The quality of Japanese aircraft came as an unpleasant surprise to the
Allies at the outbreak of the Pacific War, and it was personified in one
type, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
One of the finest aircraft of all time, the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero
fighter) first flew on 1 April 1939. It soon showed itself to be clearly
superior to any fighter the Allies could put into the air in the early
stages of the Pacific campaign. Armed with two 20mm cannon and two 7.7mm
machine-guns, it was highly maneuverable and structurally very strong,
despite being lightweight.
Instead of being built in several separate units, the Zero was
revolutionary in that it was constructed in two pieces. The engine,
cockpit and forward fuselage combined with the wings to form one rigid
unit; the second part comprised the rear fuselage and the tail. The two
units were joined by a ring of 80 bolts. Although the Mitsubishi Zero
had some serious drawbacks in combat, the greatest of which was its
inability to absorb punishment because of its lack of self-sealing fuel
tanks and armor plating, its greatest assets were its maneuverability
and its long range.
In 1942 the Americans allocated the code-name Zeke to the A6M, but as
time went by the name Zero came into general use. During the first
months of the Pacific War, the Zeros carved out an impressive combat
record. For example, in the battle for Java alone, which ended on 8
March 1942, they destroyed 550 Allied aircraft. As the war progressed,
however, the Zero gradually came to be outclassed by American fighters
such as the Grumman F6F Wildcat and Vought Corsair. In the latter
months, many were fitted with bombs and expended in Kamikaze suicide
attacks.
This book provides a perfect introduction to the design and combat
career of a fighter that made history. Why was the Zero conceived? What
was it like to fly in combat? How did it compare with Allied types? Who
were the engineers and designers who brought it to fruition and the
pilots who became aces while flying it? Here is a feast for the modeler,
with a wealth of technical information, photographs and color profiles.
