Review of Mitsubishi A6M Zero Scale Plans no. 5
MMP/Stratus Publications
ISBN: 978-83-63678-36-4
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $11.99
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $11.99
HISTORY:
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft, manufactured by 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 ( rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki?), and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the "Reisen",{zero fighter},"0" being the last digit of theImperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the use of the name "Zero" was later commonly adopted by the Allies as well.
When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range.[1] In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dogfighter, achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1,[2] but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms.[3]
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ("IJNAS") also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the failure to develop more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer enemy fighters, which possessed greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approached the Zero's maneuverability. Although the Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, design delays and production difficulties of newer Japanese aircraft types meant that it continued to serve in a front line role until the end of the war. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations.[4] During the course of the war, Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft..
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) is a book publisher based in the U.K. All their books are printed in Sandomierz Poland by their associate Stratus. Stratus also prints books in Polish,.
This new publication is by way of being a portfolio. The cover is in dark green with yellow green line drawings of what appears to be a P-51 Mustang. This seems rather STRANGE to me. Shown on the front of it is the cover art of the book that MMP publishes on the Zero.
Inside the portfolio are large sheets that are folded in the center to create 48 pages in 8 ½” x 11” size.
Pages 1-2 have a 1/72nd scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21 as a 5-view, a A6M3 model 32 as a 2-view and side profiles of a A6M3 model 22, A6M3 model 32 and a A6M3 model 32-4 Koh spead across the two pages.
Pages 3-4 have a 1/72nd scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 32 as a 4-view and a A6M5 model 52 as a 5-view spread across them
Pages 5-6 have a 1/72nd scale line-drawing of a A6M5 model 52 as a head-on illustration and 52c Hei version as a side profiles spread across them,
Pages 7-8 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21 as a 4-view spread across them,
Pages 8-10 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 22 as a 3-view and a A6M3a with 22mm wing guns as a side profile spread across them.
Pages 11-12 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 32 as a 3-view spread across them.
Pages 13-14 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M5 model 52 as a 4-view spread across them
Pages 15-16 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M7 model 12 as a 3-view and a A6M8 model 52c Hei profile spread across them.
Pages 17-18 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 32 as a 2-view and a A6M5 model 52c profile spread across them.
Pages 19-20 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21 as a 3-view spread across them.
Pages 21-22 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21 as a view of it’s top and a scrap drawing of the cowling spread across them.
Pages 23-24 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21’s bottom and a scrap drawing of it’s late model cowling spread across them.
Pages 25-26 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 22 as a 2-view and a A6M3a model 22 Hei as a side profile spread across them.
Pages 27-28 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of the top and bottom of a A6M3 model 22 spread across them.
Pages 29-30 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 32 as a top view and a scrap illustration of the cowling spread across them.,.
Pages 31-32 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of the A6M3 model 32 bottom view spread across them
Pages 33-34 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M5 model 52 as a 3-view spread across them.
Pages 35-36 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of it’s top with a scrap illustration of the cowling spread across them.
Pages 37-38 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of it’s bottom spread across them.
Pages 39-40 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of profiles of the A6M7 model 62 and the A6M8 model 52c Hei spread across them.
Pages 41-42 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of top of the A6M7 model 62 spread across them.
Pages 43-44 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of it’s bottom view spread across them.
Pages 45-46 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawings of front views of the A6M5 model 32 and the A6M5 model 52c spread across them
All these line-drawings were done by Dariusz Komas.
I recommend this portfolio to modelers and aircraft historians. The sheets can be removed and used on your workbench.
I want to thank Roger Wallsgrove Editor-in-Chief of MMP and the folks at Casemate for this review sample.
Information on all MMP books can be found on their web site at:
http://www.mmpbooks.biz
The N. American distributor is Casemate
The Australian distributor is Platypus Publications
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft, manufactured by 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 ( rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki?), and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the "Reisen",{zero fighter},"0" being the last digit of theImperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the use of the name "Zero" was later commonly adopted by the Allies as well.
When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range.[1] In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dogfighter, achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1,[2] but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms.[3]
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ("IJNAS") also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the failure to develop more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer enemy fighters, which possessed greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approached the Zero's maneuverability. Although the Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, design delays and production difficulties of newer Japanese aircraft types meant that it continued to serve in a front line role until the end of the war. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations.[4] During the course of the war, Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft..
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) is a book publisher based in the U.K. All their books are printed in Sandomierz Poland by their associate Stratus. Stratus also prints books in Polish,.
This new publication is by way of being a portfolio. The cover is in dark green with yellow green line drawings of what appears to be a P-51 Mustang. This seems rather STRANGE to me. Shown on the front of it is the cover art of the book that MMP publishes on the Zero.
Inside the portfolio are large sheets that are folded in the center to create 48 pages in 8 ½” x 11” size.
Pages 1-2 have a 1/72nd scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21 as a 5-view, a A6M3 model 32 as a 2-view and side profiles of a A6M3 model 22, A6M3 model 32 and a A6M3 model 32-4 Koh spead across the two pages.
Pages 3-4 have a 1/72nd scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 32 as a 4-view and a A6M5 model 52 as a 5-view spread across them
Pages 5-6 have a 1/72nd scale line-drawing of a A6M5 model 52 as a head-on illustration and 52c Hei version as a side profiles spread across them,
Pages 7-8 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21 as a 4-view spread across them,
Pages 8-10 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 22 as a 3-view and a A6M3a with 22mm wing guns as a side profile spread across them.
Pages 11-12 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 32 as a 3-view spread across them.
Pages 13-14 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M5 model 52 as a 4-view spread across them
Pages 15-16 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M7 model 12 as a 3-view and a A6M8 model 52c Hei profile spread across them.
Pages 17-18 have a 1/48th scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 32 as a 2-view and a A6M5 model 52c profile spread across them.
Pages 19-20 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21 as a 3-view spread across them.
Pages 21-22 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21 as a view of it’s top and a scrap drawing of the cowling spread across them.
Pages 23-24 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M2 model 21’s bottom and a scrap drawing of it’s late model cowling spread across them.
Pages 25-26 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 22 as a 2-view and a A6M3a model 22 Hei as a side profile spread across them.
Pages 27-28 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of the top and bottom of a A6M3 model 22 spread across them.
Pages 29-30 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M3 model 32 as a top view and a scrap illustration of the cowling spread across them.,.
Pages 31-32 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of the A6M3 model 32 bottom view spread across them
Pages 33-34 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of a A6M5 model 52 as a 3-view spread across them.
Pages 35-36 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of it’s top with a scrap illustration of the cowling spread across them.
Pages 37-38 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of it’s bottom spread across them.
Pages 39-40 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of profiles of the A6M7 model 62 and the A6M8 model 52c Hei spread across them.
Pages 41-42 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of top of the A6M7 model 62 spread across them.
Pages 43-44 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawing of it’s bottom view spread across them.
Pages 45-46 have a 1/32nd scale line-drawings of front views of the A6M5 model 32 and the A6M5 model 52c spread across them
All these line-drawings were done by Dariusz Komas.
I recommend this portfolio to modelers and aircraft historians. The sheets can be removed and used on your workbench.
I want to thank Roger Wallsgrove Editor-in-Chief of MMP and the folks at Casemate for this review sample.
Information on all MMP books can be found on their web site at:
http://www.mmpbooks.biz
The N. American distributor is Casemate
The Australian distributor is Platypus Publications