Mitsubishi A7M Reppū

what is it?

The Mitsubishi A7M Reppū (烈風, "Strong Wind") was designed as the successor to the Imperial Japanese Navy's A6M Zero, with development beginning in 1942. Performance objectives were to achieve superior speed, climb, diving, and armament over the Zero, as well as better maneuverability – all parameters that were ultimately achieved towards the end of its development in 1945. However, limitations on Japanese industry towards the end of the war prevented the A7M from ever entering mass production or being deployed for active duty, and it never saw active service.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 14 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 628 km/htop speed
• size 4,720 kgmax take-off weight
• built 10made 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 82 years ago, in 1944.
• 🏎️Top speed is 4.8× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 14 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.2× 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

1944

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

10

role

carrier-based fighter

origin

🇯🇵 Japan

makers

Mitsubishi

engines

1× Mitsubishi MK9C (unified :Ha-43)

length

11 m

wingspan

14 m

height

4.3 m

max take-off weight

4,720 kg

top speed

628 km/h

cruise speed

417 km/h

range

—

ceiling

10,900 m

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