page
4
... print your plane | www.
3DLabPrint
.com
Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero
(rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), History
The Mitsubishi A6M „Zero“ was a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly
manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and
operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the
Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter.
The Zero is considered to have been the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world
when it was introduced early in World War II, combining excellent maneuverability and very
long range. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service also frequently used it as a land-based
fighter.
In early combat operations, the Zero gained a reputation as a dogfighter,[3] achieving an
outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the
introduction of better equipment enabled Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal
terms. During the final phases WWII, it was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations.
Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft during the war.
