6M Zero fighter, the primary Imperial Japanese Navy interceptor. Other notable sequences include a PBY water rescue sequence, and a spectacular sequence showing a E13 Jake seaplane, caught on the surface of the water, and strafed to bits.
What is interesting is the variety of combat, some sequences have a definative ending, with the Japanese aircraft being shot down or exploding. Others, leaves the viewer marveling at the twisting intensity of the dogfight without positive proof of a 'kill'. This DVD shows the view just how challenging and heart-pounding air combat was.
Corsair versus Zero Volume 1 Shot List
| Segment | Target Aircraft | Description |
| 1 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Camera plane is in steep dive on Zero passing below it. One round pierces left wing tank of Zero. A large explosion results with a fireball rapidly mushrooming from wing. Plane disappears from view. Nice view of top view of plane, painting and markings. |
| 2 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero is flying lower than camera plane. Camera plane chases Zero from five-o'clock high. Zero appears to out climb camera plane and breaks free. |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Against a dark sky a Zero is pursued and explodes in bright orange fireball. |
| 4 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero is pursued in long segment. Corsair is diligently trying to capture Zeke but Zero is trying hard to evade. Notice the wild rudder variations which cause the Zeke to fishtail while being pursued. At times, aircraft appear to be as little as fifty feet above ocean. |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zeke appears to be just above ocean surface under hot and close pursuit by camera plane. Camera plane gains on Zero and last frame shows a hard strike on right wing of Zero. Uncertain if it is fire or smoke seen. |
| 6 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Very interesting Zeke attack. Camera plane shows a second Corsair just ahead but Zero takes both planes on in a head-to-head approach. Zero breaks left at last moment and two planes pass within feet of each other. All the planes are firing constantly. |
| 7 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | A group of three Zeros are pounced. The are stacked low to high. Top Zeke climbs rapidly out of frame. Bottom Zero rolls and dives left. The middle Zero is targeted, fired upon and lost. |
| 8 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Three Zeros flying in loose formation are pounced from seven o'clock. Middle Zero is targeted. Zero appears to be a Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21 with centerline fuel drop-tank. |
| 9 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero floatplane with large center float in dark green paint scheme is gained on by camera plane in low tight left turn while firing. The large center float on the Zeke is clearly seen. One round explodes either into cockpit or just in front of cockpit. Ze |
| 10 | Aichi E13A "Jake" | A rare glimpse at a Aichi E13A "Jake" long range reconnaissance float plane under pursuit about 100 feet above water in a tight left-hand turn. The Jake was primarily launched from Japanese cruisers and were scarce when fighters were about. At the end of |
| 11 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero passes below camera plane and is under attack. Smoke is training from left side. |
| 12 | Aichi D3A dive bomber "Val" | A Aichi D3A dive bomber "Val" dives towards ocean surface while under attack. Right wing is struck and fuel appears to be streaming from wing. |
| 13 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | A Zero is caught in dark skies and out maneuvers camera plane. Zeke vanishes up and out of frame, but not before being struck. |
| 14 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Wing spewing Zero is struck at close range. |
| 15 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Attack by camera plane under darkness shows tracer fire at unknown targets. As camera plane climbs, more light revels at least two Zeros under pursuit. One Zero turns sharply across the camera to vanish left across screen. |
| 16 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero is caught at medium range and escapes from camera plane. Very nimble and agile flying. |
| 17 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Flying at a low altitude above the ocean surface, a Zero is struck. The entire right side of the fuselage is on fire. The Zeke is struck again in the left wing and fire erupts from the wing. Island formation in background may help to identify location. |
| 18 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero attack under a dark sky shows quick evasive action by the Japanese pilot. Fire appears to be belching out exhaust on both sides of plane. |
| 19 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Medium range attack on Zero shows a very interesting evasive maneuver. The Zero rolls and reverses direction. |
| 20 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Under cover of darkness an aerial battle in underway. Tracer fire is seen and results in strike that creates large trailing fireball. |
| 21 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero is descended on from six o'clock high. Gunfire must have damaged engine. Zero begins to trail smoke. The angle of intercept is fairly steep and the Zero climbs up out of guns. |
| 22 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zeke attempts to escape gunfire. Dives towards ocean. |
| 23 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Dark sequence showing camera plane firing on enemy aircraft from above. |
| 24 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Twilight segment showing Zero out performing Corsair. Zips out of harms way. No strikes seen. |
| 25 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | At higher altitude than most battles a Zero is struck in the left wing and smoke is seen. |
| 27 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zeke is under heavy attack from camera plane located behind and above target. |
| 28 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | During a low engagement over water. A Zero is repeatedly struck with flames seen. To avoid further strikes, the Zero dives. It is hard to imagine that the plane did not strike the water. Very nice color segment. |
| 29 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Unknown water target. Camera planes focuses on one spot in ocean and covers is with lead. |
| 30 | | This is the first in a series of water rescue segments. A Catalina PBY flying boat is seen up current from a fluorescent dye stream in a relatively calm ocean. |
| 31 | | Camera plane catches what looks like a downed pilot in a rubber raft, paddling furiously. Dye pack must have been recently tossed in water. Dye has not spread that far yet. |
| 32 | | Catalina rescue flying boat is seen floating on surface of ocean. |
| 33 | | Appears to be pilot in lone rubber raft. Dye pack is some distance from raft. No movement seen during low camera plane pass over raft. |
| 34 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Aerial attack on ground target. The attack is very focused on one location. Companion Corsairs can be see in segment. Steep angle of attack dive. |
| 35 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Large columns of smoke are rising from ocean surface. Unidentified target is burning. Corsair seen ahead of camera plane. |
| 36 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Appears to be a collection of huts that serve as the focus of this attack on ground targets. Structures located along ocean. Camera planes levels off out of attacking dive and fly's out over ocean. |
| 37 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Pair of Zeros is flying in tight formation. Corsair is in good position close behind Zeke pair. Zero on right is struck, begins to smoke from right side and dives. Camera plane attempts to climb after second Zero but is so close to other Zero that he over |
| 38 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Lone Zero is spotted below camera plane. |
| 39 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero is coming over the top and descending in front of an inverted Corsair. The Zeke is struck and smoke immediately trails out the right side of Zero. |
| 40 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero with green paint scheme and yellow leading edges make a high speed head-to-head approach with guns blazing. Planes manage to avoid colliding. Not sure how. |
| 41 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Camera plane is diving towards ocean and firing. A Zero enters from right, flying upside down and is diving towards left. A very unusual attitude engagement. |
| 42 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero passes below camera plane. |
| 43 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Camera plane and Zero twist and turn in descent towards ocean. Zero climbs back up through frame, smoking. Zero must have been struck along the way. |
| 44 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zeke is fired upon and struck. Puffs of brown smoke are seen. |
| 45 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Camera plane catches Zero passing in front of lens. Does not appear to be any shots fired. |
| 46 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Corsair catches up to Zero from six o'clock low. No shots appear to be fired. |
| 47 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | High altitude twisting close engagement with Zero. |
| 48 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Very nice segment showing evasive action by Zero. Plane does a loop and appears between camera plane and ocean. Nice top shot of Zero. |
| 49 | Aichi E13A "Jake" | Appears to be a Aichi E13A "Jake" long range reconnaissance float plane flying just above water and targeted by camera plane at a medium distance. Water spray from shot pattern is clearly seen. May be two Corsairs in attack. Second set of spray from bulle |
| 50 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Zero screams less than five feet above water while camera plane is in very low hard right turn to intercept. Zero is struck multiple times and either hits the surface or is covered with water spray from gunfire striking ocean. |
| 51 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Camera plane sticks to Zero as it is pursued. |
| 52 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Close aerial engagement of Zero. Plane is struck and begins to smoke. |
| 53 | Mitsubishi Type 0 A6M Reisen "Zero" AKA "Zeke" | Pursued Zero is struck and smoking. Heading towards ocean surface and final fate. |
Add to Cart