Mitsubishi A6M Zero RC Plane

Wingspan: 1100mm (43")
Length:830mm
Wing area: 19,28 dm²
Flying Weight: 389 g (foam density 28-30kg/m³ )
Wing loading: 20,2 g/dm²
Materials: XPS extruded polystyrene foam (Depron, Styrofoam etc.) 5mm frame and ribs, 3mm - skin, balsa longerons 4x4, 3x3mm, PLA-LW for "plywood" parts, UHU Por glue
Motor: SunnySky X2305 KV1450 (25g),
Propeller: 1047 (8g);
ESC: SunnySky X 18A (9g),
Servos:EMAX ES9052MD (5,5g) (5,5g x 6)
LiHV battery: 850mAh 2S 7.6V (36g); 650 mAh 2S 7.6V (34g);1100mah 2S 7.6V (46 g)
Stainless Steel Spring Wire 2 mm
Wheels 50mm (2")
Tail wheel 19mm
Neodymium magnets 3x5mm
Horizontal stabilizer carbon tube 500x3x2mm
Carbon control rods: 500x2x1mm
Wing plastic screws M4x40
Nylon screws: 2x4, 2x8 mm
Steel screws: M2.5x8(countersink), M2x8, M2x6 mm for 3D printed retracts (video)

3D printed parts: Nose cap, spinner, wheel compartments - eSun PLA-LW; retracts, elevator halves connectors, canopy frame - PolyMax PLA; others - Polymaker PLA-LW wood and black color). 3MF files with all settings (Prusa Slicer)

Laser cut files

Download PDF, STL, 3MF and DXF files (€8)
Download free example

Foam parts PDF for paper print (A3 297×420mm, 8 pades)

Mitsubishi A6M Zero history

The legend of this Japanese fighter plane was born during the fighting in China in September 1940 and lasted until mid-1942. The myth of invincibility "Zero" was finally debunked in 1943 with the introduction by the Americans of the new F4U "Corsair" and F6F "Hellcat" fighters "In 1944, a 250 kg A6M bomb was used in the suicide attacks of the" Kamikaze ".

The A6M2 “Zero” model presented in this issue shows the 201 Kokutai aircraft piloted by Cpt. Yukio Seki. This plane was used on October 25, 1944 for the first suicide attack by the "Kamikaze".

The on-board A6M "Zero" fighter is one of the most famous Japanese aircraft of the Second World War. It owes its fame to its excellent performance and modern design, which, combined with no less perfect qualifications of the pilots, allowed the Japanese aviation to achieve numerous successes in the first half of the Pacific War.

In 1936, the production of an on-board Mitsubishi A5M ("Claude") low-wing, low-wing fighter was launched in Japan. However, a year later, the command of the Imperial Navy specified the design assumptions for a completely new fighter plane. The requirements for the new machine were very high, but meeting them guaranteed the receipt of a versatile, modern and in many respects superior to other foreign designs of this type. The design was developed by the construction team led by Eng. Jiro Horikoshi of Mitsubishi Aviation Works. The first prototype of the aircraft (A6M1) was assembled at the beginning of 1939. After making the necessary corrections, serial production was launched under the designation A6M2 Model 11. Officially, the fighter was adopted by the Imperial Navy as Type 0 (hence the informal name of the machine - "Zero").

The new planes were characterized by a modern design, high performance and strong armament. Their combat value was soon to be assessed by the pilots who received the A6M2 planes in July 1940.
Already in August 1940, the first A6M2 fighters appeared at the front in China. The first fight involving the A6M took place on September 13 over a Chinese airport near Chungking. Thirteen A6M2 aircraft attacked then 30 aircraft types I-152, I-153 and I-16. shooting down 27 of them in just a few minutes with no losses of their own. The balance of air combat in China (until mid-1941) with the A6M2 was impressive.

103 enemy planes were shot down and 163 destroyed on the ground with losses of only 3 machines shot down by anti-aircraft artillery. This is how the legend of the "Zero" fighter was born, on December 7, 1941, when the war between Japan and the USA broke out, the A6M2 was the basic fighter for the Japanese Navy. Zero's series of victories was only interrupted in mid-1942, when the Imperial fleet lost four of its large aircraft carriers in the Battle of Midway. F6F "Hellcat" and F4U "Corsair" fighters. Nevertheless, the fighter was constantly improved and remained in service until the end of the war. In 1944, older models of the fighter were used for suicide attacks "Kamikaze", equipping the aircraft with an under-fuselage beam with 250 hanging from it - a kilogram bomb.

The A6M2 "Zero" was a single-seat, freestanding, all-metal low-wing fighter. Double-spar flap with a trapezoidal cut with rounded tips. The ends of the airfoil can be folded for storage. Ailerons and rudders with a metal structure covered with linen. Single-leg main landing gear. amortized, hydraulically retractable. Cushioned tail wheel, retracted in flight to the fuselage. The power unit was one 14-cylinder Nakajima Sakae 12 engine with a take-off power of 940 HP.

The armament consisted of two 20mm cannons in the wings and two 7.7mm machine guns mounted in the upper part of the fuselage. The plane could also carry two 60 kg bombs on under-wing locks. Machines designed for suicide attacks "Kamikaze" were additionally equipped with an under-fuselage beam to which it was possible to hang an aerial bomb weighing 250 kg.

Basic Specifications of A6M2 Model 21:
Span -12.00 m
Length - 9.05 m
Height - 3.52 m
Bearing area - 22.44 m²
Own weight (take-off) - 1745 (2421) kg
Gross weight - 2757 kg
Top speed - 533 km / h
Service ceiling -10300 m
Range -3105 km

Mitsubishi A6M Zero plans

The Mitsubishi A6M, called “Zero”, “Zeke” and “Hamp” by the Allies, was one of the major technological surprises sprung by the Japanese in WWII. Because they had long been contemptuously regarded as being capable only of copying foreign airplane designs, their highly original, carrier-based fighter was startling.

The designation “Zero" came from the Japanese Navy practice of designating airplane types by the last two digits of the Japanese Dynastic calendar. The Japanese year 2600 matched our calendar year 1940, so “00,” was shortened to “Type 0” for the A6M, which was named “Raiden.” The naval model designation of “A6M” reflected the sixth А-model built by Mitsubishi (M). The sub-designation for the A6M-1 was Model 11, while the A6M-2 became Model 21, and the A6M-3 became Model 32, etc. The Allies also referred to it broadly as “The Zero,” but when code names were applied to Japanese military aircraft, the standard models were called “Zeke,” and the short-wing Model 32 was called “Hamp.”

The prototype, which was powered by a 780hp Mitsubishi Zuisei engine, flew April 1,1939. and was quickly ordered into production as Type 0 fighter Model 11. It entered combat in China in July 1940. Allied Intelligence reported on its capabilities, but the warnings were disregarded, which caused later regrets.

For two years, the Zero was superior to any plane it fought. It was fast and highly maneuverable and, thanks to its auxiliary fuel tanks, it had long range. Its shortcomings included a lack of armor protection for the pilot, a light structure and fuel tanks that weren’t self-sealing. The Zero was also highly vulnerable to the .50-caliber guns of U.S. fighters—when they were able to hit it.
Its initial armament was two 7.7mm machine guns in the nose and two 20mm cannon in the wings. Armament varied during production to a maximum of a single 13.2mm gun in the nose, two more in the wings, plus the two cannon. Its bomb load ranged from two 132-pound bombs to a single 1,102-pounder, or up to eight 22-pounders. Late -6 and -8 versions could also be fitted with rockets.

Although it was obsolete by mid-1943, when new Allied fighters opposed it, the Zero remained in production until the end of the war, with 3,879 built by Mitsubishi and 6,570 built under license by Nakajima, for a total of 10,449.

Most Zeroes—Models 11, 21,52 and 64 (AM6-1,-2,-5 and -8)—had wingspans of 12 meters (39 feet, 4 inches), but Model 32 (A6M-3) had its span shortened by 1 meter to 36 feet. Other data for Zero Model 52 (A6M-5): powerplant: 1,130hp Nakajima Sakae 21; wing area: 229.27 square feet; empty weight: 4,136 pounds; gross weight: 6,025 pounds; high speed: 351 mph at 19,685 feet.

No, the Luftwaffe didn't use Zeroes. This A6M-2 Zeke 21, photographed in China just after the war, carries the green cross on a white marking used by some of the Japanese airplanes that were allowed Io continue Hying during the surrender negotiations. Note that a souvenir hunter has cut the unit marking off the rudder.