GregP
Major
They built three A6M1s, 1500 A6M2s, 721 A6M3s, two A6M 4s, 4934 A6M5s, 2961 A6M6s, and 164 each A6M7 and A6M8. That totals 10,449 A6Ms.
I don't think you can get 60 A6M1s from that production run. More likely A6M2s.
Cheers.
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To clarify:
There are 60 A6Ms manufactured prior to October 1940?
These are A6M1s?
A6M1s and A6M2s don't have the upgrades that allow for better control at higher speeds?
How many of these have made it to units by October?
If Germany is to use them for teh BoB, do Japan give up theirs, or does Germany start manufacturing them under licence?
if Germany is manufacturing them, would they appear before the Fw 190A?
Apart from armour or self-sealing tanks, is there any equipment that the A6M lacked that would be required to work with the Luftwaffe?
The speed a Zero stiffens up gets less and less with each telling. I've read as high as 320 mph from actual reports and 300 mph was the official figure I've always seen. Also it was ONLY the ailerons that stiffened up, a Zero has good elevators at any speed. How exactly is a Hurricane with a top speed of 315-330 fresh off the factory floor supposed to MAINTAIN 300+ mph in a fight after being in combat for a while? A Zero could do a loop from cruise speed and GAIN altitude. A Hurricane can't outrun it, can't out climb it, can't out turn it, has much slower acceleration and can't out dive it before a Zero can get in a good burst. Once they are at the merge a Hurricane has 0 cards to play. The Hurricane is tough? They said during the Battle of Britain you could tell the Hurricane pilots from the Spitfire pilots in the hospital because the Hurricane pilots were all burned to a crisp. They had a plate of armor behind the seat, so you better hope that Zero doesn't fire at you unless he's directly behind. All those Brewster Buffalos at Midway had armor and self sealing tanks, they went down in flames just the same.The Hurricane gets a big advantage in toughness, and any high speed ( over 250 mph) maneuvers. These two are close enough that the winner is who ever has the tactical advantage. In the combats between the two that I have read and analyzed, it seems that the winner is who ever has the altitude advantage. Keep in mind that in the combats in the PacificTheater ,between the two types, the Zero had an average numerical advantage of almost 4 to 1.
I am not 100% behind this comment. If correct, I would add the caveat being, Spitfires/ME109s would butcher the Zeros, as long as good team tactics were practiced. It was just two short years later, when RAF Spitfire pilots ignored US Marine ace Joe Foss's (Wildcat/Corsair Ace and Medal of Honor winner for actions with the Cactus Airforce at Guadalcanal and future Senator) advice regarding team tactics and avoiding low speed one-on-one dogfights against the Zero fighters resulting in devastating losses through early 1943 until a changing of tactics started to balance the score.Not a chance, A6M2's flying into English or German controlled airspace in 1940 would be butchered, Spitfires and Me109's are not only significantly faster but armored with good pilot protection, one thing also forgotten is they have working radio's.
In 1940 Zero's would be flying into the best coordinated air defense systems in the world with both the Spit and 109 at their best, neither the Luftwaffe in 1940 or the RAF in 1941 could crack the other side, thinking the A6M will do any better is folly.I am not 100% behind this comment. If correct, I would add the caveat being, Spitfires/ME109s would butcher the Zeros, as long as good team tactics were practiced. It was just two short years later, when RAF Spitfire pilots ignored US Marine ace Joe Foss's (Wildcat/Corsair Ace and Medal of Honor winner for actions with the Cactus Airforce at Guadalcanal and future Senator) advice regarding team tactics and avoiding low speed one-on-one dogfights against the Zero fighters resulting in devastating losses through early 1943 until a changing of tactics started to balance the score.
The speed a Zero stiffens up gets less and less with each telling. I've read as high as 320 mph from actual reports and 300 mph was the official figure I've always seen. Also it was ONLY the ailerons that stiffened up, a Zero has good elevators at any speed. How exactly is a Hurricane with a top speed of 315-330 fresh off the factory floor supposed to MAINTAIN 300+ mph in a fight after being in combat for a while? A Zero could do a loop from cruise speed and GAIN altitude. A Hurricane can't outrun it, can't out climb it, can't out turn it, has much slower acceleration and can't out dive it before a Zero can get in a good burst. Once they are at the merge a Hurricane has 0 cards to play. The Hurricane is tough? They said during the Battle of Britain you could tell the Hurricane pilots from the Spitfire pilots in the hospital because the Hurricane pilots were all burned to a crisp. They had a plate of armor behind the seat, so you better hope that Zero doesn't fire at you unless he's directly behind. All those Brewster Buffalos at Midway had armor and self sealing tanks, they went down in flames just the same.
Are the cows imperial or metric?
Probably because they were to Whitworth standards.Doesn't matter...they're mad.
Now that is what you call an original concept - might even catch on.Actually, we are comparing IJN A6M2 11s of 1940 vintage to their foreign counterparts. Not German flown or licensed, but the actual planes.
Actually, we are comparing IJN A6M2 11s of 1940 vintage to their foreign counterparts. Not German flown or licensed, but the actual planes.
They are the taller ones aren't they - the ones shorter ones are the Metrognomes ?Think of it as the Metrons beaming the top fighters of the period to an earthlike planet to determine who deserves to win the war.
In that case all we have is the combat reports of the 12 or so A6M2s used over China in a combat test by one would assume very good pilots against not so good pilots flying mostly biplanes and Russian I-16s.Actually, we are comparing IJN A6M2 11s of 1940 vintage to their foreign counterparts. Not German flown or licensed, but the actual planes.
HiActually, we are comparing IJN A6M2 11s of 1940 vintage to their foreign counterparts. Not German flown or licensed, but the actual planes.
I am not suggesting the Zero would break through on it's own, merely suggesting that the same overconfidence present in 1943 may make an appearance in 1940 resulting in a deviation from normal practice and loss of lives and planes.In 1940 Zero's would be flying into the best coordinated air defense systems in the world with both the Spit and 109 at their best, neither the Luftwaffe in 1940 or the RAF in 1941 could crack the other side, thinking the A6M will do any better is folly.
"The best coordinated air defense system in the world"In 1940 Zero's would be flying into the best coordinated air defense systems in the world with both the Spit and 109 at their best, neither the Luftwaffe in 1940 or the RAF in 1941 could crack the other side, thinking the A6M will do any better is folly.
"The best coordinated air defense system in the world"
It was a radar and a telephone. Radar gave them current position, speed and direction they were headed so hopefully Spitfires and Hurricanes could get to the proper altitude in time. They didn't always make it. It wasn't the Death Star.