Description

Offered by Over The Blue Horizon and recently obtained in Tokyo is a vintage and highly sought-after MARU MECHANIC from Japan: Number 20, January 1980 featuring the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) MITSUBISHI F1M2 (Allied Codename: PETE). The PETE was a Japanese reconnaissance floatplane of which 1,118 were built between 1936 and 1944. The official IJN designation was "Type Zero Observation Seaplane" and as such is sometimes confused with the ZERO fighter or its RUFE Floatplane variant. Although relatively slow (230 mph), it provided the IJN with an versatile multi-purpose platform – originally designed to serve as a catapult-launched reconnaissance floatplane, the PETE took on a number of local roles including area-defense fighter, convoy escort, bomber, anti-submarine, maritime patrol, rescue and transport. This 80 page, 7.25 x 10.25 inch softcover, published in 1980 and long out-of-print, has the standard MARU MECHANIC format – great detail drawings, decent b/w photographs, and color profiles, all with an overall emphasis on the mechanical aspects of the aircraft. The increasingly difficult-to-obtain volumes from this series remain very popular with aviation historians and advanced modelers alike. Text is in Japanese but the quality of illustration in these MARU MECHANICs helps greatly in facilitating understanding. Condition of this particular MARU MECHANIC on the PETE is VERY GOOD -- crisp, clean and solid. Note that Over the Blue Horizon ships from the USA with FREE United States Postal Service (USPS) FIRST CLASS shipping to USA buyers! eBay charges sales tax for certain states; Over the Blue Horizon charges Hawaii residents state general excise tax. Your purchase will be carefully wrapped to ensure that it arrives in the same condition as described in the eBay listing. If you are not happy with your purchase for whatever reason, we will work something out -- your satisfaction is GUARANTEED. Regardless of where you are in the world, buy with confidence from a well-established eBay merchant with a sterling reputation and an exceptionally high customer satisfaction rate.