ACADEMY 12352 A6M2B ZERO FIGHTER MODELO 21 escala 1/48

The Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (also known as the Zero or Zeke) is a single-engine all-metal low-wing Japanese fighter of World War II. The prototype was flown on 1 April 1939 and was commissioned in the summer of 1940. The first prototypes were powered by a Mitsubishi Zuisei 13 engine, but from the A6M2 Model 11 onwards, the Nakajima NK1B Sakae 12 was used a engine with 950 HP, which made the aircraft one of the best fighters of the first period of the war. New versions were created just before and during the war. One of the most famous was the A6M2 Model 21, a special folding-wing version designed for aircraft carriers, prepared at the beginning of the Pacific War, which became the basic Japanese airborne fighter. The next versions are A6M3 and A6M5, each of which had several versions. The first used the supercharged 1130 HP Nakajima Sakae 21 engine, which, however, meant an increase in weight and a decrease in range and manoeuvrability. An attempt was made to solve this problem in the A6M5 version by modifying the exhaust system, changing the shape of the wings and refraining from folding them, increasing the maximum speed. This version was flown in 1943 and remained in production until the end of the war. It is worth noting that one of the most produced versions of the A6M5 was the A6M5C Model 52C «Hei» aircraft, of which nearly 5,000 were produced. The "Zero" aircraft took part in the entire war in the Pacific, serving mainly as deck fighters, but also to a large extent as army fighters. The "father" of this famous aircraft was engineer Jiro Horikoshi, who relied on the experience gained from working on the M5A aircraft. He succeeded in developing a very maneuverable aircraft, with excellent aerodynamic properties, perfect for combat and with a long range. However, this was achieved at the expense of armor and a lack of self-sealing fuel tanks. Moreover, due to the lack of aircraft engines with a power comparable to American machines, every year of the war, "Zero" from the "supercar", since 1943, evolves towards the weaker rivals P-51, P-47 or F -4 or F- 6. It also proved to be a machine that was vulnerable to damage and very vulnerable to fire. However, this does not change the fact that the Allies, until 1943, did not have an aircraft capable of competing with the A6M Zero. Technical data (A6M2 model 21 version): length: 9.06 m, wingspan: 12 m, height: 3.05 m, maximum speed: 533 km/h, rate of climb: 15.7 m/s, maximum range : 3105 km, maximum ceiling 10000 m, armament: fixed - 2 x 20 mm Type 99-1 cannons and 2 x 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns, suspended - up to 250 kg of bombs.