This is a one-off special book I own ( softback ) which I had translated ( at my own cost ) from Japanese to English - from a superb Japanese Publication called Maru Mechanic on the Mitsubishi Reppu ( Hurricane )
MARU MECHANIC No. 5, “
MITSUBISHI A7M REPPU”.
This is a very difficult-to-find, vintage pictorial which focuses on a rare Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) fighter, the Mitsubishi A7M Reppu, better known in the West as the Allied Code Name ' SAM ' . Designed to be the successor to the Mitsubishi A6M ZERO, the SAM never went into operational production. Although specifications were issued in 1940, the initial success of the ZERO followed by pressing issues with other aircraft and development difficulties focused Mitsubishi attention away from progressing with the REPPU. Only a few pre-production aircraft were produced and although its performance was outstanding, it was another case of 'too little, too late". It was published in 1977 and has the standard MARU MECHANIC format: great detail drawings, colour profiles, and normally just Japanese text – all with an overall emphasis on the mechanical aspects of the REPPU/SAM.
The long out-of-print volumes from this series remain very popular with aviation historians and military modelers alike.
Now - Why did I get this translated ?
The answer to this was that I was really interested in Japanese Aviation and Fighter Aircraft of WW2 - and the main reason
to cheer myself up , in late 2006 .
I was suspended from my NHS work ( with no warning ) and waited 6 months to be brought to a full disciplinary hearing , and found out they had NO evidence against me ( I am not making this up )
I was supposed to be present for 4 occasions when equipment was vandalised , but in 4 of the occasions , my legal lawyer and my Shop Steward discovered that actually the same 3 other people were also present ( it was in black and white - in the Disciplinary papers supplied to me ) - so the Prosecution were destroyed by my Union Official and I was
found not guilty and re-instated ,sadly I admit I was not the same person for over 6 months in my job , it was a bad time ......you learn from it
to realise that life and happiness is far more precious than you take for granted normally
the really sad thing is this thing happens a lot more often to people than
joe public realises , and I discovered when I became a Shop Steward - and did 5 Disciplinary Hearings myself -that there is lot of sad things that are unknown and hidden from sight ..