Clayton Magnet
Staff Sergeant
- 853
- Feb 16, 2013
The Berezin B-20 was probably the lightest 20mm cannon to see service in WWII, but it didn't appear until 1944.
It was an impressive gun, and a shame it didn't get into action earlier.
KI-43 ?
- Thread starter VA5124
- Start date
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It was an impressive gun, and a shame it didn't get into action earlier.
Hi
A Mitsubishi Navy S-97 was being 'identified', which appears that it was in reality an 'OSCAR', from December 1942:
From a February 1943 publication:
OSCAR appears in an April 1944 publication:
And also in TM-E 30-480 of 1 October 1944:
Others may have other material to add.
Mike
- Thread starter
- #243
No but he wont stop there
Dcazz7606
Airman
The Ki-43 was about 800lbs. lighter than the zero. A cannon probably would shake it apart
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Intrically folded which provided unbelievable strength.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The KI-43 was at least 500 pounds heavier than the A6M.
And I don't recall hearing anything about a Zero coming apart when it fired it's cannon...
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Mitsubishi is the master of origami.
Mitsubishi wasn't interested in sharing Horikoshi with Nakajima. He was origami master.
Well written cousin!
Welcome back! Long time no see.
Hi
A lot was shared by Mitsubishi with Nakajima as the latter company also built 'Zeros', at least according to Jiro Horikoshi in his book 'Eagles of Mitsubishi, The Story of the Zero Fighter', page 101 last paragraph:
Mike
I have the book. Issuing a manufacturing license is not the same as offering up your chief designer. I don't have to tell you that, it's obvious. The comment was tongue in cheek.
MiTasol
2nd Lieutenant
And every companies chief designer believes they are one of, if not, the best and ignores much of what the licence could teach them.
GregP
Major
Nakajima built more Type Zero fighters than Mitsubishi did.
Mitsubishi built 4,002.
Nakajima built 6,867.
Hitachi built 272.
Sasebo built 236.
A6M5 came in A6M5a (Kou - belt-feed, not drum-feed, cannons), A6M5b (Otsu - armored windscreen, fuel tank fire extinguishers1 x 7.7 mm and 1 x 13.2 mm cowl MG), and A6M5c (Hei - more armor on windscreen and pilot's seat, 3 x 13.2 mm MG + 2 * 20 mm cannons) models. A6M5 total is 5,703.
Total of 11,377 includes wheeled and A6M2-N Rufe seaplanes, A6M1 through A6M8. Total of A6M7 (490) and A6M8 (2) is 492.
Mitsubishi built 4,002.
Nakajima built 6,867.
Hitachi built 272.
Sasebo built 236.
A6M5 came in A6M5a (Kou - belt-feed, not drum-feed, cannons), A6M5b (Otsu - armored windscreen, fuel tank fire extinguishers1 x 7.7 mm and 1 x 13.2 mm cowl MG), and A6M5c (Hei - more armor on windscreen and pilot's seat, 3 x 13.2 mm MG + 2 * 20 mm cannons) models. A6M5 total is 5,703.
Total of 11,377 includes wheeled and A6M2-N Rufe seaplanes, A6M1 through A6M8. Total of A6M7 (490) and A6M8 (2) is 492.
Escuadrilla Azul
Staff Sergeant
- 1,485
- Feb 27, 2020
It's interesting that japanese WW2 airplanes are regarded as flimsy (Well, like evry Japanese fighter it was made out of rice paper...
nuuumannn
I know not by you) when it seems that they could withstand more damage than they are credited (not saying that they were inmune or rugger than Allied aircraft).This quote is from the Osprey book Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific.
Flight Lieutenant 'Witt' Wittridge tells Andrew Thomas:
'Letting the speed fall back to near the stall whilst still about 2000 ft above him, I dropped down with a rush at low speed, turned well inside the Jap, fired my weapons and then banged on full throttle so as to re-establish my speed advantage. Moments later the "Oscar II" hit a hillside ten miles from Palel.
'We had a look at the wreck on the ground with some Gurkhas — it was riddled with holes, and it was a wonder that it stayed up as long as it did.'
It's knee-jerk reaction to the Zero and Japanese policy in general by a particular segment of society who shall remain nameless for political reasons. Picking holes without context reveals nothing but insecurity.
MiTasol
2nd Lieutenant
It goes back to the war when all the allied aircrew were told that the Japanese were myopic and their aircraft flimsy etc.
In fact many of the skins on the A6M series are no lighter than the skins on most of the Spitfire. Due to a different type of construction the Spitfire has very heavy wing leading edge skins and the fuel tank cover is also heavy because it is frameless.
EDIT I worked on a couple of Ki-43s and they did not strike me as flimsy but I do not know how thick the skins and structure are as I had no need to know.
In fact many of the skins on the A6M series are no lighter than the skins on most of the Spitfire. Due to a different type of construction the Spitfire has very heavy wing leading edge skins and the fuel tank cover is also heavy because it is frameless.
EDIT I worked on a couple of Ki-43s and they did not strike me as flimsy but I do not know how thick the skins and structure are as I had no need to know.
Last edited:
Just Schmidt
Senior Airman
It,s not the Ki-43, but Drachinifel,s latest wednesday video is interesting in this context:It's interesting that japanese WW2 airplanes are regarded as flimsy (
The air attacks themselves begins around 40:40. While no detailed information on the heavily damaged aircraft is given, it is at least clear that very early pacific war G4Ms - and G3Ms - did not always light up or disintegrate at the first hit from AAA fire.
