Air Power Series>1:48 die-cast display model>Zero>HA8802

General Background

The A6M entered service in 1940 and became known as the Zero because of the Japanese designation of Type 0 Carrier Fighter. The Zero technology was years ahead of any other fighter and had no problem clearing the skies of opposing aircraft. There were numerous variants of the Zero including the folding wing A6M2 Model 21 designed for carrier operations. The A6M2 was the most produced Japanese aircraft of WWII. As the war went on the Model 21 would be the Zero variant that most Allied pilots would encounter.

The Aircraft

On November 26, 1941 two Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2B Zero fighters became disoriented and landed on a beach in China and were captured. One aircraft was badly damaged but V-172 serial 3372, built October 21, 1941 only had minor damage. It was taken away, repaired, painted and marked as P-5016 of the Chinese Air Force. This was the first intact Zero captured by Chinese forces. Later the aircraft was transported to the U.S. and marked with USAAF markings and code EB-2 (later EB-200) on the tail, Zero 3372 and later mysteriously vanished.

Specifications :

Role:	Fighter
Production Of All Zero Types:	Almost 10, 500
Crew:	1 Pilot
Power plant:	1 X Nakajima Sakae 12 Producing 925 HP
Performance:	Speed - 331 mph (533 km/h)
	Ceiling - 33,792.5 ft (10,300 m)
	Range – 1,044 miles (1,680 km)
Weight:	3,703.7 lb (1,680 kg) Empty
Dimensions:	Wingspan – 39 ft 4.4 in (12 m)
	Length – 29.72 ft (9.06 m)
	Height – 10 ft (3.05 m)
Armament	2 X 7.7 mm Type 97 Machine Guns On Upper Fuselage Firing Through A Synchronized Propeller
	2 X 20 mm Type 99 Cannon Wing-Mounted
	2 X External 132 lb (60 kg) Bombs