Book Review of
Mitsubishi A6M Reisen Zeke (Zero) Vol. III
Author: Dariusz Paduch
Kagero Monographs-English Version No. 3081
ICBN: 978-83-66673-83-3
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $33.95
ICBN: 978-83-66673-83-3
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $33.95
HISTORY:
The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter (零式艦上戦闘機, rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen.
The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen (零戦, zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the name "Zero" (from Type 0) was used colloquially as well.
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 (IJNAS) also frequently used it as a land-based fighter.
In early combat operations, the Zero gained a reputation as a dogfighter, 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.
By 1943, the Zero was less effective against newer Allied fighters due to design limitations. It lacked hydraulic boosting for its ailerons and rudder, rendering it extremely difficult to maneuver at high speeds. By 1944, with Allied fighters approaching the A6M levels of maneuverability and consistently exceeding its firepower, armor, and speed, the A6M had largely become outdated as a fighter aircraft.
However, as design delays and production difficulties hampered the introduction of newer Japanese aircraft models, the Zero continued to serve in a front-line role until the end of the war in the Pacific.
During the final phases, it was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations. Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft during the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 9.06 m (29 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Height: 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 22.44 m2 (241.5 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 6.4
Airfoil: root: MAC118 or NACA 2315; tip: MAC118 or NACA 3309[152]
Empty weight: 1,680 kg (3,704 lb)
Gross weight: 2,796 kg (6,164 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 2,796 kg (6,164 lb)
Fuel capacity: 518 l (137 US gal; 114 imp gal) internal + 1x 330 l (87 US gal; 73 imp gal) drop tank
Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima NK1C Sakae-12 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 700 kW (940 hp) for take-off
710 kW (950 hp) at 4,200 m (13,800 ft)
Propellers: 3-bladed Sumitomo-Hamilton constant-speed propeller
Maximum speed: 533 km/h (331 mph, 288 kn) at 4,550 m (14,930 ft)
Cruise speed: 333 km/h (207 mph, 180 kn)
Never exceed speed: 600 km/h (370 mph, 320 kn)
Range: 1,870 km (1,160 mi, 1,010 nmi)
Ferry range: 3,102 km (1,927 mi, 1,675 nmi)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 15.7 m/s (3,090 ft/min)
Time to altitude: 6,000 m (20,000 ft) in 7 minutes 27 seconds
Wing loading: 107.4 kg/m2 (22.0 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.294 kW/kg (0.179 hp/lb)
Armament
Guns:
Divergence of trajectories between 7.7 mm and 20 mm ammunition, 2× 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 aircraft machine guns in the engine cowling, with 500 rounds per gun, .2× 20 mm (0.787 in) Type 99-1 Mk.3 cannon in the wings, with 60 rounds per gun.
Bombs:
2× 60 kg (130 lb) bombs or 1× fixed 250 kg (550 lb) bomb for kamikaze attacks.
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland, They do their books in both English and Polish, This one is in English.
The book is in soft-cover of 112 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows 2 Zeros dog-fighting above the clouds with 2 U.S. Wildcats. One Wildcat is exploding and the other one is going down trailing smoke.
All the aircraft show their top sides. They are all dark green. The zeros have roundels atop their wings and a black-cowlings.
The book contains 137 black and white photos and 38 color ones.
The color ones are of a Zero that is on display in the Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio.
They are the walk-around type.
The Zero is overall pale green with a narrow white fuselage band and white narrow horizontal stripe on the rudder, over red code AI-3-1`02. It has a square of tech data in Japanese on the sides of the fuselage.
Thirty-three of the black and white photos show pilots and ground-crew men (including some aces).
There are 7 photos of wrecked Zeros and 2 that were captured and taken to the U.S.
There are 12 black and white photos of the inside of the cockpit. Two data lists. Two photos of a captured Zero in U.S. markings. A line-drawing of the fuselage and wings interiors. Eleven walk around photos. Two photos and line drawings of bombs. An aerial photo of the Japanese aircraft carrier Zuiho.
A 1/48th scale 6-view line drawing. 4 side-views. One 4-view and one w-view.
In 1/72nd scale there is a 3-view, with fuselage and wing inner structures, engine, prop and dash line drawings.
At the end of the book there are color profile illustrations:
These extend to the back cover.
The 1st side-view is dark green over light grey undercarriage, The paint is faded and worn in places, It has a black cowling, red roundel outlined in white on the fuselage sides and white serial no. 3-137 on the rudder.
It is a Nakajima-built A6M5 Model 52 Hei, from Yokosuka, flown by Saburo Sakai from April 1944.
The 2nd side view is in the same color scheme as the 1st. The dark green is badly worn off in places, It has a red roundel on its fuselage side that is not white outlined. It has a yellow lightning flash across its rudder with a red no. 151, outlined in white atop the flash.
It is an A6M5 from 265 Kokutai. The unit operated out of Wasite, during operation KON, in early June 1944.
The 3rd profile illustration is a 4-view. In same scheme as the previous 2 Zeros. It has a red roundel, not outlined in white on its fuselage sides. Followed by 8 victory markings over U.S. aircraft and a square with tech data on it in Japanese. It’s rudder code is yellow 03-09.
It is a A6M5c Model 52 Hei (produced by Nakajima) of 303 Sento Hikotai, 203 Kokutai, Kagoshima airbase, Kyushu, June 1945. Flown by Joro Hiko Heiso Takeo Tanimizu, an 18 victory ace.
The 4th illustration is a side view, in the same scheme as previous Zeros. It has a red roundel outlined in white on the fuselage sides and white serial no. Ii-1.
It is a A6N5c Model 52c (produced by Nakajima), of the 311 Hikotai, 101st Kokutai, which in the spring of 1944 was stationed on the flag-ship “Taiho”.
The 5th illustration is another side view. In same scheme as the 4th. It carries a yellow rudder code of 61-120.
It is a Nakajima built A6M5 Model 52. From the 261st Kokutai. The fighter was captured by U.S. forces at Aslito airfield (Aka airfield No.1), on Saipan. This aircraft has survived in the USA to this day and is the world’s only airworthy Zero powered by the original Sakae 21 engine.
The back cover shows a 2-view profile that is in the same scheme as the 4th and 5th Zeros. It has a white spinner, 6 yellow victory marks following the red fuselage roundel, yellow rudder no 3D-126, with small yellow Japanese letters below it.
It is an A6M5a Reisen Model 52 Ko (produced by Nakajima) of 1 Hikotai, 302 Kokutai, Atsugi air base, Kanagawa Prefecture, February 1945. It was flown by Shoi Sadaaki Akamatsu, credited with 27 victories. Victories were scored over U.S. Hellcats on 16th and 17th February 1945, while fighting off raids by carrier based aircraft on targets in Kanto area.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Kagero books and all Kagero titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter (零式艦上戦闘機, rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen.
The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen (零戦, zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the name "Zero" (from Type 0) was used colloquially as well.
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 (IJNAS) also frequently used it as a land-based fighter.
In early combat operations, the Zero gained a reputation as a dogfighter, 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.
By 1943, the Zero was less effective against newer Allied fighters due to design limitations. It lacked hydraulic boosting for its ailerons and rudder, rendering it extremely difficult to maneuver at high speeds. By 1944, with Allied fighters approaching the A6M levels of maneuverability and consistently exceeding its firepower, armor, and speed, the A6M had largely become outdated as a fighter aircraft.
However, as design delays and production difficulties hampered the introduction of newer Japanese aircraft models, the Zero continued to serve in a front-line role until the end of the war in the Pacific.
During the final phases, it was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations. Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft during the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 9.06 m (29 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Height: 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 22.44 m2 (241.5 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 6.4
Airfoil: root: MAC118 or NACA 2315; tip: MAC118 or NACA 3309[152]
Empty weight: 1,680 kg (3,704 lb)
Gross weight: 2,796 kg (6,164 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 2,796 kg (6,164 lb)
Fuel capacity: 518 l (137 US gal; 114 imp gal) internal + 1x 330 l (87 US gal; 73 imp gal) drop tank
Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima NK1C Sakae-12 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 700 kW (940 hp) for take-off
710 kW (950 hp) at 4,200 m (13,800 ft)
Propellers: 3-bladed Sumitomo-Hamilton constant-speed propeller
Maximum speed: 533 km/h (331 mph, 288 kn) at 4,550 m (14,930 ft)
Cruise speed: 333 km/h (207 mph, 180 kn)
Never exceed speed: 600 km/h (370 mph, 320 kn)
Range: 1,870 km (1,160 mi, 1,010 nmi)
Ferry range: 3,102 km (1,927 mi, 1,675 nmi)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 15.7 m/s (3,090 ft/min)
Time to altitude: 6,000 m (20,000 ft) in 7 minutes 27 seconds
Wing loading: 107.4 kg/m2 (22.0 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.294 kW/kg (0.179 hp/lb)
Armament
Guns:
Divergence of trajectories between 7.7 mm and 20 mm ammunition, 2× 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 aircraft machine guns in the engine cowling, with 500 rounds per gun, .2× 20 mm (0.787 in) Type 99-1 Mk.3 cannon in the wings, with 60 rounds per gun.
Bombs:
2× 60 kg (130 lb) bombs or 1× fixed 250 kg (550 lb) bomb for kamikaze attacks.
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland, They do their books in both English and Polish, This one is in English.
The book is in soft-cover of 112 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows 2 Zeros dog-fighting above the clouds with 2 U.S. Wildcats. One Wildcat is exploding and the other one is going down trailing smoke.
All the aircraft show their top sides. They are all dark green. The zeros have roundels atop their wings and a black-cowlings.
The book contains 137 black and white photos and 38 color ones.
The color ones are of a Zero that is on display in the Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio.
They are the walk-around type.
The Zero is overall pale green with a narrow white fuselage band and white narrow horizontal stripe on the rudder, over red code AI-3-1`02. It has a square of tech data in Japanese on the sides of the fuselage.
Thirty-three of the black and white photos show pilots and ground-crew men (including some aces).
There are 7 photos of wrecked Zeros and 2 that were captured and taken to the U.S.
There are 12 black and white photos of the inside of the cockpit. Two data lists. Two photos of a captured Zero in U.S. markings. A line-drawing of the fuselage and wings interiors. Eleven walk around photos. Two photos and line drawings of bombs. An aerial photo of the Japanese aircraft carrier Zuiho.
A 1/48th scale 6-view line drawing. 4 side-views. One 4-view and one w-view.
In 1/72nd scale there is a 3-view, with fuselage and wing inner structures, engine, prop and dash line drawings.
At the end of the book there are color profile illustrations:
These extend to the back cover.
The 1st side-view is dark green over light grey undercarriage, The paint is faded and worn in places, It has a black cowling, red roundel outlined in white on the fuselage sides and white serial no. 3-137 on the rudder.
It is a Nakajima-built A6M5 Model 52 Hei, from Yokosuka, flown by Saburo Sakai from April 1944.
The 2nd side view is in the same color scheme as the 1st. The dark green is badly worn off in places, It has a red roundel on its fuselage side that is not white outlined. It has a yellow lightning flash across its rudder with a red no. 151, outlined in white atop the flash.
It is an A6M5 from 265 Kokutai. The unit operated out of Wasite, during operation KON, in early June 1944.
The 3rd profile illustration is a 4-view. In same scheme as the previous 2 Zeros. It has a red roundel, not outlined in white on its fuselage sides. Followed by 8 victory markings over U.S. aircraft and a square with tech data on it in Japanese. It’s rudder code is yellow 03-09.
It is a A6M5c Model 52 Hei (produced by Nakajima) of 303 Sento Hikotai, 203 Kokutai, Kagoshima airbase, Kyushu, June 1945. Flown by Joro Hiko Heiso Takeo Tanimizu, an 18 victory ace.
The 4th illustration is a side view, in the same scheme as previous Zeros. It has a red roundel outlined in white on the fuselage sides and white serial no. Ii-1.
It is a A6N5c Model 52c (produced by Nakajima), of the 311 Hikotai, 101st Kokutai, which in the spring of 1944 was stationed on the flag-ship “Taiho”.
The 5th illustration is another side view. In same scheme as the 4th. It carries a yellow rudder code of 61-120.
It is a Nakajima built A6M5 Model 52. From the 261st Kokutai. The fighter was captured by U.S. forces at Aslito airfield (Aka airfield No.1), on Saipan. This aircraft has survived in the USA to this day and is the world’s only airworthy Zero powered by the original Sakae 21 engine.
The back cover shows a 2-view profile that is in the same scheme as the 4th and 5th Zeros. It has a white spinner, 6 yellow victory marks following the red fuselage roundel, yellow rudder no 3D-126, with small yellow Japanese letters below it.
It is an A6M5a Reisen Model 52 Ko (produced by Nakajima) of 1 Hikotai, 302 Kokutai, Atsugi air base, Kanagawa Prefecture, February 1945. It was flown by Shoi Sadaaki Akamatsu, credited with 27 victories. Victories were scored over U.S. Hellcats on 16th and 17th February 1945, while fighting off raids by carrier based aircraft on targets in Kanto area.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Kagero books and all Kagero titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
This is one neat book about Zeros and is highly recommended.