Hobby Master 1/48 Japan A6M2 Zero Type 21 EII-102 PO 1st Class Testsuzo Iwamoto Carrier Zuikaku Dec 1941

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.

• 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 m)
• Height – 10 ft (3 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