Mitsubishi A6M Zero#Name

The Mitsubishi A5M fighter was just entering service in early 1937, when the Imperial Japanese Navy started looking for its eventual replacement. On 5 October 1937, it issued "Planning Requirements for the Prototype 12-shi Carrier-based Fighter", sending them to Nakajima and Mitsubishi. Both firms started preliminary design work while awaiting more definitive requirements a few months later.{{Cite book|title=F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-Sen: Pacific Theater 1942|last=Young|first=Edward M.|publisher=Osprey|year=2013|isbn=978-1-78096-322-8|location=Oxford, Great Britain|pages=18}}

Based on the experiences of the A5M in China, the IJN sent out updated requirements in October, calling for a speed of {{convert|270|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4000|m|ft|abbr=on}} and a climb to {{convert|3000|m|abbr=on}} in 9.5 minutes. With drop tanks, the IJN wanted an endurance of two hours at normal power, or six to eight hours at economical cruising speed. Armament was to consist of two 20 mm cannons, two 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns and two {{convert|60|kg|lb|abbr=on}} bombs. A complete radio set was to be mounted in all aircraft, along with a radio direction finder for long-range navigation.Francillon 1970, pp. 363–364. The maneuverability was to be at least equal to that of the A5M, while the wingspan had to be less than {{cvt|12|m|abbr=on}} to allow for use on aircraft carriers.

Nakajima's team considered the new requirements unachievable and pulled out of the competition in January. Mitsubishi's chief designer, Jiro Horikoshi, thought that the requirements could be met, but only if the aircraft were made as light as possible. Every possible weight-saving measure was incorporated into the design. Most of the aircraft was built of a new top-secret aluminium alloy developed by Sumitomo Metal Industries in 1936. Called "extra super duralumin", it was lighter, stronger and more ductile than other alloys used at the time but was prone to corrosive attack, which made it brittle.Yoshio, Baba.[https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jilm1951/39/5/39_5_378/_article/cited-by "Extra super duralumin and successive aluminum alloys for aircraft."] Journal of Japan Institute of Light Metals (Sumitomo Light Metal Ind. Ltd., Japan), Volume 39, Issue 5, pp. 378–395. Retrieved: 22 November 2015. This detrimental effect was countered with a zinc chromate anti-corrosion coating applied after fabrication. No armour protection was provided for the pilot, engine or other critical points of the aircraft, and self-sealing fuel tanks, which were becoming common among other combatants, were not used. This made the Zero lighter, more maneuverable, and one of the longest-ranged single-engine fighters of World War II, which made it capable of searching out an enemy hundreds of kilometres away, bringing it to battle, then returning to its base or aircraft carrier. However, that tradeoff in weight and construction also made it prone to catching fire and exploding when struck by enemy fire.Tillman 1979, pp. 5, 6, 96.

With its low-wing cantilever monoplane layout, retractable wide-set conventional landing gear, and enclosed cockpit, the Zero was one of the most modern carrier-based aircraft in the world at the time of its introduction. It had a fairly high-lift, low-speed wing with very low wing loading. Combined with its light weight, this resulted in a very low stalling speed of well below {{convert|60|kn|km/h mph|abbr=on}}. This was the main reason for its phenomenal maneuverability, allowing it to out-turn any Allied fighter of the time. Early models were fitted with servo tabs on the ailerons after pilots complained that control forces became too heavy at speeds above {{convert|300|km/h}}. They were discontinued on later models after it was found that the lightened control forces were allowing pilots to overstress the wings during vigorous maneuvers.Yoshimura 1996, p. 108.

{{see also|World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft}}

The A6M is usually known as the "Zero" from its Japanese Navy aircraft type designation, Type 0 carrier fighter (Rei shiki Kanjō sentōki, {{nihongo2|零式艦上戦闘機}}), taken from the last digit of the Imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service. In Japan, it was unofficially referred to as both Rei-sen and Zero-sen; Japanese pilots most commonly called it Zero-sen, where sen is the first syllable of sentōki, Japanese for "fighter plane".{{#tag:ref|Note: In Japanese service carrier fighter units were referred to as Kanjō sentōkitai. The Japanese "Zero" was one of the main aircraft(s)used in The attack on Pearl Harbor.|group=Note}}Parshall and Tully 2007, p. 79. In the official designation "A6M", the "A" signified a carrier-based fighter, "6" meant that it was the sixth such model built for the Imperial Navy, and "M" indicated Mitsubishi as the manufacturer.

The official Allied code name was "Zeke", in keeping with the practice of giving male names to Japanese fighters, female names to bombers, bird names to gliders, and tree names to trainers. "Zeke" was part of the first batch of "hillbilly" code names assigned by Captain Frank T. McCoy of Nashville, Tennessee (assigned to the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit at Eagle Farm Airport in Australia), who wanted quick, distinctive, easy-to-remember names. The Allied code for Japanese aircraft was introduced in 1942, and McCoy chose "Zeke" for the "Zero". Later, two variants of the fighter received their own code names. The Nakajima A6M2-N floatplane version of the Zero was called "Rufe", and the A6M3-32 variant was initially called "Hap". General "Hap" Arnold, commander of the United States Army Air Forces, objected to that name, however, so it was changed to "Hamp".

File:Zero Akagi Dec1941.jpg]]

File:A6M2 Cockpit.jpg during the attack on Pearl Harbor, killing the pilot.]]

File:A6M3 Munda 1943.jpg

File:Japanese Zero.jpg

File:A6M2 Zuikaku Rabaul.jpg preparing for a mission at Rabaul]]

File:A6M3 Model22 UI105 Nishizawa.jpg over the Solomon Islands, 1943]]

File:Mitsubishi-A6M-Zero-Peleliu-2016-Luka-Peternel.jpg jungle]]

The first Zeros (pre-series of 15 A6M2) went into operation with the 12th Rengo Kōkūtai in July 1940.Matricardi 2006, p. 88. On 13 September 1940, the Zeros scored their first air-to-air victories when 13 A6M2s led by Lieutenant Saburo Shindo, escorting 27 G3M "Nell" medium-heavy bombers on a raid of Chongqing, attacked 34 Soviet-built Polikarpov I-15s and I-16s of the Chinese Nationalist Air Force, claimed "all 27" of the Chinese fighters shot down without loss to themselves. However Major Louie Yim-qun had in fact nursed his I-15 riddled with 48 bullet holes back to base, and Lieutenant Gao Youxin claimed to have shot down one Zero, but at most 4 Zeroes sustained some damage in the 1/2 hour-long dogfight over Chongqing.{{Cite web|last=Gustavsson|first=Hakans|title=Chinese biplane fighter aces - 'Clifford' 'Long Legged' Louie Yim-Qun|url=http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/china_louie.htm|access-date=2020-12-03|website=Biplane Fighter Aces - China|quote=Without radios, they could not communicate with one another... Maj. Cheng Hsiao-Yu led the entire 22nd PS into battle... nine I-15bis from the 28th PS led by Maj. Louie Yim-Qun engaged the Zeros over Chungking... Japanese Zeroes with their high speed, amazing climbing ability, agility and firepower, totally dominated the fight. After half an hour’s battle most of the surviving Chinese planes were low on fuel... this battle was debut of the Zero fighter and the Chinese Air Force suffered its worst defeat... Maj. Louie Yim-Qun was one of the injured in the fight... landed his badly shot up I-15bis at Suining and counted 48 bullet holes on it. At least two pilots from 21st PS were killed... one more aircraft was hit, making a forced landing, the wounded pilot suffering a leg shot off, and later dying from loss of blood... of the pilots that survived... Hsu Hwa-Jiang who later in the war continued to fly with the CACW.}} By the time they were redeployed a year later, the Zeros had shot down 99 Chinese aircraftGlancey 2006, p. 170. (up to 266 according to other sources).

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, 521 Zeros were active in the Pacific, 328 in first-line units.Francillon 1979, p. 365. The carrier-borne Model 21 was the type encountered by the Americans. Its tremendous range of over {{convert|2600|km|mi}} allowed it to range farther from its carrier than expected, appearing over distant battlefronts and giving Allied commanders the impression that there were several times as many Zeros as actually existed.Gunston 1980, p. 162.

The Zero quickly gained a fearsome reputation. Thanks to a combination of unsurpassed maneuverability—compared to contemporary Axis fighters—and excellent firepower, it easily disposed of Allied aircraft sent against it in the Pacific in 1941.Young 2013, p. 5.Nijboer 2009, p. 4. It proved a difficult opponent even for the Supermarine Spitfire. "The RAF pilots were trained in methods that were excellent against German and Italian equipment but suicide against the acrobatic Japs", as Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault noted.Smith 2015, pp. 146–149. Although not as fast as the British fighter, the Zero could out-turn the Spitfire with ease, sustain a climb at a very steep angle, and stay in the air for three times as long.Spick 1997, p. 165.

Allied pilots soon developed tactics to cope with the Zero. Because of its extreme agility, engaging a Zero in a traditional turning dogfight was likely to be fatal.Spick 1983, p. 118. It was better to swoop down from above in a high-speed pass, fire a quick burst, then climb quickly back up to altitude. A short burst of fire from heavy machine guns or cannon was often enough to destroy the Zero, provided that some hits rupture the fuel tanks. These tactics were regularly employed by Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters during Guadalcanal defense through high-altitude ambush, which was possible with an early warning system consisting of coastwatchers and radar.Lundstrom 1994, pp. 266–270, Stille 2019, Kindle location 1233–1237. Such "boom-and-zoom" tactics were also successfully used in the China Burma India Theater by the "Flying Tigers" of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) against similarly maneuverable Japanese Army aircraft such as the Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" and Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar". AVG pilots were trained by their commander Claire Chennault to exploit the advantages of their P-40 Warhawks, which were very sturdy, heavily armed, generally faster in a dive, and level flight at low altitude, with a good rate of roll.Rossi, J. R. [http://www.flyingtigersavg.22web.net/tiger2.htm "Chuck Older's Tale: Hammerhead Stalls and Snap Rolls, Written in the mid-1980s"]. AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.

Another important maneuver was Lieutenant Commander John S. "Jimmy" Thach's "Thach Weave", in which two fighters would fly about {{convert|60|m|ft|abbr=on}} apart. If a Zero latched onto the tail of one of the fighters, the two aircraft would turn toward each other. If the Zero followed his original target through the turn, he would come into a position to be fired on by the target's wingman. This tactic was first used to good effect during the Battle of Midway and later over the Solomon Islands.

Many highly experienced Japanese aviators were lost in combat, resulting in a progressive decline in pilot quality, which became a significant factor in Allied successes. Unexpected heavy losses of pilots at the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway dealt the Japanese carrier air force a blow from which it never fully recovered.Holmes 2011, p. 314.Thruelsen 1976, pp. 173, 174.

File:Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter.ogv (1943), intended to help U.S. airmen quickly distinguish the Zero from friendly aircraft, with Ronald Reagan as pilot Saunders.]]

Throughout the Battle of Midway Allied pilots expressed a high level of dissatisfaction with the F4F Wildcat. Captain Elliott Buckmaster, commanding officer of {{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|6}} notes:

{{blockquote|The fighter pilots are very disappointed with the performance and length of sustained fire power of the F4F-4 airplanes. The Zero fighters could easily outmaneuver and out-climb the F4F-3, and the consensus of fighter pilot opinion is that the F4F-4 is even more sluggish and slow than the F4F-3. It is also felt that it was a mistake to put 6 guns on the F4F-4 and thus to reduce the rounds per gun. Many of our fighters ran out of ammunition even before the Jap dive bombers arrived over our forces; these were experienced pilots, not novices.{{cite web |title=Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet report, Serial 01849 of 28 June 1942: USS Yorktown (CV-5) Action Report |work= Action Reports: Battle of Midway |url= https://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives/digitized-collections/action-reports/wwii-battle-of-midway/uss-yorktown-action-report.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150608003912/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives/digitized-collections/action-reports/wwii-battle-of-midway/uss-yorktown-action-report.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 8 June 2015 |date=20 March 2018 |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=18 March 2019}}}} They were astounded by the Zero's superiority:Young 2013, pp. 6, 51, 82.

{{blockquote|In the Coral Sea, they made all their approaches from the rear or high side and did relatively little damage because of our armor. It also is desired to call attention to the fact that there was an absence of the fancy stunting during pull outs or approaches for attacks. In this battle, the Japs dove in, made the attack and then immediately pulled out, taking advantage of their superior climb and maneuverability. In attacking fighters, the Zeros usually attacked from above rear at high speed and recovered by climbing vertically until they lost some speed and then pulled on through to complete a small loop of high wing over which placed them out of reach and in position for another attack. By reversing the turn sharply after each attack the leader may get a shot at the enemy while he is climbing away or head on into a scissor if the Jap turns to meet it.}}

In contrast, Allied fighters were designed with ruggedness and pilot protection in mind. The Japanese ace Saburō Sakai described how the toughness of early Grumman aircraft was a factor in preventing the Zero from attaining total domination: {{blockquote|I had full confidence in my ability to destroy the Grumman and decided to finish off the enemy fighter with only my 7.7 mm machine guns. I turned the 20mm cannon switch to the 'off' position, and closed in. For some strange reason, even after I had poured about five or six hundred rounds of ammunition directly into the Grumman, the airplane did not fall, but kept on flying! I thought this very odd—it had never happened before—and closed the distance between the two airplanes until I could almost reach out and touch the Grumman. To my surprise, the Grumman's rudder and tail were torn to shreds, looking like an old torn piece of rag. With his plane in such condition, no wonder the pilot was unable to continue fighting! A Zero which had taken that many bullets would have been a ball of fire by now.[http://www.acepilots.com/planes/f4f_wildcat.html "Saburo Sakai: 'Zero{{'"}}]. Ace pilots. Retrieved: 13 October 2010.}}

When the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, armed with four "light barrel" AN/M2 .50 cal. Browning machine guns and one 20 mm autocannon, and the Grumman F6F Hellcat and Vought F4U Corsair, each with six AN/M2 .50 calibre Browning guns, appeared in the Pacific theater, the A6M, with its low-powered engine and lighter armament, was hard-pressed to remain competitive. In combat with an F6F or F4U, the only positive thing that could be said of the Zero at this stage of the war was that, in the hands of a skillful pilot, it could maneuver as well as most of its opponents. Nonetheless, in competent hands, the Zero could still be deadly, and New Guinea based Corsair, Lightning and Hellcat equipped air units could mostly only achieve parity with Rabaul and Lae based Zero units with experienced pilots, for example during a fighter sweep on January 5 of 1944 that was part of a protracted campaign to neutralize rabaul's air power, Corsairs and Lightnings engaged A6M2 and A6M3 fighters near Rabaul, two Lightnings and two Zeroes were shot down. In a major air raid conducted two days later against the Japanese radar station at Cape St. George by a large force of bombers and Hellcat escorts, strong opposition was met from Rabaul-based Zero units, and three Hellcats and four SBD dive bombers were shot down, the interception successfully protected the radar station. In a major raid against the Japanese base at Lakunai on January 14, a large number of light and medium bombers raided the air base and harbor while RZNAF Kittyhawks and a large number of Corsairs and Lightnings provided cover. In the ensuing air battle, the allied fighters sustained four losses, as well as three bombers shot down, while three Zero fighters were shot down.{{Cite book |last=Lardas |first=Mark |title=Rabaul 1943–44: Reducing Japan's great island fortress |publisher=Osprey |date=January 23, 2018 |isbn=978-1472822444}} Navy general staff at Rabaul conferred on the later months of 1943 on the topic of naval fighter aircraft, and broached the topic of providing bullet protection for the Zero fighter, as the strategic outlook for Japan switched to that of a defensive one the purely offensive specs of the Zero, such as its very long range, were no longer necessities. Navy staff still considered the Zero to be the best fighter at the theater, though conceded that the Corsair, with its great horizontal speed, was a match for their fighter.

Because of shortages of high-powered aviation engines and problems with planned successor models, namely the superior Mitsubishi A7M2 Reppū, the Zero remained in production until 1945, with over 10,000 of all variants produced.

The Japanese deployed the A6M during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Inevitably some aircraft were lost, with at least two falling more-or-less intact into Chinese hands. The first known example, an A6M2 (the 12th of the 15 pre-production aircraft, Serial V-110), fell near Fainan Island. On 18 September 1940 a team, including Western volunteers assisting the Chinese, examined the wreck. It was largely intact, and a detailed report was compiled and sent to the U.S. The second, an A6M2-21 (Serial V-173), made a forced landing near Tietsan airfield 17 February 1941. The pilot was shot before he could destroy his plane, the fuel system fixed, and it was taken into Chinese service. The plane was extensively flown and studied by a team which included Gerhard Neumann, and a detailed and illustrated report was sent to Washington. Overall they were impressed with the quality of the aircraft, less so by the performance—although this was later put down to using 85 octane fuel rather than the 100 octane required by the Sakae engine.{{Cite book |last=Gunston |first=Bill |title=Plane Speaking: a personal view of aviation history |publisher=Patrick Stephens Limited |year=1991 |isbn=1-85260-166-3 |location=Somerset, England |pages=131 |language=en}}

The American military discovered many of the A6M's unique attributes when they recovered a largely intact specimen of an A6M2, the Akutan Zero, on Akutan Island in the Aleutians. During an air raid over Dutch Harbor on 4 June 1942, one A6M fighter was hit by ground-based anti-aircraft fire. Losing oil, Flight Petty Officer Tadayoshi Koga attempted an emergency landing on Akutan Island, about {{convert|20|mi}} northeast of Dutch Harbor, but his Zero flipped over on soft ground in a sudden crash-landing. Koga died instantly of head injuries (his neck was broken by the tremendous impact), but his wingmen hoped he had survived and so went against Japanese doctrine to destroy disabled Zeros. The relatively undamaged fighter was found over a month later by an American salvage team and was shipped to Naval Air Station North Island, where testing flights of the repaired A6M revealed both strengths and deficiencies in design and performance.Wilcox 1942, p. 86.Jablonski 1979 {{Page needed|date=December 2015}}

The experts who evaluated the captured Zero found that the plane weighed about {{convert|2360|kg|lb|abbr=on}} fully loaded, some {{convert|1260|kg|lb|abbr=on}} lighter than the F4F Wildcat, the standard United States Navy fighter of the time. The A6M's airframe was "built like a fine watch"; the Zero was constructed with flush rivets, and even the guns were flush with the wings. The instrument panel was a "marvel of simplicity… with no superfluities to distract [the pilot]". What most impressed the experts was that the Zero's fuselage and wings were constructed in one piece, unlike the American method that built them separately and joined the two parts together. The Japanese method was much slower but resulted in a very strong structure and improved close maneuverability.

American test pilots found that the Zero's controls were "very light" at {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} but stiffened at speeds above {{cvt|348|km/h|0|abbr=on}} to safeguard against wing failure.Green and Swanborough 2001{{Page needed|date=December 2015}} The Zero could not keep up with Allied aircraft in high-speed maneuvers, and its low "never exceed speed" (V_NE) made it vulnerable in a dive. Testing also revealed that the Zero could not roll as quickly to the right as it could to the left, which could be exploited.{{Cite web|url= https://www.history.com/news/the-akutan-zero-how-a-captured-japanese-fighter-plane-helped-win-world-war-ii|title= The Akutan Zero: How a Captured Japanese Fighter Plane Helped Win World War II |last= Hanes|first=Elizabeth|date=16 January 2015|website=History.com}} While stable on the ground despite its light weight, the aircraft was designed purely for the attack role, emphasizing long range, maneuverability, and firepower at the expense of protection of its pilot. Most lacked self-sealing tanks and armor plating.

Captain Eric Brown, the chief naval test pilot of the Royal Navy, recalled being impressed by the Zero during tests of captured aircraft. "I don't think I have ever flown a fighter that could match the rate of turn of the Zero. The Zero had ruled the roost totally and was the finest fighter in the world until mid-1943."

;{{flag|Empire of Japan}}

• {{navy|Empire of Japan}}
• Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

File:Type zero fighter en-hierarchy.png

The first two A6M1 prototypes were completed in March 1939, powered by the {{cvt|580|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Mitsubishi Zuisei 13 engine with a two-blade propeller. It first flew on 1 April, and passed testing within a remarkably short period. By September, it had already been accepted for Navy testing as the A6M1 Type 0 Carrier Fighter, with the only notable change being a switch to a three-bladed propeller to cure a vibration problem.

File:Zero_11_on_China.JPG

While the Navy was testing the first two prototypes, they suggested that the third be fitted with the {{convert|700|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Nakajima Sakae 12 engine instead. Mitsubishi had its own engine of this class in the form of the Kinsei, so they were somewhat reluctant to use the Sakae. Nevertheless, when the first A6M2 was completed in January 1940, the Sakae's extra power pushed the performance of the Zero well past the original specifications.

The new version was so promising that the Navy had 15 built and shipped to China before they had completed testing. They arrived in Manchuria in July 1940, and first saw combat over Chongqing in August. There they proved to be completely untouchable by the Polikarpov I-16s and I-153s that had been such a problem for the A5Ms when in service. In one encounter, 13 Zeros shot down 27 I-15s and I-16s in under three minutes without loss. After hearing of these reports, the Navy immediately ordered the A6M2 into production as the Type 0 Carrier Fighter, Model 11. Reports of the Zero's performance slowly filtered back to the US. They were met with scepticism by most US military officials, who thought it impossible for the Japanese to build such an aircraft.

File:Carrier shokaku.jpg prior to attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941]]

After the delivery of the 65th aircraft, a further change was worked into the production lines, which introduced folding wingtips to allow them to fit on aircraft carriers. The resulting Model 21 would become one of the most produced versions early in the war. A feature was the improved range with {{convert|520|L|USgal|abbr=on}} wing tank and {{convert|320|L|USgal|abbr=on}} drop tank. When the lines switched to updated models, 740 Model 21s had been completed by Mitsubishi, and another 800 by Nakajima. Two other versions of the Model 21 were built in small numbers, the Nakajima-built A6M2-N "Rufe" floatplane (based on the Model 11 with a slightly modified tail), and the A6M2-K two-seat trainer of which a total of 508 were built by Hitachi and the Sasebo Naval Air Arsenal.Francillon 1979, p. 399.

File:A6M3 Model32-common.jpg

In 1941, Nakajima introduced the Sakae 21 engine, which used a two-speed supercharger for better altitude performance, and increased power to {{cvt|1130|hp-metric|kW|0|disp=flip}}. A prototype Zero with the new engine was first flown on 15 July 1941.Nohara 1993, p. 76.

The new Sakae was slightly heavier and somewhat longer due to the larger supercharger, which moved the center of gravity too far forward on the existing airframe. To correct for this, the engine mountings were cut back by {{cvt|185|mm}} to move the engine toward the cockpit. This had the side effect of reducing the size of the main fuselage fuel tank (located between the engine and the cockpit) from {{convert|518|L|USgal|abbr=on}} to {{convert|470|L|USgal|abbr=on}}. The cowling was redesigned to enlarge the cowl flaps, revise the oil cooler air intake, and move the carburetor air intake to the upper half of the cowling.Nohara 1993, p. 51.Reisen no Tsuioku (Model Art 883), 2013, p. 75.

The wings were redesigned to reduce span, eliminate the folding tips, and square off the wingtips. The inboard edge of the aileron was moved outboard by one rib, and the wing fuel tanks were enlarged accordingly to {{convert|420|L|USgal|abbr=on}}. The two 20 mm wing cannon were upgraded from the Type 99 Mark 1 to the Mark 2, which required a bulge in the sheet metal of the wing below each cannon. The wings also included larger ammunition boxes and thus allowing 100 rounds per cannon.

The Sakae 21 engine and other changes increased maximum speed by only {{convert|11|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} compared to the Model 21, but sacrificed nearly {{cvt|1000|km|miles}} of range. Nevertheless, the Navy accepted the type and it entered production in April 1942.

The shorter wingspan led to better roll, and the reduced drag allowed the diving speed to be increased to {{cvt|670|km/h|mph|round=5}}. On the downside, turning and range, which were the strengths of the Model 21, suffered due to smaller ailerons, decreased lift and greater fuel consumption. The shorter range proved a significant limitation during the Solomons Campaign, during which Zeros based at Rabaul had to travel nearly to their maximum range to reach Guadalcanal and return.Mechanic of World Aircraft Vol. 5, Koujinsha, 1994, pp. 220–221. Consequently, the Model 32 was unsuited to that campaignNohara 1993, pp. 76–77. and was used mainly for shorter range offensive missions and interception.

This variant was flown by only a small number of units, and only 343 were built. One example survives today, and is on display at the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum in Tachiarai, Fukuoka.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-29 |title=See Godzilla Fighter J7W1 Shinden at Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum in Fukuoka |url=https://japan.stripes.com/travel/see-godzilla-fighter-j7w1-shinden-tachiarai-peace-memorial-museum-fukuoka |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Stripes Japan |language=en}}

In order to correct the deficiencies of the Model 32, a new version with folding wingtips and redesigned wing was introduced. The fuel tanks were moved to the outer wings, fuel lines for a {{convert|330|L|USgal|abbr=on}} drop tank were installed under each wing and the internal fuel capacity was increased to {{convert|570|L|USgal|abbr=on}}. More importantly, it regained its capabilities for long operating ranges, similar to the previous A6M2 Model 21, which was vastly shortened by the Model 32.

However, before the new design type was accepted formally by the Navy, the A6M3 Model 22 already stood ready for service in December 1942. Approximately 560 aircraft of the new type had been produced in the meantime by Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K.Nohara 1993, p. 78.

According to a theory, the very late production Model 22 might have had wings similar to the shortened, rounded-tip wing of the Model 52.Mikesh 1994. p. 90. One plane of such arrangement was photographed at Lakunai Airfield ("Rabaul East") in the second half of 1943, and has been published widely in a number of Japanese books. While the engine cowling is the same of previous Model 32 and 22, the theory proposes that the plane is an early production Model 52.Famous Airplanes of the World 9, 1993 p. 33.

The Model 32, 22, 22 Kō, 52, 52 Kō and 52 Otsu were all powered by the Nakajima Sakae Mod. 21 engine. That engine kept its designation in spite of changes in the exhaust system for the Model 52.

Mitsubishi is unable to state with certainty that it ever used the designation "A6M4" or model numbers for it. However, "A6M4" does appear in a translation of a captured Japanese memo from a Naval Air Technical Arsenal, titled Quarterly Report on Research Experiments, dated 1 October 1942. It mentions a "cross-section of the A6M4 intercooler" then being designed. Some researchers believe "A6M4" was applied to one or two prototype planes fitted with an experimental turbo-supercharged Sakae engine designed for high altitude.Mikesh 1981, p. 32. Mitsubishi's involvement in the project was probably quite limited or nil; the unmodified Sakae engine was made by Nakajima. The design and testing of the turbo-supercharger was the responsibility of the First Naval Air [Technical] Arsenal ({{lang|ja|第一海軍航空廠}}, {{transliteration|ja|Dai Ichi Kaigun Kōkūshō}}) at Yokosuka."Quarterly Report on Research Experiments", Vol. 1, 30 March 1945. CINCPAC-CINCPOA Bulletin, Special Translation No. 52, No. 67–45, p. 14 D. At least one photo of a prototype plane exists. It shows a turbo unit mounted in the forward left fuselage.

Lack of suitable alloys for use in the manufacture of a turbo-supercharger and its related ducting caused numerous ruptures, resulting in fires and poor performance. Consequently, further development of a turbo-supercharged A6M was cancelled. The lack of acceptance by the Navy suggests that it did not bestow model number 41 or 42 formally, although it appears that the arsenal did use the designation "A6M4". The prototype engines nevertheless provided useful experience for future engine designs.[http://www.j-aircraft.com/a6mresearch/a6m4.htm "A6M4".] J-Aircraft.com. Retrieved: 13 October 2010.

File:A6M5 scrapped.jpg) and captured by US forces.]]

File:A6M5 52c Kyushu.jpg

Sometimes considered as the most effective variant,Mikesh 1994, p. 53. the Model 52 was developed to again shorten the wings to increase speed and dispense with the folding wing mechanism. In addition, ailerons, aileron trim tab and flaps were revised.Nohara 1993, p. 80.Sekai no Kessaku Ki Vol. 9, pp. 57–59. Produced first by Mitsubishi, most Model 52s were made by Nakajima. The prototype was made in June 1943 by modifying an A6M3 and was first flown in August 1943.Sekai no Kessaku Ki Vol. 9, Bunrindou, 1993, p. 21. The first Model 52 is said in the handling manualSummary of Provisional Handling Instructions, February 1944, English translation. to have production number 3904,Mikesh 1994, p. 115. which apparently refers to the prototype.

Research by Mr. Bunzo Komine published by Mr. Kenji Miyazaki states that aircraft 3904 through 4103 had the same exhaust system and cowl flaps as on the Model 22."Reisen Mushimegane", Fumetsu no Reisen, Maru, 2007. This is partially corroborated by two wrecks researched by Mr. Stan Gajda and Mr. L. G. Halls, production number 4007 and 4043, respectively.Gajda, Stan. [http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=9730.0 "The transitional Zero: New evidence that supports the theory."] j-aircraft, 28 July 2010. Retrieved: 30 November 2015.{{verify source|date=December 2015}}Halls, L.G. [http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=9974.0 " The "Hybrid" Zero: More Evidence."] j-aircraft, 9 September 2010. Retrieved: 30 November 2015.{{verify source|date=December 2015}}Lansdale, Jim. [http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=9048.0 "Transitional model of the Mitsubishi ReiSen 52 (A6M5): Part II."] j-aircraft, 21 March 2010. Retrieved: 30 November 2015.{{verify source|date=December 2015}} (The upper cowling was slightly redesigned from that of the Model 22.)

An early production A6M5 Zero with non-separated exhaust, with an A6M3 Model 22 in the background.

A new exhaust system provided an increment of thrust by aiming the stacks aft and distributing them around the forward fuselage. The new exhaust system required "notched" cowl flaps and heat shields just aft of the stacks. (Note, however, that the handling manual translation states that the new style of exhaust commenced with number 3904. Whether this is correct, indicates retrofitting intentions, refers to the prototype but not to all subsequent planes, or is in error, is unclear.) From production number 4274, the wing fuel tanks received carbon dioxide fire extinguishers.Sekai no Kessaku Ki, Vol. 9. pp. 57–59.A6M5 Summary of Provisional Handling Instructions, February 1944 (translated) at 4-4. From number 4354, the radio became the Model 3, aerial Mark 1, and at that point it is said the antenna mast was shortened slightly.A6M5 Summary of Provisional Handling Instructions, February 1944 (translated). p. 4-4. Through production number 4550, the lowest exhaust stacks were approximately the same length as those immediately above them. This caused hot exhaust to burn the forward edge of the landing gear doors and heat the tires. Therefore, from number 4551 Mitsubishi began to install shorter bottom stacks.Nohara 1993, p. 79. Nakajima manufactured the Model 52 at its Koizumi plant in Gunma Prefecture.Sekai no Kessaku Ki, Vol. 9 Bunrindou 1993, p. 23. The A6M5 had a maximum speed of {{convert|565|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} at {{convert|6000|m|ft|abbr=on}}, reaching that altitude in 7:01 minutes.Sekai no Kessaku Ki, Vol. 9, Bunrindou, 1993, p. 24.

Subsequent variants included:

• A6M5a, Model {{nihongo2|52甲}} (Kō, 52a) – Starting at Mitsubishi number 4651, an armament change substituted the belt-fed Type 99-2 Mark 4 cannon, with 125 rounds per gun, in place of the drum-fed Type 99-2 Mark 3 cannon that carried 100 rounds per gun. Hence, the bulge in the underside of the wing for each cannon's ammunition drum was deleted and the ejection port for spent cartridge cases was moved. Thicker wing skinning was installed to permit higher diving speeds.Sekai no Kessaku Ki, Vol. 9, Bunrindou, 1993, p. 22.
• A6M5b, Model {{nihongo2|52乙}} (Otsu, 52b) – Armament change: The 7.7 mm (.303 in) Type 97 gun ({{cvt|750|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} muzzle velocity and {{cvt|600|m|ft|abbr=on}} range) in the right forward fuselage was replaced by a 13.2 mm Type 3 Browning-derived gun ({{cvt|790|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} muzzle velocity and {{cvt|900|m|ft|abbr=on}} range, with a rate of fire of 800 rounds per minute) with 240 rounds. The larger weapon required an enlarged opening, creating a distinctive asymmetric appearance to the top of the cowling, and a revised gas outlet near the windscreen. In addition, each wing cannon received a fairing at the wing leading edge. A plate of armored glass {{cvt|45|mm|abbr=on}} thick was fitted to the windscreen. A larger propeller spinner was fitted, suggesting a change to the propeller.Sekai no Kessaku Ki, Vol. 9, Bunrindou. p. 77. The type of ventral drop tank was changed, it now had fins and was suspended on a slanted pipe. The first of this variant was completed in April 1944 and it was produced until October 1944.Nohara 1993, p. 82.
• A6M5c, Model {{nihongo2|52丙}} (Hei, 52c) – Armament change: One 13.2 mm (.51 in) Type 3 machine gun was added in each wing outboard of the cannon, and the 7.7 mm gun on the left side of the cowl was deleted. Four racks for rockets or small bombs were installed outboard of the 13 mm gun in each wing. Engine change: Some sources state that the hei had a Sakae 31 engineMechanic of World Aircraft, Vol.5, Koujinsha, p. 220-221. In addition, a {{cvt|55|mm|abbr=on}} thick piece of armored glass was installed at the headrest and an {{cvt|8|mm|abbr=on}} thick plate of armor was installed behind the seat. The mounting of the central {{cvt|300|L|USgal|abbr=on}} drop tank changed to a four-post design.Sekai no Kessaku Ki, Vol. 9, Bunrindou, pp. 46–49. Wing skin was thickened further. The first of this variant was completed in September 1944. Because of the gain in weight, this variant was used mainly for intercepting B-29s and special attack.Sekai no Kessaku Ki, Vol. 9 Bunrindou 1993 at 22.
• A6M5-S (A6M5 Yakan Sentōki) – Armament change: To intercept B-29s and other night-flying aircraft, an air arsenal converted some Model 52s to night fighters.Sekai no Kessaku Ki, Vol. 9, Bunrindou, 1993, p. 23. They were armed with one 20 mm Type 99 cannon behind the pilot, aimed upward, similar in intent to the Luftwaffe's Schräge Musik installation.Graham, Rob. [http://www.j-aircraft.com/a6mresearch/zeronf.htm "FAQ: Zero Night Fighter."] j-aircraft.com. Retrieved: 30 November 2015. However, lack of radar prevented them from being very effective.

Some Model 21 and 52 aircraft were converted to "bakusen" (fighter-bombers) by mounting a bomb rack and {{cvt|250|kg}} bomb in place of the centerline drop tank.

Up to seven Model 52 planes were ostensibly converted into A6M5-K two-seat trainers. Mass production was contemplated by Hitachi, but not undertaken.Nohara 1993, p. 84.

The A6M6 was developed to use the Sakae 31a engine, featuring water-methanol engine boost and self-sealing wing tanks.{{cite book |last=Winchester |first=Jim |date=2002 |title=Fighters of the 20th Century |location=United Kingdom |publisher=The Crowood Press Ltd |page=41 |isbn=978-1840373882 }}{{cite journal |date=1982 |title=AIAA Student Journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4vpJAQAAIAAJ&q=Mitsubishi+%22A6M6%22 |journal=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics |volume=20 |issue=3|pages=41 |access-date=9 June 2019 }} During preliminary testing, its performance was considered unsatisfactory due to the additional engine power failing to materialize and the unreliability of the fuel injection system.{{cite book |last=A. Oleson |first=James A. Oleson |date=2007 |title=In Their Own Words: True Stories and Adventures of the American Fighter Ace |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HHxAAAAMAAJ&q=Mitsubishi+%22A6M6%22 |location=United States |publisher=iUniverse, Inc. |page=166 |isbn=978-0595471164 }}{{cite book |last=Munson |first=Kenneth |date=1968 |title=Aircraft of World War Two |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bxIoAQAAMAAJ&q=Mitsubishi+%22A6M6%22 |location=United Kingdom |publisher=Doubleday & Company Inc. |page=123 |isbn=978-0385034715 }} Testing continued on the A6M6 but the end of war stopped further development. Only one prototype was produced.

The A6M7 was the last variant to see service. It was designed to meet a requirement by the Navy for a dedicated attack/dive bomber version that could operate from smaller aircraft carriers or according to another source, replace the obsolete Aichi D3A.{{cite book |last=D'Angina |first=James |date=2016 |title=Mitsubishi A6M Zero |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=56f3DAAAQBAJ&q=mitsubishi+a6m |location=Great Britain |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-0821-9 }} The A6M7 had considerable design changes compared to previous attempts to make the A6M suitable for dive bombing. This included a reinforced vertical stabilizer, a special bomb rack, provision of two 350-litre drop tanks and fixed bomb/rocket swing stoppers on the underside of the wings.{{cite book |last=Collier |first=Basil |date=1979 |title=Japanese Aircraft of World War II |location=Great Britain |publisher=Sidgwick & Jackson |pages=97–100 |isbn=0-283-98399-X }}{{cite book |last=Mondey |first=David |date=2006 |title=The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II |location=Great Britain |publisher=Bounty Books |pages=194–197 |isbn=978-0-753714-60-7 }}{{cite book |last=Newdick |first=Thomas |date=2017 |title=Japanese Aircraft of World War II 1937-1945 |location=United Kingdom |publisher=Amber Books |pages=65–72 |isbn=978-1-78274-474-0 }} It was also given a new powerplant, the Sakae-31 engine, producing 1,130 hp on take-off. The A6M7 had a similar armament layout to the A6M5c with the exception of the bomb centreline bomb rack, capable of carrying 250 kg or 500 kg bombs. Entering production in May 1945,

the A6M7 was also used for Kamikaze attacks.{{cite book |last= Kittel - Graf |first=-Mantelli - Brown|date=2017 |title= Fighter Zero |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dVlDDgAAQBAJ |publisher= Edizioni R.E.I. |pages =34, 59 |isbn=978-237297330-4}}{{cite book |last= C. Smith |first= Peter-Brown|date= 2014 |title= Mitsubishi Zero: Japan's Legendary Fighter |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0QC1BQAAQBAJ |location=Great Britain |publisher=Pen & Sword Aviation |isbn=978-1-78159319-6}}

File:A6M8 Type 64 .jpg]]

Similar to the A6M6 but with the Sakae, now out of production, replaced by the Mitsubishi Kinsei 62 engine with {{convert|1163|kW|hp|abbr=on}}, 60% more powerful than the A6M2's engine. This resulted in an extensively modified cowling and nose for the aircraft. The carburetor intake was much larger, a long duct like that on the Nakajima B6N Tenzan was added, and a large spinner — like that on the Yokosuka D4Y Suisei with the Kinsei 62 — was mounted. The armament consisted of two 13.2 mm (.52 in) Type 3 machine guns and two 20 mm (.80 in) Type 99 cannons in the wings. In addition, the Model 64 was modified to carry two {{convert |150|l|USgal|abbr=on}} drop tanks on either wing in order to permit the mounting of a {{convert|250|kg|lb|abbr=on}} bomb on the underside of the fuselage. Two prototypes were completed in April 1945 but the chaotic situation of Japanese industry and the end of the war obstructed the start of the ambitious program of production for 6,300 A6M8s, only the two prototypes being completed and flown.Francillon 1970, pp. 374–75.

Not included:

• A second A6M1 was completed on 17 March 1939,FAOTW, 1996, p. 137. but was written off without explanation after completing the company's flight test program in July 1940.Francillon 1979, pp. 364–365.

• According to USSBS Report: 10,934
• includes: 10,094 A6M, 323 A6M2-N and 517 A6M-K builds.
• According to Francillon: 11,291
• includes: 10,449 A6M,Francillon 1979, p. 377. 327 A6M2-N,Francillon 1979, p. 428. 508 A6M2-K and 7 A6M5-K builds.

File:Mitsubishi A6M2, Type 0 Model 21.jpg, Hawaii, United States. This aircraft was made airworthy in the early 1980s before being grounded in 2002.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 5356 Tail EII-102|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/5356.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=12 January 2012}}]]

File:MitsuZero AirandSpace.JPG, United States]]

File:Mitsubishi-A6M-Zero-Yushukan-2016-Luka-Peternel.jpg in Tokyo, Japan]]

File:Zero_Fighter_Plane_Model_21.jpg, Japan]]

File:Mitsubishi A62M Zero USAF.jpg, painted to represent a section leader's aircraft from the Japanese aircraft carrier Zuihō during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.{{cite web|title=Factsheets: Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero |url=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=471 |publisher=National Museum of the USAF |access-date=2 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113033903/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=471 |archive-date=13 January 2012 }}|alt=A propeller aircraft on display in a museum. The wing tips are folded up.]]

File:2017RedBullAirRaceChibaMitsubishiA6MZero.jpg (N553TT)]]

Like many surviving World War II Japanese aircraft, most surviving Zeros are made up of parts from multiple airframes. As a result, some are referred to by conflicting manufacturer serial numbers. Other planes, such as those recovered after decades in a wrecked condition, have been reconstructed to the extent that the majority of their structure is made up of modern parts. All of this means the identities of surviving aircraft can be difficult to confirm. Most flying Zeros have had their engines replaced with similar American units. Only one, the Planes of Fame Air Museum's A6M5, has the original Sakae engine.Seaman, Richard. [http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Chino2004/Sampler/index.html "Aircraft air shows."] richard-seaman.com. Retrieved: 13 October 2010.

The rarity of flyable Zeros accounts for the use of single-seat North American T-6 Texans, with heavily modified fuselages and painted in Japanese markings, as substitutes for Zeros in the films Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Final Countdown, and many other television and film depictions of the aircraft, such as Baa Baa Black Sheep (renamed Black Sheep Squadron). One Model 52 was used during the production of Pearl Harbor.

• 840 – on display at the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre in Winnellie, Northern Territory. Wreckage of the forward fuselage, inboard wings, engine, and propeller.{{cite web|title=Mitsubishi Zero|url=http://www.darwinsairwar.com.au/mitsubishi-zero|website=Australian Aviation Heritage Centre|publisher=Australian Aviation Heritage Centre|access-date=22 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229063624/http://www.darwinsairwar.com.au/mitsubishi-zero/|archive-date=29 February 2016}}{{cite web|title=Airframe Dossier – MitsubishiA6M, s/n 5349 IJNAF, c/n 840|url=http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=65947|website=Aerial Visuals|publisher=AerialVisuals.ca|access-date=22 February 2016}}
• 5784 – on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. A restored A6M2-21 "V-173" was retrieved as a wreck after the war and later found to have been flown by Saburō Sakai at Lae.{{cite web|title=Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21 Zero Fighter Aircraft: Japanese Navy Air Force|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL/08378/|website=Australian War Memorial|access-date=22 February 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 5784 Tail V-173|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/5784.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}}

• Unknown serial number – on display at the Beijing Military MuseumSmith 2015, p. 141.

• Replica – on display at the Technik Museum Speyer in Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate. Replica of the fuselage section on display at IWM London.{{cite web|title=Airframe Dossier – MitsubishiA6M|url=http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=5293|website=Aerial Visuals|publisher=AerialVisuals.ca|access-date=22 February 2016}}{{cite web|title=A6M Reisen "Zeke"|url=http://axis.classicwings.com/Japan/Mitsubishi/A6M.htm|website=Preserved Axis Aircraft|publisher=ClassicWings.com|access-date=22 February 2016}}

File:Mitsubishi-A6-M5-Zero-Zen.jpg, Indonesia]]

• Unknown serial number – on display at the Dirgantara Mandala Museum in Yogyakarta.

• 1493 – on display at the Kawaguchiko Motor Museum in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5 Model 52 Zero Manufacture Number 1493|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/1493.html|website=PacificWrecks.net|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=29 February 2016}}
• 4168/4240/4241 – on display at the Yūshūkan in Chiyoda, Tokyo.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5 Model 52 Zero Manufacture Number 4168 Tail 81-161|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/4168.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}
• 4685 – on display at Hamamatsu Air Base in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5a Model 52ko Zero Manufacture Number 4685 Tail 43-188|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/4685.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}
• 4708 – on display at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Museum in Komaki, Aichi.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5 Model 52 Ko Zero Manufacture Number 4708|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/4708.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}}
• 31870 – a two-seater on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Taito, Tokyo.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 31870 Tail 53-122|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/31870.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}}
• 62343 – on display at the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots in Chiran, Kagoshima.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5c Model 52 Zero Manufacture Number 62343|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/62343.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}}
• 82729 – on display at the Yamato Museum in Kure, Hiroshima.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M7 Model 62 Zero Manufacture Number 82729 Tail 210-B-118|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m7/82729.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}}
• 91518 – on display at the Kawaguchiko Motor Museum.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 91518|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/91518.html|website=PacificWrecks.net|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=29 February 2016}}
• 92717 – on display at the Kawaguchiko Motor Museum.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 92717|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/92717.html|website=PacificWrecks.net|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=29 February 2016}}
• Replica – on display at MCAS Iwakuni in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi.{{cite web|last1=Clark|first1=Charlie|title="Zero" hangar links present to past|url=http://www.mcasiwakuni.marines.mil/News/NewsStories/NewsArticleDisplay/tabid/6911/Article/507100/zero-hangar-links-present-to-past.aspx|website=Marines|access-date=22 February 2016|date=26 January 2012}}{{cite web|last1=Pack|first1=Justin|title=Station scouts visit Zero Hangar|url=http://japan.stripes.com/base-info/station-scouts-visit-zero-hangar|website=Stripes Japan|access-date=22 February 2016|date=16 February 2013

}}

• Replica – used as movie prop for 2013 film The Eternal Zero. On display at Usa City Peace Museum, Usa, Ōita Prefecture.{{cite web|url=https://warbirdsnews.com/aviation-museum-news/movie-replica-mitsubishi-display-japan.html|title=Movie Replica Mitsubishi Zero Goes on Display in Japan|website=warbirdsnews.com|date=16 July 2013|access-date=19 November 2022}}

• 3835/3844 – on display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum in Auckland.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M3 Model 22 Zero Manufacture Number 3844 Tail 2-152|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m3/3844.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}} It was taken to New Zealand from Bougainville in October 1945 on board the ferry Wahine which was being used to repatriate troops. The Zero had been caught on the ground on Bougainville, damaged in the bombing during the Bougainville campaign in November 1943. The plane had been hidden by the Japanese who had restored it with the goal of flying it off the island. The plane was retrieved by RNZAF intelligence officers in September 1945 at the Japanese airfield at Buin in southern Bougainville.{{Cite web|last=Romano|first=Gail|date=11 September 2020|title=The Zero: Two men and a plane|url=https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/collections/topics/zero|access-date=20 Jun 2021|website=Auckland Museum}}

• 196 – on display at the Imperial War Museum London in London, Greater London. Forward fuselage displayed.{{cite web|title=Airframe Dossier – Mitsubishi A6M5, s/n BI-05 IJNAF|url=http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=98480|website=Aerial Visuals|publisher=AerialVisuals.ca|access-date=22 February 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5 Model 52 Zero|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/a6m5-iwm.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Goodall|first1=Geoffrey|title=MITSUBISHI A6M REISEN / ZERO-SEN ("ZEKE")|url=http://www.goodall.com.au/warbirds-directory-v6/mitsubishi.pdf|website=Geoff Goodall's Aviation History Site|publisher=Geoffrey Goodall|access-date=23 February 2016|date=14 October 2014}}
• 3685 – on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Duxford, Cambridgeshire. 3685 was salvaged from Taroa Island in 1991 and acquired by the museum in 2000, before being put on display in 2010. Fuselage displayed in unrestored condition.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M3 Model 22 Zero Manufacture Number 3685 Tail Y2-176|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m3/3685.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}

• 1303 – in storage at the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5 Model 52 Zero Manufacture Number 1303 Tail 61-121|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/1303.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}
• 3618 – in storage at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M3 Model 22 Zero Manufacture Number 3618 Tail -133|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m3/3618.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}
• 4043 – in storage at Fantasy of Flight. Along with several other Zeros, this aircraft was recovered by the Australian War Memorial Museum in the early 1970s from Rabaul in the South Pacific. The markings suggest that it was in service after June 1943 and further investigation suggests that it has cockpit features associated with the Nakajima-built Model 52b. If this is correct, it is most likely one of the 123 aircraft lost by the Japanese during the assault of Rabaul. The aircraft was shipped in pieces to the attraction and was eventually made up for display as a crashed aircraft. Much of the aircraft is usable for patterns, and some of its parts can be restored to one day make this a basis for a flyable aircraft.{{cite web|title=Zero|url=http://fantasyofflight.com/aircraftpages/zero.htm|website=Fantasy of Flight|access-date=4 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710224148/http://fantasyofflight.com/aircraftpages/zero.htm |archive-date=10 July 2011}}{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5 Model 52 Zero Manufacture Number 4043 Tail 3-108|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/4043.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}}
• 4340 – on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.{{cite web|title=Mitsubishi A6M5 Reisen (Zero Fighter) Model 52 ZEKE|url=http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A19600335000|website=Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum|access-date=22 February 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304011144/http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A19600335000|url-status=dead}}
• 4400 – in storage at the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5 Model 52 Zero Manufacture Number 4400 Tail HK-102|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/4400.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}
• 5356/5451 – on display at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. This aircraft was formerly flown by the Commemorative Air Force after being restored by Robert Diemert.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 5356 Tail EII-102|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/5356.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}}
• 5357 – owned by the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California. This aircraft, 61-120, is the only airworthy example powered with an original Sakae radial engine.{{Cite web|url=https://planesoffame.org/aircraft/plane-A6M5|title=Mitsubishi A6M5 'Zeke' | Planes of Fame Air Museum|website=planesoffame.org}}
• 5450 – on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida.{{cite web|title=A6M2 ZERO|url=http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=a6m2_zero|website=National Naval Aviation Museum|publisher=Naval Aviation Museum Foundation|access-date=22 February 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Justin|first1=Taylan|title=A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 5450 Tail EII-140|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/5450.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}}
• 23186 – on display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in San Diego, California. This aircraft is on loan from the National Air and Space Museum.{{cite web|title=Mitsubishi A6M7 Zero-sen|url=http://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/mitsubishi-a6m7-zero-sen|website=San Diego Air & Space Museum|access-date=22 February 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M7 Model 62 Zero Manufacture Number 23186 Tail ヨ-143|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m7/23186.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}} The museum previously had another Zero in its collection, msn 4323, but it was destroyed in a fire on 22 February 1978.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M5 Model 52 Zero Manufacture Number 4323|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m5/4323.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016|date=7 August 2015}}
• 51553 – on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.{{cite web|title=Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero|url=https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196313/mitsubishi-a6m2-zero/|website=National Museum of the United States Air Force|access-date=22 February 2016|date=20 April 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 51553 Tail 313|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/51553.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=22 February 2016}} It was restored by Century Aviation.{{cite web|title=1943 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 Zero|url=http://century-aviation.com/essential_grid/1943-mitsubishi-zero|website=Century Aviation|access-date=11 May 2016}}
• Replica – owned by Warren Pietsch at the Texas Flying Legends Museum in Houston, Texas. This aircraft, known as the "Blayd" Zero, is a reconstruction based on templating original Zero components recovered from the South Pacific. To be considered a "restoration" and not a reproduction, the builders used a small fraction of parts from the original Zero landing gear in the reconstruction.[http://www.pacificwrecks.com/restore/canada/blayd.html "Blayd Corporation."] pacificwrecks.com. Retrieved: 29 January 2007.[http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/zero.htm "Examination of Blayd Zero Artifacts."] j-aircraft.com. Retrieved: 29 January 2007. It was built as an A6M2 Model 21.[http://www.texasflyinglegends.org/last-samurai-zero "Last Samurai A6M2 Model 21 Zero."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213140115/http://www.texasflyinglegends.org/last-samurai-zero |date=13 December 2013 }} Texas Flying Legends Museum. Retrieved: 8 December 2013.Pietsch, Warren. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl3Vanoq_sU "Museum Secrets."] Texas Flying Legends Museum. Retrieved: 30 November 2015. This aircraft was damaged in a ground accident on 15 March 2016, when a Goodyear FG-1D Corsair taxiing behind it overran the tail of the Zero, with the Corsair's propeller shredding roughly the last third of the Zero's fuselage and its control surfaces.{{cite web|title=UPDATE: Original Japanese Zero Loses Tail|url=http://allthingsaero.com/airshows/gallery-original-japanese-zero-loses-tail|access-date=14 April 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20160316X23841&key=1|title=NTSB accident report CEN16CA126A}}
• Replica (3869) – operated by the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Camarillo, California. This aircraft is an A6M3 that was recovered from Babo Airfield, Indonesia, in 1991. It was partially restored from several A6M3s in Russia, then brought to the United States for restoration. The aircraft was re-registered in 1998 and displayed at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, California. It uses a Pratt & Whitney R-1830-75 engine.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M3 Model 22 Zero Manufacture Number 3869 (Replica) Tail X-133|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m3/3869_replica.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}[https://www.cafsocal.com/our-aircrafts/our-aircraft-and-history/mitsubishi-a6m3-zero/ "Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero - CAF SoCal"] CAF So. Cal. Wing Retrieved 9 March 2023.
• Replica (3852) – owned by the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington. This aircraft was recovered from Babo Airfield and restored – first in Russia, then in California, and finally in Washington state – before being delivered to the Flying Heritage Collection.{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M3 Model 22 Zero Manufacture Number 3852 (Replica Two Seater)|url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m3/3852_replica.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}{{cite web|title=Mitsubishi A6M3 Type 22 Zero|url=http://century-aviation.com/essential_grid/mitsubishi-a6m3-type-22-zero|website=Century Aviation|access-date=11 May 2016}} It has a P&W engine installed.{{cite web|title=MITSUBISHI A6M3-22 REISEN (ZERO)|url=http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplatePlane.aspx?contentId=20|website=Flying Heritage Collection|publisher=Friends of Flying Heritage|access-date=22 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214184605/http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplatePlane.aspx?contentId=20|archive-date=14 February 2016}}
• Replica (3858) – on display at Fagen Fighters WWII Museum in Granite Falls, Minnesota. Formerly owned by Masahide Ishizuka in Kanoya, Kagoshima. Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine.{{cite news|last1=Yoshimura|first1=Shigeo|title=Victory, as airworthy Zero fighter returns home after 70-year hiatus|url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201411060033|access-date=23 February 2016|work=The Asahi Shimbun|publisher=The Asahi Shimbun Company|date=6 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183030/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201411060033|archive-date=3 March 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Toda|first1=Miki|title=World War II Zero fighter flies over Japan|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/84f26ca44626478bb1aec830b286404b/zero-fighter-flies-over-japan-1st-time-wwii|access-date=23 February 2016|work=AP|publisher=Associated Press|date=27 January 2016|archive-date=11 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311162828/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/84f26ca44626478bb1aec830b286404b/zero-fighter-flies-over-japan-1st-time-wwii|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=A6M3 Model 22 Zero Manufacture Number 3858 (Replica)|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m3/3858_replica.html|website=PacificWrecks.com|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Incorporated|access-date=23 February 2016}}
• Replica – under airworthy rebuild by Legend Flyers in Everett, Washington{{cite web|title=Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero|url=http://www.airassets.com/saleitemDetails.php?ID=73|website=Air Assets International|publisher=Airassets|access-date=29 February 2016|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305060358/http://www.airassets.com/saleitemDetails.php?ID=73|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Legend Flyers Zero – Restoration Update|url=http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/legend-flyers-restoration-update.html|access-date=29 February 2016|work=Warbirds News|date=26 August 2015}} for the Military Aviation Museum. This aircraft uses a small amount of parts from 3148.{{cite news|title=The Tale of a Zero Fighter – by Ron Cole|url=http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-articles/interviews/tale-fighter-ron-cole.html|access-date=29 February 2016|work=Warbirds News|date=27 February 2014}}

File:Mitsubishi A6M Zero drawing.svg

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=The Great Book of Fighters, Aircraft Profile #129: The Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero-sen{{cite book |last1=Francillon |first1=Rene J. |title=Aircraft Profile #129: The Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero-sen |date=1966 |publisher=Profile Publications |location=Berkshire |edition=September 1982 Canada reprint}}

|prime units?=met

|crew=1

|length m=9.06

|span m=12

|height m=3.05

|wing area sqm=22.44

|aspect ratio=6.4

|airfoil=root: MAC118 or NACA 2315; tip: MAC118 or NACA 3309{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}

|empty weight kg=1680

|gross weight kg=2796

|max takeoff weight kg=2796

|fuel capacity={{cvt|518|L|USgal impgal}} internal + 1 × {{cvt|330|L|USgal impgal}} drop tank

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Nakajima NK1C Sakae-12

|eng1 type=14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine

|eng1 hp=940

|eng1 note=for take-off

:::{{cvt|950|hp|order=flip}} at {{cvt|4200|m}}

|prop blade number=3

|prop name=Sumitomo-Hamilton constant-speed propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|max speed kmh=533

|max speed note=at {{cvt|4550|m}}

|cruise speed kmh=333

|stall speed kmh=

|never exceed speed kmh=600

|minimum control speed kmh=

|range km=1870

|combat range km=

|ferry range km=3100

|endurance=

|ceiling m=10000

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|climb rate ms=15.7

|time to altitude={{cvt|6000|m}} in 7 minutes 27 seconds

|wing loading kg/m2=107.4

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|power/mass={{cvt|0.254|kW/kg}}

|more performance=

|guns=File:20mmvs7mm.png

• 2 × .303 British#Japanese 7.7 mm ammunition Type 97 aircraft machine guns in the engine cowling, with 500 rounds per gun.
• 2 × {{cvt|20|mm|3}} Type 99-1 Mk.3 cannon in the wings, with 60 rounds per gun.

|bombs=

• 2 × {{cvt|60|kg}} bombs or
• 1 × fixed {{cvt|250|kg}} bomb for kamikaze attacks

|rockets=

|missiles=

|hardpoints=

|hardpoint capacity=

|hardpoint rockets=

|hardpoint missiles=

|hardpoint bombs=

|hardpoint other=

|avionics=

}}

{{Portal|Japan|Aviation}}

{{aircontent

|see also=

• List of Mitsubishi A6M Zero operators
• Aircraft in fiction#A6M Zero

|related=

• Mitsubishi A5M
• Mitsubishi A7M
• Mitsubishi J2M
• Nakajima A6M2-N

|similar aircraft=

• Brewster F2A Buffalo
• Curtiss P-36 Hawk
• Curtiss-Wright CW-21
• Fiat G.50 Freccia
• Gloster F.5/34
• Grumman F4F Wildcat
• IAR 80
• Macchi C.200
• Nakajima Ki-43
• Weiss Manfréd WM-23 Ezüst Nyíl

|lists=

• List of aircraft of Japan during World War II
• Carrier aircraft used during World War II
• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of fighter aircraft
• List of military aircraft of Japan

}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Cite book|title=Guida agli aeroplani di tutto il mondo, dal 1903 al 1960|trans-title=Guide to Aeroplanes from All Over the World, from 1903 to 1960|first1=Enzo|last1=Angelucci|first2=Paolo|last2=Matricardi|year=1978|volume=III|page=138|publisher=Mondadori|location=Milano|language=it}}
• Angelucci, Enzo and Peter M. Bowers. The American Fighter. Sparkford, UK: Haynes Publishing, 1987. {{ISBN|0-85429-635-2}}.
• Fernandez, Ronald. Excess Profits: The Rise of United Technologies. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 1983. {{ISBN|978-0-201-10484-4}}.
• Ford, Douglas. "Informing Airmen? The U.S. Army Air Forces' Intelligence on Japanese Fighter Tactics in the Pacific Theatre, 1941–5," International History Review 34 (Dec. 2012), 725–52.
• Francillon, R.J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam, 1970, {{ISBN|0-370-00033-1}}.
• Glancey, Jonathan. Spitfire: The Illustrated Biography. London: Atlantic Books, 2006. {{ISBN|978-1-84354-528-6}}.
• Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Great Book of Fighters. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-7603-1194-3}}.
• Gunston, Bill. Aircraft of World War 2. London: Octopus Books Limited, 1980. {{ISBN|0-7064-1287-7}}.
• Holmes, Tony, ed. Dogfight, The Greatest Air Duels of World War II. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2011. {{ISBN|978-1-84908-482-6}}.
• {{cite journal |last1=Huggins|first1=Mark|title=Hunters over Tokyo: The JNAF's Air Defence of Japan 1944–1945|journal=Air Enthusiast |date=January–February 2004 |issue=109 |pages=66–71 |issn=0143-5450}}
• Jablonski, Edward. Airwar. New York: Doubleday & Co., 1979. {{ISBN|0-385-14279-X}}.
• James, Derek N. Gloster Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam and Company Ltd., 1987. {{ISBN|0-85177-807-0}}.
• {{cite book |last = Lawrence |first = Joseph |title = The Observer's Book Of Airplanes |location = London and New York |publisher = Frederick Warne & Co |year = 1945}}
• Lundstrom, John B. [https://books.google.com/books?id=J1NDlp4CvTcC The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign.] Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1994. {{ISBN|1-55750-526-8}}.
• Matricardi, Paolo. Aerei Militari. Caccia e Ricognitori (in Italian). Milan: Mondadori Electa, 2006.
• Mikesh, Robert C. Warbird History: Zero, Combat & Development History of Japan's Legendary Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1994. {{ISBN|0-87938-915-X}}.
• Mikesh, Robert C. Zero Fighter. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1981; copyright Zokeisha Publications, Tokyo. {{ISBN|0-517-54260-9}}.
• Okumiya, Masatake and Jiro Horikoshi, with Martin Caidin. Zero! New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1956.
• Nijboer, Donald. Seafire Vs A6M Zero: Pacific Theatre. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2009. {{ISBN|978-1-8460-3433-6}}.
• Nohara, Shigeru. Aero Detail 7: Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter. Tokyo: Dai-Nippon Kaiga Co. Ltd, 1993. {{ISBN|4-499-22608-2}}.
• Parshall, Jonathan and Anthony Tully. Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books Inc., 2007. {{ISBN|978-1-57488-924-6}} (paperback).
• "Plane Facts: Zero-sen ancestry". Air International, October 1973, Vol 3 No 4. pp. 199–200.
• Smith, Peter C.Mitsubishi Zero: Japan's Legendary Fighter. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Books, 2015. {{ISBN|978-1-7815-9319-6}}.
• {{cite journal |last1=Soumille|first1=Jean-Claude|title=Les avions japonais aux couleurs françaises |journal=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=September 1999 |issue=78 |pages=6–17 |trans-title=Japanese Aircraft in French Colors|language=French |issn=1243-8650}}
• Spick, Mike. Allied Fighter Aces of World War II. London: Greenhill Books, 1997. {{ISBN|1-85367-282-3}}.
• Stille, Mark. Guadalcanal 1942–43: Japan's bid to knock out Henderson Field and the Cactus Air Force (Air Campaign). Osprey Publishing, 2019. {{ISBN|1472835514}}.
• 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}}.
• Thruelsen, Richard. The Grumman Story. Praeger Press, 1976. {{ISBN|0-275-54260-2}}.
• Tillman, Barrett. Hellcat: The F6F in World War II. Naval Institute Press, 1979. {{ISBN|1-55750-991-3}}.
• United States Strategic Bombing Survey Aircraft Division. [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015080324281;view=1up;seq=1 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.] Corporation Report I, Washington, D.C. 1947.
• United States Strategic Bombing Survey Aircraft Division. [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015080324133;view=1up;seq=1 Nakajima Aircraft Company, Ltd.] Corporation Report II, Washington, D.C. 1947.
• United States Strategic Bombing Survey Aircraft Division. [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89100062082;view=1up;seq=1 Hitachi Aircraft Company, Ltd.] Corporation Report VII, Washington, D.C. 1947.
• United States Strategic Bombing Survey Aircraft Division. [https://archive.org/stream/corporationrepor34unit#page/n3/mode/2up Army Air Arsenal and Navy Air Depots] Corporation Report XIX, Washington, D.C. 1947.
• Wilcox, Richard. [https://books.google.com/books?id=JUAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA86 "The Zero: The first famed Japanese fighter captured intact reveals its secrets to U.S. Navy aerial experts"]. Life, 4 November 1942.
• Willmott, H.P. Zero A6M. London: Bison Books, 1980. {{ISBN|0-89009-322-9}}.
• Yoshimura, Akira, translated by Retsu Kaiho and Michael Gregson. Zero Fighter. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1996. {{ISBN|0-275-95355-6}}.
• Young, Edward M. F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen. Oxford, UK: Osprey, 2013. {{ISBN|978-1-7809-6322-8}}.

• Bueschel, Richard M. Mitsubishi A6M1/2/-2N Zero-Sen in Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service. Canterbury, Kent, UK: Osprey Publications Ltd., 1970. {{ISBN|0-85045-018-7}}.
• Francillon, René J. The Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero-Sen (Aircraft in Profile number 129). Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1966.
• Francillon, René J. The Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero-Sen ("Hamp") (Aircraft in Profile number 190). Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967.
• Jackson, Robert. Combat Legend: Mitsubishi Zero. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2003. {{ISBN|1-84037-398-9}}.
• Juszczak, Artur. Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Tarnobrzeg, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2001. {{ISBN|83-7300-085-2}}.
• Kinzey, Bert. Attack on Pearl Harbor: Japan awakens a Sleeping Giant. Blacksburg, Virginia, USA: Military Aviation Archives, 2010. {{ISBN|978-0-9844665-0-4}}.
• Marchand, Patrick and Junko Takamori. (Illustrator). A6M Zero (Les Ailes de Gloire 2) (in French). Le Muy, France: Editions d’Along, 2000. {{ISBN|2-914403-02-X}}.
• Mikesh, Robert C. and Rikyu Watanabe (Illustrator). Zero Fighter. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1981. {{ISBN|0-7106-0037-2}}.
• Nohara, Shigeru. A6M Zero in Action (Aircraft #59). Carrollton, Texas, USA: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1983. {{ISBN|0-89747-141-5}}.
• Nohara, Shigeru. Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter (Aero Detail 7) (in Japanese with English captions). Tokyo, Japan: Dai Nippon Kaiga Company Ltd., 1993. {{ISBN|4-499-22608-2}}.
• Okumiya, Masatake and Jiro Horikoshi (with Martin Caidin, ed.). Zero! The Story of Japan's Air War in the Pacific: 1941–45. New York: Ballantine Books, 1956. No ISBN.
• "Plane Facts: Zero-sen ancestry". Air International, Vol. 3, No. 4, October 1973, pp. 199–200.
• Richards, M.C. and Donald S. Smith. Mitsubishi A6M5 to A6M8 'Zero-Sen' ('Zeke 52')(Aircraft in Profile number 236). Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1972.
• Sakaida, Henry. Imperial Japanese Navy Aces, 1937–45. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1998. {{ISBN|1-85532-727-9}}.
• Sakaida, Henry. The Siege of Rabaul. St. Paul, Minnesota: Phalanx Publishing, 1996. {{ISBN|1-883809-09-6}}.
• Sheftall, M.G. Blossoms in the Wind: Human Legacies of the Kamikaze. New York: NAL Caliber, 2005. {{ISBN|0-451-21487-0}}.
• Wilson, Stewart. Zero, Hurricane & P-38, The Story of Three Classic Fighters of WW2 (Legends of the Air 4). Fyshwick, Australia: Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd., 1996. {{ISBN|1-875671-24-2}}.

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• [http://military.discovery.com/tv/showdown/cockpit/zero.html Tour A6M5 Zero cockpit]
• [http://mitsubishi_zero.tripod.com/ Mitsubishi A6M Zero Japanese fighter aircraft—design, construction, history]
• [http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/quotes/A6M.html www.j-aircraft.com: Quotes A6M]
• [http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/a6m.htm Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero Fighter), Joao Paulo Julião Matsuura]
• [http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/a6m-k.htm Mitsubishi A6M2-K and A6M5-K, Joao Paulo Julião Matsuura]
• [http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/a6m-n.htm Nakajima A6M2-N, Joao Paulo Julião Matsuura]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100106013056/http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/WarPrizes.htm War Prize: The Capture of the First Japanese Zero Fighter in 1941]

;Video links

• {{youTube|ZuoVlQOO4xc|Planes of Fame "61-120" A6M5 Zero Flight Video}}
• {{youTube|Xl3Vanoq_sU|Warren Pietsch, Texas Flying Legends Museum, A6M2 Model 21 Zero "Last Samurai" – Museum Secrets}}
• {{youTube|ztwxe6CmdiQ|Warren Pietsch, Texas Flying Legends Museum, A6M2 Model 21 Zero "Last Samurai" – Aerobatic Airshow}}

{{Mitsubishi aircraft}}

{{Japanese Navy short aircraft designations}}

{{Imperial Japanese Navy official aircraft names}}

{{Allied reporting names}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitsubishi A6m Zero}}

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Category:1930s Japanese fighter aircraft

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