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Hasegawa "1/72 Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Type 22/32 Seaplane Fighter" plastic model.
The Zero, which achieved victory in the early stages of the war, was an amazing fighter plane that achieved the best possible flight performance with an engine of less than 1,000 horsepower.

Because it was such an excellent aircraft, both the manufacturer and the military began to demand something even better, and in early 1941, just one year before the outbreak of the Pacific War, development of the A6M3 model, including an engine replacement, began.

The main focus of the development was on the manufacturer's side to improve high-altitude performance by replacing the engine, and on the service side to improve roll rate and speed performance by eliminating the wing folding mechanism, as well as to improve productivity and maintainability.

The engine was a high-performance Sakae 21 type with a single-stage, two-speed supercharger, and the propeller was a Hamilton constant-speed propeller with a diameter 15 cm larger to absorb the increased horsepower.

Although the engine's performance improved, the weight increased, so the mounting parts and fuselage were significantly modified, resulting in a shorter fuselage compared to the Zero Fighter Type 21.

The cowling has also been redesigned for improved aerodynamics, with the carburetor intake moved from the bottom to the top.

The wingtips were squared off and shortened by a total of 1m.

The 20mm cannons on the wing were also replaced with Type 99 No. 2 fixed guns, which had more ammunition.

The modified A6M3 made its first flight on July 14, 1941, and after numerous tests, was adopted by the Navy as the Zero Type 2 Carrier Fighter Model 32, and deployed to the Solomon Islands and the Southwest Pacific.

As a result of these modifications, speed and roll rate improved, but horizontal maneuverability and the range that were characteristic of the Zero fighter were significantly reduced.

Although this was not a major problem when the aircraft first entered service, the lack of range became a major issue when the long-distance invasion from Rabaul to Guadalcanal began.

Therefore, a model with improved range was created by reducing the wing width to 12m and adding fuel tanks in the outer wings, and was adopted as the Zero Type 2 Carrier Fighter Model 22 on January 29, 1943.

The Type 22 had a longer range than the Type 32, and while the Type 32 was a new aircraft and was subsequently assigned to training units, the Type 22 played a leading role in the air battles over the Solomon Islands.

In addition, the Type 22A and Type 32A versions were also produced, in which the armament in the main wings was replaced with a long-barreled Type 99 Type 2 fixed gun, Model 3.

Mitsubishi A6M Zero Type 22 Carrier Fighter Crew: 1 Wingspan: 12.00m Length: 9.060m Height: 3.570m Maximum Speed: 540.8km/h (6,000m) Engine: "Sakae" Type 21 (Takeoff Power 1,130hp) Armament: 2 x 7.7mm machine guns, 2 x 20mm cannons Data: Mitsubishi A6M Zero Type 32 Crew: 1 Wingspan: 11.00m Length: 9.060m Height: 3.570m Maximum Speed: 544.5km/h (6,000m) Engine: "Sakae" Type 21 (Takeoff Power 1,130hp) Armament: 2 x 7.7mm machine guns, 2 x 20mm cannons This is a selectable Type 22/Type 32 kit that combines the old AP15 and AP16.

Decals are included for three aircraft.

22nd type, 251st Naval Air Group, Senior Flight Sergeant Nishizawa Hiroyoshi, aircraft "U1-105" 22nd type, 202nd Naval Air Group, aircraft "X2-172" 32nd type, Tainan Naval Air Group, Senior Flight Sergeant Tanimizu Takeo, aircraft "Tai-180".
* This product is a plastic model that requires assembly and painting.
* Separate adhesives, tools, paints, etc. are required for assembly and painting.
* "Plastic model" is a registered trademark owned by the Japan Plastic Model Industrial Cooperative.
* This product does not include adhesives, paints, tools, batteries, etc.

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Tags:

Hasegawa  Seaplane  PlasticModel  JapaneseNavy  1_72  ZeroFighter  A6M3