Mitsubishi A6M Zero

what is it?

The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-capable fighter aircraft that was manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, which was part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) 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.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 12 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 533 km/htop speed
• range 1,870 kmwithout refuelling
• size 2,796 kgmax take-off weight
• built 11,000made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 87 years ago, in 1939.
• 🏎️Top speed is 4.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 12 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,870 km: 10× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.1× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1939-04-01

introduced

1940

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

11,000

role

carrier-capable fighter aircraft

origin

Empire of Japan

makers

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

engines

1× Nakajima NK1C Sakae-12 / Nakajima Sakae

crew

1

length

9.1 m

wingspan

12 m

height

3.1 m

max take-off weight

2,796 kg

top speed

533 km/h

cruise speed

333 km/h

range

1,870 km

ceiling

10,000 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.