A6M

The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range fighter aircraft, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945.

=Freedom Wings= =History= The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter (零式艦上戦闘機 rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki?), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the "Reisen" (zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the Imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the use of the name "Zero" was later commonly adopted by the Allies as well.
 * Version Used - A6M5
 * Colour Scheme - Dark Green Upper Surfaces. Pale lower Surfaces.  Yellow band on inner wing leading edge.  Hinomaru (Rising Sun) markings on Upper/Lower wings and fuselage.
 * Experiance/Value Ratings -

When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ("IJNAS") also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter.

In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dogfighter, achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the failure to develop more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer enemy fighters, which possessed greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approached the Zero's maneuverability. Although the Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, design delays and production difficulties of newer Japanese aircraft types meant that it continued to serve in a front line role until the end of the war. During the final year of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations. During the course of the war, Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft. =Comments= Approximately 10,450 Zero-Sen's were built with Mitsubishi building 3,880 and Nakajima building 6,570. 515 two-seat trainers (A6M2-K and A6M5-K) were also built with 279 built by Hitachi and 236 built by the 21st Naval Air Arsenal at Omura. Vast numbers of early model Zero-Sen's were expended in kamikaze attacks.

=Variant List=
 * A6M1: Prototype with Mitsubishi MK2 Zuisei Radial Engine (780-hp). First flown on April 1, 1939. While an excellent performer, it failed to meet the top speed requirement set down in the Navy specifications.
 * A6M2: A follow-up prototype to the A6M1 equipped with the Nakajima NK1C Sakae Engine (925-hp), flying for the first time in January 1940. This new configuration was so successful that in July 1940, Mitsubishi was awarded a contract to build 15 pre-production versions for evaluation in China. These trials led to the type being ordered into production at the end of July 1940, designated the Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 11 (A6M2 Model 11. There were three sub-variants built; The A6M2 Model 21 eqipped with manually folded wingtips and the A6M2-K two-set trainer. The A6M2-N was a floatplane variant built by Nakajima (327 being built).
 * A6M3: Model 22 is equipped with the Nakajima NK1F Sakae 21 Engine. The A6M3 had clipped wings instead of folding tips
 * A6M5 Model 52: Major production version, introduced in 1943. Primarily designed to counter the increasingly capable Allied fighters and had several sub-variants incluuding the A6M5a, A6m5b and A6m5c which carried various armament configurations. The A6M5d-S was designed as a night fighter with a 20mm cannon mounted obliquely behind the cockpit, in the rear fuselage. The A6M5-K was a two-seat trainer
 * A6M6c Model 53c: Re-engined version of the A6M5c put into production in late 1944.
 * A6M7 Model 63: Developed as a fighter/bomber with a rack that could accommodate a single 250-kg (551-lb) bomb. This variant was built from mid-1945 onward.
 * A6M8c Model 64c: Final variant but only two examples were built. The war ended before this variant could reach production.

=Notes=  =Sources=