Mitsubishi A6M5a Type Zero Carrier Fighter Model 52a Rei-sen (Zero)

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Figher Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Figher Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Figher Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Figher Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Figher Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Figher Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Figher Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 2

Speed: 6

Maneuverability: 8

Firepower: 2

Climb Rate: 5

Ground Attack: 3

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	303	314	326	351	351@ 19685'	155 mph	1:17	3:29	6:57
kph	487	505	525	565	565@ 6000m	250 kph	1:17	3:29	6:57

Historical Statistics

Service Date: October 1943

Primary Guns: 2x Type 97 7.7 mm machine guns with 600 rpg in cowl

Secondary Guns: 2x Type 99-2 20 mm cannon with 125 rpg in wings

Ordnance: 2x 110 lb (50 kg) bombs or 2x 132 lb (60 kg) A2A rockets under wings, plus 1x 220 lb (100 kg) or 1x 550 lb (250 kg) bomb or 1x 523 lb (237 kg) drop tank under fuselage

Engine(s): 1x Nakajima NK1F Sakae 21 radial rated for 1,130 hp

Int Fuel Capacity: 933 lbs (423 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 523 lbs (237 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 351 mph (565 kph) at 19,685 ft (6,000 m)

Ceiling: 38,250 ft (11,659 m)

Loaded Weight: 6,025 lbs (2,733 kg)

Wing Area: 229.3 sq ft (21.3 sq m)

Wing Loading: 26.3 lbs/sq ft (128.3 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Maneuverability: Though heavier than the A6M2, the Model 52a can still out-turn its contemporaries.

Ordnance: The A6M5 is one of only two Japanese fighters able to carry rockets, its versions being heavier and more damaging than the A6M7's.

Weaknesses

Speed: The A6M5ís top speed of 351 mph at altitude leaves lagging behind all of its contemporaries.

History

In June 1941 the latest version of the Zero, the A6M3 Model 32, entered flight testing. Powered by the 1,130 hp Sakae 21 engine with a two-stage supercharger, the folding wingtips were removed allowing the "clipped" Zero to attain a speed of 341 mph at 20,500 feet.

First encountered over the New Guinea in September 1942, Allied flyers thought they had encountered an entirely new type and it was given the code-name 'Hap'. However, fears that this would offend General 'Hap' Arnold caused it to be changed to 'Hamp'. It was soon learned though that the new plane was merely a revised Zero and it became officially known as the 'Zeke 32'.

Unfortunately the new engine had required that the firewall be moved 8 inches to the rear, thus reducing the fuel capacity by 21 gallons. With the more powerful engine using more fuel than had been anticipated, several planes were lost when they ran out of fuel returning from missions over the Solomons. Complaints by these front-line units about the reduced range prompted Mitsubishi to install an 11.9 gallon fuel tank in each wing outboard of the cannon. To compensate for the greater weight of the full tanks, the folding wingtips were restored and the A6M3 Model 22 was born.

Originally retaining the same armament as the first A6M1, late in the production run of the Model 22 the wing cannon were upgraded to the Type 99-2 cannon, which had a higher muzzle velocity and was fed by a 100 round drum. The result was dubbed the A6M3a Model 22a and these started to appear during late 1942 to mid 1943.

By now, the Zero was due for replacement, but all existing projects were bogged down with problems and failures of various kinds, so the Navy asked Mitsubishi to upgrade the Zero yet again. The wing was redesigned to return to the shortened length of the Model 32, but with rounded tips and the new wing tanks. Although a more powerful engine was not available, top speed was boosted to 358 mph at 22,000 feet by installing "ejector" type exhaust stubs to provide a "ram" effect.

The prototype of the A6M5 Model 52 was completed in late 1943 and deliveries commenced in March 1944. The Model 52a, which soon replaced the Model 52 on the production line, featured upgraded cannon armament in the form of the belt fed version of the Type 99-2 cannon with 125 rpg. Additionally, strengthened wings allowed the plane's safe diving speed to be increased by over 50 mph, bringing it much closer to Western standards. Still the Zero was decidedly inferior to Allied fighters and its continued use reflected the desperation of the Japanese Navy to get even a tiny bit closer to the performance of the planes they were facing.

Sources

Francillon, Rene J.; Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD; 1979.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Three; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hanover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

Nohara, Shigeru; A6M Zero In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1983.

See Also

Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K.

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II

Japanese Aircraft Designation System

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory