Once upon a time the Brits got bored and worked on a new toy "Project Hawker Spec thingy"
They worked really hard on it for a while, they had blue prints and proto types and then thought, this isn't something we really need, is it? So they built a few more and the department of defence said, "Naw, get rid of it - we like our Spits and Hurricanes!"
With WW2 looming it seemed like a brilliant time to sale, sadly the Americans had alot of aircraft, the elves wern't interested - they had pegasus to fly with long bows, some of the other countries who did want it didn't have the enough money so what to do?
Suddenly there is some Japs at the door, "Hallo! we buy plane! we like plane to buy!" and they took lots of pictures and stuff.
"Well sure!" said the brit dude.
So they built a few, shipped them over, blue prints the works and problem solved.
Course the Japs couldn't leave it at that, no no - they had to make a few slight changes and tinker with it - like they do they're cars and anything they get hold of. I put it down to them and they're small hands, the lil buggers!
So what with 1940 upon them, the Zero was born (under a new guise)
So thats the historical story told my way
NC