A6M5 Ko

A6M5 Ko

A6M5 Ko

Japan

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.0	5.3	4.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Naval aircraft

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

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This page is about the Japanese gift fighter A6M5 Ko. For other uses, see A6M (Family).

Description

The A6M5 Ko Reisen is a gift rank IV Japanese fighter with a battle rating of 5.0 (AB), 5.3 (RB), and 4.7 (SB). It 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.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
521	503	10900	16.6	17.2	13.4	13.4	190
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
563	540	10900	15.8	16.0	21.4	16.9	190

Details

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

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		420	~14	~6

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 280	< 420	< 410	> 336

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,500 m	1,095 hp	1,226 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
5,000 m	965 hp	1,081 hp

Survivability and armour

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The A6M5 Ko is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 navy cannons, wing-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total)
• 2 x 7.7 mm Type 97 navy machine guns, nose-mounted (700 rpg = 1,400 total)

Suspended armament

The A6M5 Ko can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 bombs (120 kg total)
• 1 x 250 kg Navy Type Number 25 Model 2 bomb (250 kg total)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 7 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs	9 in (mod30)
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 20 mm
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 20 mm cannons	12 in (mod30)

As a premium aircraft, the A6M5 Ko comes with all modules unlocked.

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

Cons:

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

Mitsubishi Type 0 Model 52 "Kou" (A6M5 Model 52a, reporting names: Zeke/Hamp/Zero) single-engine carrier-based fighter

In the middle of 1942, the Allies in the Pacific Ocean Theatre took the offensive, while the Japanese were more and more often on the defensive. In 1943, new types of high-speed fighters entered service with the USAAF and the USNAF, and they outperformed the Zeros in many respects. Low survivability, the main disadvantage of the Japanese aircraft, was made clear in the fierce air duels between the planes. The fighter's flight characteristics also required some improvement, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries designers began to upgrade the A6M again in August 1943.

The Zero received a smaller-area wing (with a span of only 11 m) with rounded tips. The wing folding mechanism was removed. To increase the plane's allowable diving speed, its wing surface skin was reinforced.

Since more powerful engines were not yet available, the designers had to make the most of a Nakajima Sakae 21 engine. Every pair of cylinders was given an individual exhaust pipe instead of a common heavy exhaust manifold. This added exhaust gas thrust to the propeller thrust, which resulted in a higher aircraft speed. The fuselage skin had to be reinforced with steel sheets in the area of the pipes, since the hot exhaust gases quickly burned through thin duralumin.

The new version of the aircraft was designated Model 52 (A6M5 Model 52). The plane became slightly heavier, but its maximum speed at a height of 6,000 m reached 565 km/h. This was the speed limit for the Zero, since all further modifications made to the machine only increased its weight and, consequently, reduced its maximum speed.

The next stage in upgrading the Zero was the Model 52 "Kou" (A6M5a Model 52a). This improvement significantly reinforced the plane's armament by replacing the wing-mounted Type 99-2 Model 3 drum-fed cannons (with 100 rounds each) with Type 99-2 Model 4 belt-fed cannons (with 125 rounds). This added 25 rounds per cannon and slightly improved the plane's rate of fire. Now the fighter's armament consisted of two synchronous 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns with 500 rounds each plus two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99-2 Model 4 cannons with 125 rounds each.

The A6M5a fighter could carry bombs: two 60 kg (132 lb) bombs suspended under the wing and one weighing 250 kg (551 kb) under the fuselage.

In addition, the A6M5a's wing structure was reinforced yet again, which resulted in a maximum allowable diving speed of 740 km/h. However, this was still inferior to the diving speed of the American F4U fighter.

Mass production of the A6M5a variant began in March 1944. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries manufactured 391 machines. An additional unknown quantity of this variant was built by Nakajima Aircraft.

Media

Skin and Camouflages for the A6M5 Ko in War Thunder 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] A6M5 Type 0 Model 52