The Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero (ICAO: ZERO / WAKE: LIGHT) is a single-seat vintage fighter aircraft. Created in Second Life by HaruMotors, the plane is a replica of the real-life A6M Zero, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945.
Background
The real-life A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter (零式艦上戦闘機 rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the "Reisen" (zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the Imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the use of the name "Zero" was later commonly adopted by the Allies as well.
When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range.[1] In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dogfighter,[2] achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1,[3] but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms.[4]Although the A6M was outdated by 1944, design delays and production difficulties of newer Japanese aircraft types meant that it continued to serve in a front line role until the end of the war. During the course of the war, Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft.[5]
Features
- Pilot's text-based heads-up display (HUD) attachment with:
- sea level altitude, ground level altitude, speed (km/h), and sim name.
- Exterior lighting (navigation lights).
- Animated components (folding wing tips, flaps, ailerons, rudder, elevators, landing gear, propeller, and canopy).
- Permission modes: Owner, Group or Everyone.
Images
.png "Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero (HaruMotors).png (777 KB)")
See also
- Mitsubishi A6M Zero (THI)
References
- ↑ Hawks, Chuck. "The Best Fighter Planes of World War II". chuckhawks.com. Retrieved: 18 January 2007.
- ↑ Young, Edward M. (2013). F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen. Osprey Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 9781780963228. p. 36.
- ↑ Thompson, J. Steve with Peter C. Smith. Air Combat Manoeuvres: The Technique and History of Air Fighting for Flight Simulation. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-903223-98-7., p. 231.
- ↑ Mersky, Peter B. (Cmdr. USNR). "Time of the Aces: Marine Pilots in the Solomons, 1942–1944." ibiblio.org. Retrieved: 18 January 2007.
- ↑ Angelucci, Enzo and Peter M. Bowers. The American Fighter. Sparkford, UK: Haynes Publishing, 1987. ISBN 0-85429-635-2., p. 138.