Mitsubishi A6M Reisen / ZEKE
1939
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Mitsubishi A6M Reisen / ZEKE

The famous Mitsubishi A6M, popularly known as the 'Zero', was the first carrierborne fighter in the world capable of outperforming any contemporary land-based fighter it was likely to confront. Because of inept Allied intelligence it was able to achieve immediate air superiority over the East Indies and South East Asia from the day Japan entered the war. Designed under the leadership of Jiro Honkoshi in 1937 as a replacement for the neat but obsolescent A5M, the prototype A6M1 was first flown on 1 April 1939 with a 582kW Mitsubishi Zuisei 13 radial; production A6M2 fighters with two wing-mounted 20mm guns and two nose-mounted 7.7mm guns were fitted with the 708kW Nakajima Sakae 12 radial, and it was with this version that the Japanese navy escorted the raiding force sent against Pearl Harbor, and gained air superiority over Malaya, the Philippines and Burma. In the spring of 1942 the A6M3 with two-stage supercharged Sakae 21 entered service, later aircraft having their folding wing tips removed. The Battle of Midway represented the Zero's combat zenith; thereafter the agile Japanese fighter found itself ever more outclassed by the American F6F Hellcat and P-38 Lightning. To counter the new American fighters the A6M5 was rushed to front-line units; this version, with Sakae 21 engine and improved exhaust system, possessed a top speed of 565km/h, more A6M5s (and subvariants) being produced than any other Japanese aircraft. It was five A6M5s of the Shikishima kamikaze unit that sank the carrier St Lo and damaged three others on 25 October 1944. Other versions were the A6M6 with water-methanol boosted Sakae 31 engine and the A6M7 fighter/dive-bomber. Total production of all A6Ms was 10,937. (The reporting name'Zeke' was given to the A6M, and 'Rufe' to a float version, the A6M2-N.)

Mitsubishi A6M Reisen / ZEKE


Specification 
 MODELA6M2
 CREW1
 ENGINE1 x Nakajima NK1F "Sakae 12", 705kW
 WEIGHTS
    Take-off weight2410-2796 kg5313 - 6164 lb
    Empty weight1680 kg3704 lb
 DIMENSIONS
    Wingspan12.0 m39 ft 4 in
    Length9.06 m29 ft 9 in
    Height3.05 m10 ft 0 in
    Wing area22.44 m2241.54 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
    Max. speed525 km/h326 mph
    Cruise speed330 km/h205 mph
    Ceiling10000 m32800 ft
    Range w/max.fuel3050 km1895 miles
    Range w/max.payload1850 km1150 miles
 ARMAMENT2 x 20mm cannons, 2 x 7.7mm machine-guns, 60kg of bombs

3-View 
Mitsubishi A6M Reisen / ZEKEA three-view drawing (752 x 1009)

Comments 
bao, bao_b2_15(@)yahoo.com, 06.01.2009

the zero ace pilot Saburo sakai surviving after wwii was the famous zero fighter pilot . he shoot down over 80 enemy plane

Ronald, toolkeeper123(@)adelphia.net, 15.10.2008

To solve the dilemma of an elevator control small enough not to be oversensitive at high speed and yet large enough to give adequate control for landing, Horikoshi and his team used finer strands of connecting cables and more flexible torque tubes to the elevator. With this innovation, at high loads due to speed the stretch would cause less elevator movement but when at landing speed there would be full travel of the elevator. This A6M2 feature was patented in Japan in 1940. They struck the right balance, avoiding high speed elevator flutter and non-responsive spongy controls at the same time. But aileron high speed flutter still limited dive speed even after it was largely solved by 12/7/41. You might wonder if the tail was placed further aft for dive stability like the P-40F (late version). While this was likely a good outcome, it was really done to stabilize the greater recoil of the 20mm wing cannon. The FFS motor cannon in the imported Dewoitine D.510 impressed the Japanese with it's hitting power. When FF cannons were tested on the wings of a Claude fighter for comparison in August 1938, it did better generally than the D.510 but for accuracy. The Claude had some horizontal scatter. When Jiro Horikoshi heard of this he made the tail design correction in the Zero. Why cannons on a weight saving fighter? The D.510 was the writing on the wall for the Zero. The thinking was to not only match what a future enemy fighter might pack but surpass it!
Besides the cannons on the A6M2 weren't that heavy. They were compact and light. At first the Type 99-1 cannon had limited ammo and muzzle velocity but with Navy approval it was a start.

Ronald, toolkeeper123(@)adelphia.net, 13.10.2008

Most Japanese fighters were designed to withstand a force of 7g. From 1932 all Japanese warplanes were required to meet a safety load factor of 1.8 so the limit for the A6M had to be 12.6g (1.8x7g). Thus weight had to be saved throughout it's design for example the wing and cockpit were made as one assembly with a one piece main spar when other fighters were bolting wings onto their fuselage at heavy casting points. Not only did this save weight, it gave the Zero's wings seamless integrity as well. Officially 391 mph was the terminal dive limit for the model 21 Zero. Stall speed was 73 mph.

Ronald, toolkeeper123(@)adelphia.net, 13.10.2008

Roll rate was 56 deg/sec @ 160 mph; 35 deg/sec @ 340 mph. At 100 mph it could roll with a spitfire Mk V (not the clipped LF), under 150 mph it out rolls the F4F-3 and P-47C, under 160 it out rolls the P-39D and P-51B, under 180 it out rolls the F6F-3 and P-38L, under 210 mph it out rolls the P-38F. Above 180 mph ailerons were sluggish and virtually ineffective above 230 mph. This and it's inferior dive acceleration gave allied pilots an escape by diving with a high speed roll. The Model 21 was the peak of Zero supremacy by virtue of close-in aerobatics together with 20 mm cannons and surprising range at such an early stage. Succeeding models offered only slight improvements when the Allies made giant leaps.

Ronald, toolkeeper123(@)adelphia.net, 12.10.2008

At 230 mph the A6M2 Zero 21 did a 1118' radius 180 degree turn was done in 5.62 seconds. For slower turns the radius was 612'. Normal positive g-load factor was 7g, safety limit was 8.8g; and normal negative was 3.5g with a safety factor of another 1.8g or 5.3g limit. Wing loading was 22 lb/sq. ft. Stability was neutral around all three axis, controls were light and beautifully harmonized. Stall was gentle and complemented it's slow speed dogfighting prowess. However as speed and altitude increased this diminished especially above 26,000'. Initial climb rate was 4517 fpm, not bad for 940-950 hp! 19,685' was reached in 7 min. 27 sec. Power loading was 5.59 lb/hp.

John, fflexdream(@)blueyonder.co.uk, 14.07.2007

For Zero details including cockpit try http://www.socalvalue.com/airace/zero/zero.htm

Ross, vetamur2005(@)yahoo.co.jp, 02.03.2007

http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/gregspringer/radios/radio_systems.htm

Dave Kirby, Rckymtncpl3(@)comcast.net, 05.12.2006

Trying to verify a japanese aircraft part from pearl harbor attack is authenic. How can I get maybe a blue print of a Zero or maybe cockpit photos.

Do you have any comments about this aircraft ?

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