Speaking about Zero, one can’t help but mention Nakajima
A6M2-N. In spring of 1941 the Navy ordered Nakajima to start the
production of Zero and to initiate the development of
a float modification. Nakajima engineers took A6M2 Mod.11 for
a base, removed chassis and equipped the pylon and the V-rack with a large
central float having an extra fuel tank inside. Two more stabilizing floats
were placed under the wings. The tests began on the first day of the war
– on December 8, 1941. In July of 1942 the Navy Type 02 Float Fighter
Model 11 was adopted by the fleet. By July of 1943 Nakajima
had produced 254 machines (Allied code name Roof). A6M2-N,
with its maximum speed of 435 km/h was not an outstanding fighter, but
it could be based on tropical islands and atolls, where the building of
airfields would have been otherwise impossible.
A6M2-N near the Marshall Islands, 1943. Equipped with a 60 kg depth-bomb in
the photograph on the right.
Meanwhile, Jiro Horikoshi started
the work on the 17-shi fighter to replace Zero in April
of 1942. He insisted on using the new 18-cylinder Mitsubishi MK9, offering
over 2000 hp for take-off, and was designing his A-20 for
use with that engine. However, the Navy preferred a similar Nakajima
NK9 Homare engine, which was seemingly closer to batch production. Horikoshi had
to start afresh with the M-50 Reppu (Hurricane)
model to be fitted with this engine, which failed resource tests time after
time. The work was overly delayed, and it was only on May 6, 1944, that A7M1 made
its first flight, which turned out to be quite successful. Although the aircraft
possessed high agility and good handling, gloomy predictions of Horikoshi came
true: Nakajima NK9K Homare-22 lacked 250 hp at the take-off stage and whole
400 hp at altitude of 6000m. A7M1 turned out to be hardly
faster than A6M5, and had even worse climb rate. The Navy
was ready to curtail the program in July, but Horikoshi persuaded
High Command to allow him to modify the prototypes so that they could
be fitted with Mitsubishi MK9 А. The front of the aircraft had to be redesigned,
and A7M2 first flied only on October 13, 1944. It was 1.5
times heavier and had the wing area 1.5 times larger than A6M5.
But the tanks had multilevel protection, and the cockpit was equipped with
armored back and floor panels as well as with armored glass shield. The armament
consisted of four 20 mm wing cannons. Two 250 kg bombs, 350-liter tanks or
missiles could be placed under the wings. A7M2 superseded
the Hellcat in horizontal speed and climb rate, its dive
speed was equal to that of F6F-5 and Corsair,
while its agility with the released battle flaps was unbeatable by any aircraft,
including Zero. The decision was made at once to start
production of the Navy carrier borne fighter Reppu Model 22 at
Mitsubishi works in Nagoya and Osaka. Unfortunately, the works in Nagoya
were hit by the December earthquake, and the Daiko motor works were destroyed
by the US Super Fortress bomb raid. Only eight A7M2 were
produced, out of which four survived the war. A7M3-JModel
23 and Model 34 (with turbo compressor and four
30 mm cannons!) were left in blueprints and on berths. We have no record
of the combat career of Hurricane (Allied code name Sam).
If A7M2 had achieved any victories, it was not over sea,
but over Japanese islands, where they took off from bomb-plowed factory yards.
A7M2 «Sam» in a hangar of one of the islands captued by the US troops. The propeller is dismantled according to surrender terms.
Fall 1945
Alexander L. Starykh, 2004., St.Petersburg
Sources:
Robert C. Mikesh Zero: Combat and Development History of Japan’s Legendary Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter. – USA:Motorbooks International, 1994, 128 pp. ISBN 0-87038-915-X
Horikoshi J., Okumiya M., Caidin M. Zero! The Air War in the Pacific During World War II From the Japanese Viewpoint. — Washington, Zenger, 1979). ISBN 5-17-007520-0
Shigeru Nahara Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter // Aero Detail 7, 1993. - Japan: Dai Nippon Kaiga Co, 84 pp. ISBN 4-499-22608-2
Shigeru Nahara A6M Zero In Action. // Squadron/Signal Publ., Aircraft No 59, 49 pp.
R. J. Francillon Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero-Sen : Aircraft Profile # 129.- Profile Publ., UK, 1982, 16 pp.
R. J. Francillon. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War.-Naval Institute Press, USA, 2000,- 570 pp. ISBN 0-87021-313- X
Sherman F. COMBAT COMMAND: The American Aircraft Carriers in the Pacific War. — NY.: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1950
Paul S. Dull. A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945. — Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute Press, 1978.
