A6M2 mod. 11

A6M2 mod. 11

N1K1

A6M2

A6M2 mod. 11

N1K1

A6M2

Japan

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	3.7	3.3

Class:

Fighter

Research:9 200

Purchase:16 000

Show in game

This page is about the aircraft A6M2 mod. 11. For other uses, see A6M (Disambiguation)

Description

The A6M2 mod. 11 is a Rank II Japanese fighter with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/SB) and 3.7 (RB). It was introduced in Update 1.39.

The "Zero" is almost the ideal dog-fighter. Very good turn times and 2 x 20 mm cannons make this aircraft a frightful foe. Use your superior turn time and better overall maneuverability to get on the tail of the enemy. Be mindful of the low ammo count. Historically, as well as in the game, the A6M series was stripped of all armor to lighten the aircraft (achieving it's amazing maneuverability). This means that your pilot is easily sniped and your fuel tanks, which are not protected, catch on fire very easily.

Although this aircraft can carry bombs, it makes you an easy target and is really not worth the added weight in realistic or simulator battles. It is slower compared to most of the opposition, thus be mindful of what is around you.

Landing and runway maneuverability is good, but with no tail hook you can find your self careening off the end of carriers. Landing on a carrier with this land-based version requires a careful hand. With an approach speed of 120 kph (90 mph), landing flaps and gear down approach a moving carrier from behind. When setting down on the flight deck immediately pull up the flaps, push the brake and pull up with the elevator (past the stall speed of 90 kph/60 mph).

General info

Encyclopedia Info

At its launch, the A6M2 model 11 knew no equal.

This single-seater carrier-based fighter was designed to replace the aging A5M. To reduce its weight, duralumin was widely used, and its propeller was made of a lightweight aluminum alloy. The A6M2 did not have high survivability due to its lack of armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, but in the first half of World War II, it had a considerable advantage in maneuverability and speed when compared to the Allies (which had nothing to oppose the Zero until the arrival of aircraft such as the F4U and F6F).

The first prototype of this series, the A6M1, first flew on April 1, 1939. During the test, a more powerful engine was proposed, and the Mitsubishi Zuisei 13 (780 hp) was replaced with the Nakajima Sakae 12 (940 hp). After a successful test flight, the new engine was adopted for serial production and the plane was designated the A6M2 Model 11. Its main drawback was that it could not be used on aircraft carriers due to its large wingspan, which was not designed for carrier-based operations. To circumvent this limitation, the A6M2 model 21 was designed with folding 500 mm wing panels.

The Zero had no equal in the sky until the end of 1942, and even when it was finally made obsolete, its production continued until the end of the war, making it the most popular fighter in Japan. Like many other Japanese aircraft, the Zero was used in the last months of the war to attack bombers.

A total of 740 A6M2 model 21s were built in Mitsubishi plants; 326 were built in Nakajima plants.

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 4,400 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
487	476	10300	17.9	18.2	10.1	10.1	175
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 4,400 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
532	510	10300	16.7	17.0	20.9	13.3	175

Details

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

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
0	310	510	~18	~10

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 310	< 420	< 410	> 220

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
3,360 m	935 hp	1,055 hp

Survivability and armour

• No armour plating
• No armour glazing
• Critical components located at front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
• More fuel tanks located in wings near fuselage

Armaments

Offensive armament

The A6M2 mod. 11 is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannons, wing-mounted (60 rpg = 120 total)
• 2 x 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns, nose-mounted (680 rpg = 1,360 total)

Suspended armament

      Main article: Bombs

The A6M2 mod. 11 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 ground bombs (120 kg total)

Usage in the battles

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not ontrollable	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

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Aside from Biplanes (and the Ki-27), has the best turn time and maneuverability
• Low stall speed
• Powerful cannons
• Small target
• Air spawn on sea maps

Cons:

• Moderately slow
• No armour or pilot protection (just the metal shell)
• A lot of bars in the cockpit
• No tail hook. Later A6Ms fix this
• Not very good in dives
• Guns easily over heat
• Fires extremely likely. Most common vehicle destruction is from being set alight and burning down
• Low cannon ammunition count

History

The A6M2 mod. 11 was the third prototype to be built. It was powered by a 950 hp Nakajima Sakae engine. Production started in 1939 and a total of 64 were built. These aircraft did see combat in China.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read 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.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• page on aircraft encyclopedia;
• other literature.