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A6M2 Rei-Sen "Zero"
The legendary Zero rightfully holds a place of honor in the world of WW II fighters. Designed in response to the JNAF 12-Shi requirement for a carrier based fighter, it became the most well known Japanese aircraft of all time.
This notoriety was accomplished by absolutely shredding the Western stereotypes in regard to both the Japanese aircraft industry and the caliber of pilot that the Imperial Navy was capable of producing. Though the US had knowledge of the Zero sent to them by Clair Chennault from China, before Pearl Harbor, the US military chose to ignore it. When the Japanese Zero-Sen fighter pilots ripped through the air over the Philippines, Java and Malaya they came as a complete shock to the pilots who opposed them. The Zeros seemed to have the ability to make square turns and phenomenal climbs, all of it combined with the heavy hitting power of the twin 20-mm cannon.
But, the story of the Zero is not one of the aircraft alone. The Imperial Navy's pilots were trained to an incredibly high standard, even in the world of fighter pilots. Selection of the cream of the crop, rigid adherence to the Bushido code and razor sharp reflexes created only the raw material. These elite young men were forged by near professional aerobatic training and gymnastics into the cutting edge of the Navy's samurai sword.
The Zero's incredible performance was bought at price. Japanese industry could not match the raw power of the Western power plants. So, to obtain this peak of performance nearly every bit of pilot and airframe protection was stripped out. Once this was discovered the Allies exploited the weakness ruthlessly.
Though later eclipsed by later Allied types, the Zero remained a potent weapon in the hands of a master pilot. Out of necessity it remained in service throughout the war, resulting in the production of over 10,000.
Ki-27 "Nate"
In mid 1935 the Imperial Japenese Army instructed Kawasaki Mitsubishi,and Nakajima to build competitive prototypes of an advanced fighter aircraft. Nakajima responded by developing a single seat monoplane fighter derived from the company's Type P.E., which at first actually began as a private venture. The low wing mono plane was constructed of all metal except fabric-covered control surfaces, and had a conventional tail unit with a fixed tailskid landing gear. The engine or powerplant consisted of a 650 hp Nakajima Ha-1a radial engine. The aircraft was first flown in july of 1936 and three months later a second prototype had followed incorporated with minor changes. Out of the three contenders kawasaki's Ki-28 fighter was faster, but the Nakajima KI-27 was alot more manouverable, and based on that, 10 pre-production examples were ordered for further evaluation. These later models differed from the original two prototypes in that the wing span area wa incresed and also the cockpit was enclosed by a sliding canopy. In late 1937 the model Ki-27a was ordered into service production and over 3,999 aircraft total were built before the halt of production in 1942. later models include the Ki-27b which was diffent only in refinements made to the cockpit canopy. The Ki-27 enjoyed much success at the start of the war over Northern China in March 1939. It enjoyed a major dominance until later when more advanced and faster Soviet I-16 fighters became available. At the begining of the pacific war the Ki-27 took part in the invasion of Burma, Malaysia, East Indies, Netherlands, and the Phillipines. Once more modern Allied fighters became available the Ki-27 was mostly used for island defense ,but ultimately it was used at the end as a Kamikaze fighter.
The Nakajima KI-27 Specifications
Type: Single-seat fighter
-Dimensions-
Span: 37' 1.5"
Length: 24' 8.5"
Height: 10' 8"
Weight empty: 2,447 lbs.
Number built: 3,399
Armament: 2 x forward firing 7.7-mm machine guns.
-Performance-
Maximum speed: 292 mph
Range: 389 miles
Ki-48 "Lily"
Type: Light bomber/Dive Bomber
Origin: Kawasaki
Crew: Four
Allied Code name: Lily
First Flight: July 1939
Production: Ki-48-I: 557, Ki-48-II: 1,408
Ki-43 "Oscar"
Probably the most important Japanese Army of the Pacific war, the Nakajima KI-43 was also one of the most durable fighters that was deployed to most combat zones throughout the conflict. Departing from traditional practice the JAAF went direct to Nakajima in Dec. 1937 to order a modern fighter to replace the Nakajima KI-27 but also to retain the manoeuvrability of the old fighter. Flying for the first time in January 1939 powered by a 925 hp HA-25 engine, the first KI-43 had, like the KI-27 and two more prototypes, only twin machine gun armament. The KI-43 was met with much scepticism by Army Pilots. Many of them belived that future aircombat would involve dogfights and any new fighter would need manoeuvrability above all else. Ten trial aircrafts were completed by September 1940 and a experimental HA-105 supercharged engine was fitted as well as butterfly flaps. The airframe also went through some radical changes. The early production KI-43-IA had a two-bladed propeller for its 950 hp engine, the KI-43-IB and IC were diffrent only in the type of armament fitted on the aircraft.
By February 1942 the KI-43-II had appeared on the scene. It was powered by a 1,150 hp HA-115 engine driving a 3 bladed propeller. Early flight trials led to the production of the KI-43-IIA of November 1942 and the KI-43-III made its combat debut over Thailand in late October of 1944.
Type: Single-seat fighter
-Dimensions-
Span: 35' 5.75"
Length: 29' 3"
Height: 10' 8.5"
Weight empty: 4,211 lbs.
Number built: 5,919
Power plant: 950 Ha-105 950 hp
Armament: 2 X 12.7-mm HO-103 machine guns or 2 X 20-mm HO-5 cannon in fuselage; 2 X 66 lb or 2 x 551 lb bombs .
-Performance-
Maximum speed: 329 mph
Range: 1,095 miles
Surface ceiling: 36,750 ft
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