A6M MITSUBISHI ZERO FIGHTER
A6M Zero - Design & Development:
The design of the A6M Zero began in May 1937, shortly after the introduction
of the Mitsubishi A5M fighter. Operating under the Imperial Japanese Navy's
(IJN) specification "12-Shi," Mitsubishi and Nakajima commenced preliminary
design work on a new carrier-based fighter, while waiting to receive the final
requirements for the aircraft. These were issued by the IJN in October and were
based upon the A5M's performance in the on-going Second Sino-Japanese War. The
final specifications called for the aircraft to possess two 7.7 mm machine guns,
as well as two 20 mm cannon.
In addition, each airplane was to have a radio direction finder for
navigation and a full radio set. For performance, the IJN required that the new
design be capable of 310 mph at 13,000 ft. and possess an endurance of two hours
at normal power and six to eight hours at cruising speed (with drop tanks). As
the aircraft was to be carrier-based, its wingspan was limited to 39 ft. (12m).
Stunned by the navy's requirements, Nakajima pulled out of the project believing
that such an aircraft could not be designed. At Mitsubishi, the company's chief
designer, Jiro Horikoshi, began toying around potential designs.
After initial testing, Horikoshi determined that the IJN's requirements could
be met, but that the aircraft would have to be extremely light. Utilizing a
new, top-secret aluminum, T-7178, he created an aircraft that sacrificed
protection in favor of weight and speed. As a result, the new design lacked
armor to protect the pilot, as well as the self-sealing fuel tanks that were
becoming standard on military aircraft. Possessing retractable landing gear and
a low-wing monoplane design, the new A6M was one of the most modern fighters in
the world when it completed testing.
A6M Zero - Operational History:
Entering service in 1940, the A6M became known as the Zero based on its
official designation of Type 0 Carrier Fighter. In early 1940, the first A6M2,
Model 11 Zeros arrived in China and quickly proved themselves as the best
fighter in the conflict. Fitted with a 950 hp Nakajima Sakae 12 engine, the
Zero swept Chinese opposition from the skies. With the new engine, the aircraft
exceeded its design specifications and a new version with folding wingtips, the
A6M2, Model 21, was pushed into production for carrier use.
For much of World War II, the Model 21 was the version of the Zero that was encountered by Allied aviators. A superior dogfighter than the early Allied fighters, the Zero was able to out-maneuver its opposition. To combat this, Allied pilots developed specific tactics for dealing with the aircraft. These included the "Thach Weave," which required two Allied pilots working in tandem, and the "Boom-and-Zoom," which saw Allied pilots fighting on the dive or climb. In both cases, the Allies benefited from the Zero's complete lack of protection as a single burst of fire was generally enough to down the aircraft.
This contrasted with Allied fighters, such as the P-40 Warhawk and F4F Wildcat, which though less maneuverable, were
extremely rugged and difficult to bring down. Nevertheless, the Zero was
responsible for destroying at least 1,550 American aircraft between 1941 and
1945. Never substantially updated or replaced, the Zero remained the IJN's
primary fighter throughout the war. With the arrival of new Allied fighters,
such as the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair, the Zero was quickly eclipsed.
Faced with superior opposition and a dwindling supply of trained pilots, the
Zero saw its kill ratio drop from 1:1 to over 1:10.
During the course of the war, over 11,000 A6M Zeros were produced. While
Japan was the only nation to employ the aircraft on a large scale, several
captured Zeros were used by the newly-proclaimed Republic of Indonesia during
the Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949).
A6M Zero - Specifications:
General
Performance
Armament
SOURCE: http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/militaryaircraft/p/a6mzero.htm
The design of the A6M Zero began in May 1937, shortly after the introduction
of the Mitsubishi A5M fighter. Operating under the Imperial Japanese Navy's
(IJN) specification "12-Shi," Mitsubishi and Nakajima commenced preliminary
design work on a new carrier-based fighter, while waiting to receive the final
requirements for the aircraft. These were issued by the IJN in October and were
based upon the A5M's performance in the on-going Second Sino-Japanese War. The
final specifications called for the aircraft to possess two 7.7 mm machine guns,
as well as two 20 mm cannon.
In addition, each airplane was to have a radio direction finder for
navigation and a full radio set. For performance, the IJN required that the new
design be capable of 310 mph at 13,000 ft. and possess an endurance of two hours
at normal power and six to eight hours at cruising speed (with drop tanks). As
the aircraft was to be carrier-based, its wingspan was limited to 39 ft. (12m).
Stunned by the navy's requirements, Nakajima pulled out of the project believing
that such an aircraft could not be designed. At Mitsubishi, the company's chief
designer, Jiro Horikoshi, began toying around potential designs.
After initial testing, Horikoshi determined that the IJN's requirements could
be met, but that the aircraft would have to be extremely light. Utilizing a
new, top-secret aluminum, T-7178, he created an aircraft that sacrificed
protection in favor of weight and speed. As a result, the new design lacked
armor to protect the pilot, as well as the self-sealing fuel tanks that were
becoming standard on military aircraft. Possessing retractable landing gear and
a low-wing monoplane design, the new A6M was one of the most modern fighters in
the world when it completed testing.
A6M Zero - Operational History:
Entering service in 1940, the A6M became known as the Zero based on its
official designation of Type 0 Carrier Fighter. In early 1940, the first A6M2,
Model 11 Zeros arrived in China and quickly proved themselves as the best
fighter in the conflict. Fitted with a 950 hp Nakajima Sakae 12 engine, the
Zero swept Chinese opposition from the skies. With the new engine, the aircraft
exceeded its design specifications and a new version with folding wingtips, the
A6M2, Model 21, was pushed into production for carrier use.
For much of World War II, the Model 21 was the version of the Zero that was encountered by Allied aviators. A superior dogfighter than the early Allied fighters, the Zero was able to out-maneuver its opposition. To combat this, Allied pilots developed specific tactics for dealing with the aircraft. These included the "Thach Weave," which required two Allied pilots working in tandem, and the "Boom-and-Zoom," which saw Allied pilots fighting on the dive or climb. In both cases, the Allies benefited from the Zero's complete lack of protection as a single burst of fire was generally enough to down the aircraft.
This contrasted with Allied fighters, such as the P-40 Warhawk and F4F Wildcat, which though less maneuverable, were
extremely rugged and difficult to bring down. Nevertheless, the Zero was
responsible for destroying at least 1,550 American aircraft between 1941 and
1945. Never substantially updated or replaced, the Zero remained the IJN's
primary fighter throughout the war. With the arrival of new Allied fighters,
such as the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair, the Zero was quickly eclipsed.
Faced with superior opposition and a dwindling supply of trained pilots, the
Zero saw its kill ratio drop from 1:1 to over 1:10.
During the course of the war, over 11,000 A6M Zeros were produced. While
Japan was the only nation to employ the aircraft on a large scale, several
captured Zeros were used by the newly-proclaimed Republic of Indonesia during
the Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949).
A6M Zero - Specifications:
General
- Length: 29 ft. 9 in.
- Wingspan: 39 ft. 4 in.
- Height: 10 ft.
- Wing Area: 241.5 sq. ft.
- Empty Weight: 3,704 lbs.
- Loaded Weight: 5,313 lbs.
- Crew: 1
Performance
- Power Plant: 1 × 950 hp Nakajima Sakae 12 radial engine
- Range: 1,929 miles
- Maximum Speed: 331 mph
- Ceiling: 33,000 ft.
Armament
- Guns: 2 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 machine guns (engine cowling), 2
× 20 mm (0.787 in) Type 99 cannons (wings)
- Bombs: Combat- 2 × 66 lb. and 1 × 132 lb. bombs, Kamikaze: 2 x fixed
550 lb. bombs
SOURCE: http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/militaryaircraft/p/a6mzero.htm