A5M4

A5M4

F1M2

A6M2-N

A5M4

F1M2

A6M2-N

Japan

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	1.3	1.3

Class:

Fighter

Naval aircraft

Research:4 000

Purchase:2 100

Show in game

This page is about the aircraft A5M4. For the premium variant, see Hagiri's A5M4.

Description

The A5M4 is a rank I Japanese naval fighter with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). This fighter has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight Performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Stat card

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 2,900 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
429	422	9,800	12.7	13.4	8.1	9.9	325
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 2,900 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
466	447	9,800	12.1	12.3	19.7	12.8	325

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
558	558	N/A	~21	~8

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 280	< 320	< 360	> 180

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,000 m	690 hp	787 hp

Engine performance

Engine
Engine Name			Number present
Nakajima Kotobuki 41 9-cylinder			1
Engine characteristics
Weight (each)		Type	Cooling
350 kg		Radial	Air
Engine power (Stock)
Mode	Max		Take-off
Arcade	557 hp		656 hp
Realistic/Simulator	551 hp		650 hp
Engine power (Upgraded)
Mode	Max		Take-off
Arcade	700 hp		799 hp
Realistic/Simulator	619 hp		718 hp

WEP Duration
Arcade		Realistic/Simulator
25 seconds		Infinite

Survivability and armour

Like most Japanese planes, the A5M4 has no armour to protect the pilot and components of the plane. The best way to survive is to turn fight. I0in a dogfight, make sure you can see your enemy at all times because it will only take a few good hits to the pilot or components to put this plane out of action.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The A5M4 is armed with:

• 2 × 7.7 mm Type 89 machine gun, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Usage in battles

Fighter role, staying low and using the extremely quick turn times to get on the tail on the enemy is essential. Keep an eye on ammo levels and well as the surrounding, this is an extremely weak aircraft in terms of armour. It is relatively fast in a straight line, but not as quick as much of the opposition it will be facing in the game. It is recommended to use the speed against biplanes as their turn times are nearly matched if not better as a monoplane.

Realistic battles

The A5M4 can accelerate to 350 km/h in just less than a minutes time from takeoff. Will climb up to 2,500 m in around one minute and fifty seconds time when climbing in a 20-degree angle. Dive speeds are decent as the A5M4 will exceed 550 km/h in an 80-degree angle from just 2,500 m height. Be careful though, once the A5M4 reaches 560 km/h, the plane will violently shake about and if the throttle isn't cut, the plane wings may rip off. Though speed can be gained in the dive, the energy is not easily retained, taking only a minute or so to fall to back to the maximum speed of 380 km/h with WEP or 360 km/h without.

Decent horsepower with the typical Japanese light aircraft would give the idea that the plane would be great in the vertical axis dog fighting. With a problem with keeping constant fuel flow as the plane changes the angle on its vertical access means it is better to stick with horizontal dog fighting which isn't a bad thing as will outturn most all contemporary aircraft.

Simulator mode procedures

Hands-off carrier take-off (Auto engine control): Ignite engine, flaps: raised, elevator trim: 6% up, aileron trim: 0%, rudder trim: 21% right, WEP throttle, hands off controls until the plane lifts off the carrier.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not automatic pitch	Controllable	Not controllable	Combined	Not controllable	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great turn time
• Good Visibility (In cockpit view.)
• Low stall speed

Cons:

• No armour
• Poor pilot protection
• Low top speed (Due to the fixed landing gear)
• Poor gun cooling, easily jams from continuous fireing
• Suffers from fuel starvation problems (RB/SB)

History

Encyclopedia Info

A single-seater, carrier-based, all-metal monoplane fighter with an open cockpit and fixed landing gear. The world's first carrier-based monoplane. A prototype of this fighter first flew on February 4, 1935. After extensive adjustments, the fighter was commissioned by the Japanese navy and designated Carrier Fighter Type 96 (A5M). Mass production began in the fall of 1936.

In 1938, the fine-tuned A5M4 (model 4, later re-designated the model 24) variant was launched. This model had several new features: a new, more streamlined cockpit canopy with improved visibility, advanced fairings, and a radio transmitter. Since bombers often had to operate in the dark, the plane had landing lights and lights for flights over the open seas at night. The plane was equipped with a film camera near the left of the landing gear.

The power plant was a 9-cylinder radial air-cooled Nakajima Kotobuki 41 with a rated capacity of 795 horsepower. The plane had a two-bladed (later three-bladed) wooden variable pitch propellor, the Sumitomo VDM. Later planes began to use the Kotobuki 41KAI engine (which had roughly the same power), a design designated as model 34.

The A5M's armament consisted of two fuselage-mounted synchronous 7.7mm Nippon-Seikosho type 89 model 2 (Vickers ""class E"") machine guns with 500 rounds of ammunition each. Two 30-kg type 97 bombs could be carried under the wings. Under the fuselage, an additional 160-liter fuel tank could be carried. Later, this fuel tank was increased in size to 210 liters.

The A5M fighter saw action over China from September 1937 to September 1941. It was also active early on in the war in the Pacific, used for some time to defend Japan and the Marshall Islands. Afterwards, it was used for training missions and flight school. In 1945, the remaining A5M fighters were used for kamikaze missions.

Overall, the A5M met the contemporary requirements for a fighter. It was stable and maneuverable and was easy to control. However, the fighter's construction did not easily allow for upgrades, and it quickly became obsolete. Its armament was poor, its armor non-existent, its fuel tanks not self-sealing, and its wings overly weak.

Production of the A5M ceased in 1941. A total of 1,095 A5M fighters (of all variants) were produced.

Media

Skin and Camouflages for the A5M4 in Warthunder Live.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

[Wikipedia] Mitsubishi A5M