Mitsubishi A5M
| Mitsubishi A5M | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Carrier fighter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
February 4, 1934 |
| Number of pieces: |
|
The Mitsubishi A5M ( Jap. 九六式艦上戦闘機 , kyūjū-roku-shiki kanjo sentōki , dt "Type 96 carrier-based fighter", Allied Code Name:. Claude) was a fighter from Mitsubishi . The A5M was the first monoplane - carrier based fighter of the Japanese Imperial Navy air forces . 96 stands for 2596 (1936) - the year ( kōki ) of the introduction in the Japanese calendar.
Development and use
The type was used from September 1937 against China ( Japanese-Chinese War ) and later against the USA after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in early December 1941.
The first flight under the designation Ka-14 took place on February 4, 1934. Mitsubishi produced 788 machines, plus 303 machines from Watanabe and 264 units from the Omura naval aircraft yard .
The A5M was a remarkable aircraft: the required specification of 350 km / h airspeed was hardly achievable for the Japanese aircraft industry, which was in its infancy. During the testing phase, the machine surprisingly even managed 450 km / h.
The versions: The first series machines A5M1 (96 pieces) had air-cooled nine-cylinder radial engines of the type Nakajima Kotobuki 2 KAI 2 (licensed construction of the Bristol Jupiter ) with 430 kW (585 PS ) power. The successor version A5M2a was largely similar, but better motorized with 610 HP engines. The A5M2b with the Kotobuki 2 KAI 3 (640 HP) engine was Japan's most important naval fighter in the Sino-Japanese War. The last version was the A5M4 with Kotobuki 41 engines and 523 kW (710 hp). These were also used against the US machines in the Pacific War , but were relegated to the second row in 1942 due to their low potential.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 7.57 m |
| span | 11.00 m |
| Wing area | 17.8 m² |
| height | 3.20 m |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1705 kg |
| drive | an air-cooled nine- cylinder radial engine Kotobuki 41 with 710 PS (522 kW) or a Kotobuki-41-Kai with 785 PS (577 kW) |
| Top speed | 440 km / h at an altitude of 3000 m |
| Max. Range | 1200 km |
| Service ceiling | 9800 m |
| Armament | two 7.7 mm machine guns and up to two 30 kg bombs |
See also
literature
- Olaf Groehler : History of the Air War 1910 to 1980. Military publishing house of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1981.
