A6M2 - Revision history

U17577377: /* History */

2024-08-28T07:33:35Z

‎History

U44629479: Undo revision 183477 by U100821071 (talk)

2024-03-16T07:51:21Z

Undo revision 183477 by U100821071 (talk)

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U100821071: minor grammatical issues

2024-03-15T19:11:43Z

minor grammatical issues

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U38088265: /* Description */

2023-11-21T10:01:44Z

‎Description

U17577377: /* Description */

2023-11-20T10:44:05Z

‎Description

U144497560: Added wing rip to pros and cons

2023-10-31T10:15:56Z

Added wing rip to pros and cons

U44629479: Undo revision 165406 by U118123450 (talk)

2023-06-23T07:26:04Z

Undo revision 165406 by U118123450 (talk)

U118123450: /* Pros and cons */

2023-06-23T07:24:33Z

‎Pros and cons

U38088265: /* In-game description */ Reformatted

2022-11-20T16:57:23Z

‎In-game description: Reformatted

U17577377: Spitfires Aren't That Scary

2022-10-19T22:21:26Z

Spitfires Aren't That Scary

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 Nakajima soon bowed out in the face of such seemingly impossible requirements, but Jiro Horikoshi, who had previously designed the A5M, and his design team at Mitsubishi were undeterred. In addition to the already demanding requirements of the IJN, Horikoshi was also limited by the relatively weak engines that the Japanese aviation industry had to offer at the time. Selecting the lighter but less powerful Mitsubishi Zuisei-13 ("Holy Star"), which had a rating of less than 900 hp, the Mitsubishi team strove to design the lightest possible airframe around the engine, but that was still strong enough to withstand carrier operations and carry enough fuel and weapons to be an effective fighter. To this end, they were fortunate that the Sumitomo Metal Company had just finished developing a new strong zinc-aluminium alloy known as Extra Super Duralumin (ESD), allowing thinner sheets to be used for the skin of the fighter without loss of strength. However, they also had to dispense with self-sealing fuel tanks and any sort of armour for the pilot. The relatively light but less powerful Oerlikon FF 20 mm cannon was chosen as the fighter's main armament, produced in Japan as the 20 mm Type 99. A large wing ensured a low wing loading to ensure manoeuvrability but limited the diving and level speeds.
-The first flight of the Prototype 12-shi carrier fighter (later designated A6M1) took place on 1 April 1939. The next month, the IJNAF expressed its intentions to switch from the Zuisei-13 to the more powerful Nakajima Sakae-12 ("Prosperity") 14-cylinder radial engine, and it was first installed on the third prototype. This prototype would be designated as the A6M2, and it was with the Sakae radial engine that almost every model of the A6M fighter family would go to war. Testing of the first three A6M prototypes took place later that year. The A6M1 was able to meet all but the maximum speed requirements, but the Sakae-equipped A6M2 exceeded them at 331 mph. On 31 July 1940, the Mitsubishi A6M2 was formally accepted by the IJNAF as the Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 11.
+The first flight of the Prototype 12-shi carrier fighter (later designated A6M1) took place on 1 April 1939. The next month, the IJNAS expressed its intentions to switch from the Zuisei-13 to the more powerful Nakajima Sakae-12 ("Prosperity") 14-cylinder radial engine, and it was first installed on the third prototype. This prototype would be designated as the A6M2, and it was with the Sakae radial engine that almost every model of the A6M fighter family would go to war. Testing of the first three A6M prototypes took place later that year. The A6M1 was able to meet all but the maximum speed requirements, but the Sakae-equipped A6M2 exceeded them at 331 mph. On 31 July 1940, the Mitsubishi A6M2 was formally accepted by the IJNAS as the Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 11.
 The A6M2 proved itself during combat in China. The aircraft also performed well during its carrier trials. One problem that did quickly arise was its ability to fit on carrier's elevators. The solution was to have the A6M2 fold its wing tips to avoid damage. This reduced the total wingspan by 20 inches. This change required it to have a new designation. The aircraft was put into production in November of 1941 and a total of 740 were constructed. This particular variant was code-named "Zeke 21" by Allies.

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''A6M2 Mod. 21''',  designated as the '''Type 0 Carrier-based Fighter Model 21 ({{Annotation|零式艦上戦闘機二一型|Rei Shiki Kanjō Sentōki, Ni Ichi Gata}})''', was the most common version of the Zero encountered by Allied pilots. The A6M2 had excellent maneuverability and long range, making it a formidable carrier-borne dogfighter in the early stages of the war. It participated in several major battles, such as Pearl Harbor, Midway, and the Aleutians. However, it also had some weaknesses, such as lack of armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, and hydraulic boosters. As the war progressed, the A6M2 Model 21 became outmatched by newer and more powerful Allied fighters, such as the [[F6F (Family)|F6F ''Hellcat'']] and the [[F4U (Family)|F4U ''Corsair'']].
+The '''A6M2 Mod. 21''',  designated as the '''Type 0 Carrier-based Fighter Model 21 ({{Annotation|零式艦上戦闘機二一型|Rei Shiki Kanjō Sentōki, Ni Ichi Gata}})''', was the most common version of the Zero encountered by Allied pilots. The A6M2 had excellent manoeuvrability and long range, making it a formidable carrier-borne dogfighter in the early stages of the war. It participated in several major battles, such as Pearl Harbor, Midway, and the Aleutian Islands campaign. However, it also had some weaknesses, such as lack of armour, self-sealing fuel tanks, or hydraulic boosters. As the war progressed, the A6M2 Model 21 became outmatched by newer and more powerful Allied fighters, such as the [[F6F (Family)|F6F ''Hellcat'']] and the [[F4U (Family)|F4U ''Corsair'']].
-It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. As the first proper production model of the [[A6M]] series, the A6M2 mod. 21 comes with the full package for carrier operations over the [[A6M2 mod. 11]], tail hook, external fuel tank mountings, and foldable wing tips. Other than different wings, the Model 21 will fly on par with the earlier model. It has an near unprecedented maneuverability and deadly, but limited and low-velocity, 20 mm cannons. The A6M2 can dominate any dogfight at its own or lower altitude, depending on the pilot's skill, but it can be easily outrun by faster enemies. In that case, the pilot has to decide whether to take a final shot or break off the engagement, as pursuing the enemy may expose the Zero to interception by other fighters. If faced with a Boom-N-Zoom attack, the pilot must avoid the enemy's fire by using the Zero's agility, as the plane has no armour, self-sealing fuel tanks or robust airframe. Although the A6M2 is not the fastest plane in its tier, it can keep up with its opponents better than the later A6M5s, which encounter proportionally much faster aircraft more often.
+It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. As the first proper production model of the [[A6M]] series, the A6M2 mod. 21 comes with the full package for carrier operations over the [[A6M2 mod. 11]]: tail hook, external fuel tank mountings, and foldable wing tips. Despite the different wings, the Model 21 will fly on par with the earlier model. It has near unprecedented manoeuvrability, and deadly but limited and low-velocity 20 mm cannons. The A6M2 can dominate any dogfight at its own or lower altitude, depending on the pilot's skill, but it can be easily outrun by faster enemies. In that case, the pilot has to decide whether to take a final shot or break off the engagement, as pursuing the enemy may expose the Zero to interception by other fighters. If faced with a Boom-N-Zoom attack, the pilot must avoid the enemy's fire by using the Zero's agility, as the plane has no armour, self-sealing fuel tanks, or robust airframe. Although the A6M2 is not the fastest plane in its tier, it can keep up with its opponents better than the later A6M5s, which encounter proportionally much faster aircraft more often.
 ;Nicknames
-* IJN Pilot nickname: ''Reisen'' (零戦) / ''Zerosen'' (ゼロ戦) <small>(Abbriviation of 0 - {{Annotation|戦|Fight(er aircraft)}})</small>.
+* IJN Pilot nickname: ''Reisen'' (零戦) / ''Zerosen'' (ゼロ戦) <small>(Abbreviation of 0 - {{Annotation|戦|Fight(er aircraft)}})</small>.
 * Allied reporting name: ''Zeke / Zero''.
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 Force an enemy pilot into a dogfight at 370 - 400 km/h and below 6,000 m. At this speed and altitude, no enemy fighter can out-manoeuvre or out-climb you except for early Spitfires. Jump on cruising enemy aircraft from above. Fasten onto the tail of the bandit, use your superior manoeuvrability to match his evasive moves, and put enough rounds into him to bring him down. Use your machine guns first to "bore-sight" the enemy - once you get hits on him, finish him off with your cannons. Below 480 km/h you can fling the Zero all over the sky to get on an enemy's tail or to shake off all but the most determined attacker. Climb away from most enemy aircraft, hanging on your prop in a near-vertical climb. Manoeuvres like the Immelmann are easy, and heavier fighters can't stay with you. The Zero rolls faster to the left than to the right. Roll left to tighten your turn and get onto the enemy's six. Don't dive away from attackers - your plane doesn't have the power or weight to out-run most fighters. To exploit your plane's best performance, force the enemy lower and slow down the pace of the engagement.
 The Zero can be easily set on fire which can cause catastrophic damage. If you are on fire, immediately press "I" (or you own engine keybind) to turn off your engine. This has a chance of extinguishing the fire after a few seconds of switching the engine off, but at the same time it may not. If luckily the fire does go out, press "I" again to turn the engine back on. If the damage is controlled, the A6M2 might still be able to join another fight or to fly back to base in one piece.
 === Realistic Battles ===
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 === Enemies worth noting ===
-* [[P-61C-1]]: this plane is one tough nut to crack. It is quite fast, packs a fatal punch, has a searching radar, and a deadly turret on top. The turret consists of 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns that cover the upper half of the plane, and most P-61 players tend to fly low or get you into their upper half to target you with the turret. Avoid being above them at all costs, utilize the Zero's maneuverability and sneak under their belly. Its appearance resembles a P-38: a center fuselage with two engine nacelles extending backwards and forming the twin tail like a frame, you will know it is a Black Widow and not a Lightning when red tracer bullets start shooting out from it.
+* [[P-61C-1]]: this plane is one tough nut to crack. It is quite fast, packs a fatal punch, has a searching radar, and a deadly turret on top. The turret consists of 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns that cover the upper half of the plane, and most P-61 players tend to fly low or get you into their upper half to target you with the turret. Avoid being above them at all costs, utilize the Zero's manoeuvrability and sneak under their belly. Its appearance resembles a P-38: a center fuselage with two engine nacelles extending backwards and forming the twin tail like a frame, you will know it is a Black Widow and not a Lightning when red tracer bullets start shooting out from it.
 * [[I-16 (Family)|I-16]]: the late I-16s are equipped with ShVAK cannons that can be pretty dangerous to your fragile airframe. They can turn equally well as the Zero, have superior roll rate but the stability is so terrible that as soon as they pull a little more on the stick, they will enter spins. Therefore it is quite easy to counter them: engage a turnfight with them and turn tighter and tighter, or do a few barrel rolls. They will quickly lose control and start spinning and it is quite hard to recover. Then simply get some separation, turn around and put some solid shots into them. They have an I-15's short and fat fuselage, a flat radial engine and triangular stabilisers located right after the low-mounted mono wings, all covered in olive green paint.
 * [[P-47D-23-RA (China)|P-47D]]/[[P-51D-20-NA|P-51D]]: these bulky aircraft do not climb as well, but they pack some heavy punches with their numerous .50 cal MGs. They are also faster in level flight and dives, so you may usually see them roaming through the battlefield at high speeds. Do not attempt to catch them when they are fast, wait until they are on the deck. Against their possible BnZ attacks, perform the conventional evasive manoeuvre of rolling under the diver. Dodging again and again may cause them to lose patience and start chasing after you, rather than zooming away. The A6M2 can then easily unleash its superior manoeuvrability and get on their tail. In general, when facing these planes, try not to get hit. Their bullets deal significant damage to the Zero's fragile body.
 === Countering the Zero ===

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.
+The '''A6M2 Mod. 21''',  designated as the '''Type 0 Carrier-based Fighter Model 21 ({{Annotation|零式艦上戦闘機二一型|Rei Shiki Kanjō Sentōki, Ni Ichi Gata}})''', was the most common version of the Zero encountered by Allied pilots. The A6M2 had excellent maneuverability and long range, making it a formidable carrier-borne dogfighter in the early stages of the war. It participated in several major battles, such as Pearl Harbor, Midway, and the Aleutians. However, it also had some weaknesses, such as lack of armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, and hydraulic boosters. As the war progressed, the A6M2 Model 21 became outmatched by newer and more powerful Allied fighters, such as the [[F6F (Family)|F6F ''Hellcat'']] and the [[F4U (Family)|F4U ''Corsair'']].
-As the first proper production model of the [[A6M]] series, the A6M2 mod. 21 comes with the full package for carrier operations over the [[A6M2 mod. 11]], tail hook, external fuel tank mountings, and foldable wing tips. Other than different wings, the Model 21 will fly on par with the earlier model.
+It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. As the first proper production model of the [[A6M]] series, the A6M2 mod. 21 comes with the full package for carrier operations over the [[A6M2 mod. 11]], tail hook, external fuel tank mountings, and foldable wing tips. Other than different wings, the Model 21 will fly on par with the earlier model. It has an near unprecedented maneuverability and deadly, but limited and low-velocity, 20 mm cannons. The A6M2 can dominate any dogfight at its own or lower altitude, depending on the pilot's skill, but it can be easily outrun by faster enemies. In that case, the pilot has to decide whether to take a final shot or break off the engagement, as pursuing the enemy may expose the Zero to interception by other fighters. If faced with a Boom-N-Zoom attack, the pilot must avoid the enemy's fire by using the Zero's agility, as the plane has no armour, self-sealing fuel tanks or robust airframe. Although the A6M2 is not the fastest plane in its tier, it can keep up with its opponents better than the later A6M5s, which encounter proportionally much faster aircraft more often.
 == General info ==

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 ** Fragile, little armour, and no self-sealing fuel tanks
 * Can be out-turned by early Spitfires
 == History ==

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 * '''A'''6M for Carrier-based fighter:
 ** Strictly air-to-air role
 ** Decent cannon armament
 ** Extremely manoeuvrable
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 * '''A'''6M for Carrier-based fighter:
 ** Strictly air-to-air role
 ** Limited ammo
 ** Slow
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 ** Poor Cannon offensive armament: [[Type 99 Model 1 (20 mm)|20 mm Type 99 Model 1 Cannon]]
 *** Very low muzzle velocity
 ** Fragile, little armour, and no self-sealing fuel tanks
 * Can be out-turned by early Spitfires

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 * [[P-61C-1]]: this plane is one tough nut to crack. It is quite fast, packs a fatal punch, has a searching radar, and a deadly turret on top. The turret consists of 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns that cover the upper half of the plane, and most P-61 players tend to fly low or get you into their upper half to target you with the turret. Avoid being above them at all costs, utilize the Zero's maneuverability and sneak under their belly. Its appearance resembles a P-38: a center fuselage with two engine nacelles extending backwards and forming the twin tail like a frame, you will know it is a Black Widow and not a Lightning when red tracer bullets start shooting out from it.
 * [[I-16 (Family)|I-16]]: the late I-16s are equipped with ShVAK cannons that can be pretty dangerous to your fragile airframe. They can turn equally well as the Zero, have superior roll rate but the stability is so terrible that as soon as they pull a little more on the stick, they will enter spins. Therefore it is quite easy to counter them: engage a turnfight with them and turn tighter and tighter, or do a few barrel rolls. They will quickly lose control and start spinning and it is quite hard to recover. Then simply get some separation, turn around and put some solid shots into them. They have an I-15's short and fat fuselage, a flat radial engine and triangular stabilisers located right after the low-mounted mono wings, all covered in olive green paint.
 * [[P-47D-23-RA (China)|P-47D]]/[[P-51D-20-NA|P-51D]]: these bulky aircraft do not climb as well, but they pack some heavy punches with their numerous .50 cal MGs. They are also faster in level flight and dives, so you may usually see them roaming through the battlefield at high speeds. Do not attempt to catch them when they are fast, wait until they are on the deck. Against their possible BnZ attacks, perform the conventional evasive manoeuvre of rolling under the diver. Dodging again and again may cause them to lose patience and start chasing after you, rather than zooming away. The A6M2 can then easily unleash its superior manoeuvrability and get on their tail. In general, when facing these planes, try not to get hit. Their bullets deal significant damage to the Zero's fragile body.
 === Countering the Zero ===
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 The A6M2 proved itself during combat in China. The aircraft also performed well during its carrier trials. One problem that did quickly arise was its ability to fit on carrier's elevators. The solution was to have the A6M2 fold its wing tips to avoid damage. This reduced the total wingspan by 20 inches. This change required it to have a new designation. The aircraft was put into production in November of 1941 and a total of 740 were constructed. This particular variant was code-named "Zeke 21" by Allies.
-=== In-game description ===
+{{break}}
 At its launch, the A6M2 model 11 knew no equal.
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 A total of 740 A6M2 model 21s were built in Mitsubishi plants; 326 were built in Nakajima plants.
 === Notable pilots ===

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 == Usage in battles ==
 <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
-The A6M2 Reisen is a very manoeuvrable plane, so note that when battling it, do not engage in low manoeuvres. Try to force it into high-speed manoeuvres, as it's prone to ripping/compressing at high speeds. Apply boom and zoom tactics on this plane as it will be easily cornered. However, some aircraft like the early Spitfires are capable of adequately dogfight the A6M2 by out-turning it, so take care to know the aircraft well when comparing against the A6M2.
+The A6M2 Reisen is a very manoeuvrable plane, so note that when battling it, do not engage in low manoeuvres. Try to force it into high-speed manoeuvres, as it's prone to ripping/compressing at high speeds. Apply boom and zoom tactics on this plane as it will be easily cornered.
-Force an enemy pilot into a dogfight at 370 - 400 km/h and below 6,000 m. At this speed and altitude, no enemy fighter can out-manoeuvre or out-climb you except for early Spitfires. Jump on cruising enemy aircraft from above. Fasten onto the tail of the bandit, use your superior manoeuvrability to match his evasive moves, and put enough rounds into him to bring him down. Use your machine guns first to "bore-sight" the enemy - once you get hits on him, finish him off with your cannons. Below 480 km/h you can fling the Zero all over the sky to get on an enemy's tail or to shake off all but the most determined attacker. Climb away from most enemy aircraft, hanging on your prop in a near-vertical climb. Manoeuvres like the Immelmann are easy, and heavier fighters can't stay with you. The Zero rolls faster to the left than to the right. Roll left to tighten your turn and get onto the enemy's six. Don't dive away from attackers - your plane doesn't have the power or weight to out-run most fighters. To exploit your plane's best performance, force the enemy lower and slow down the pace of the engagement. If facing against a Spitfire, try position the A6M2 to surprise the fighter, or attack it alongside a teammate.
+Force an enemy pilot into a dogfight at 370 - 400 km/h and below 6,000 m. At this speed and altitude, no enemy fighter can out-manoeuvre or out-climb you except for early Spitfires. Jump on cruising enemy aircraft from above. Fasten onto the tail of the bandit, use your superior manoeuvrability to match his evasive moves, and put enough rounds into him to bring him down. Use your machine guns first to "bore-sight" the enemy - once you get hits on him, finish him off with your cannons. Below 480 km/h you can fling the Zero all over the sky to get on an enemy's tail or to shake off all but the most determined attacker. Climb away from most enemy aircraft, hanging on your prop in a near-vertical climb. Manoeuvres like the Immelmann are easy, and heavier fighters can't stay with you. The Zero rolls faster to the left than to the right. Roll left to tighten your turn and get onto the enemy's six. Don't dive away from attackers - your plane doesn't have the power or weight to out-run most fighters. To exploit your plane's best performance, force the enemy lower and slow down the pace of the engagement.
 The Zero can be easily set on fire which can cause catastrophic damage. If you are on fire, immediately press "I" (or you own engine keybind) to turn off your engine. This has a chance of extinguishing the fire after a few seconds of switching the engine off, but at the same time it may not. If luckily the fire does go out, press "I" again to turn the engine back on. If the damage is controlled, the A6M2 might still be able to join another fight or to fly back to base in one piece.
@@ Line 153: / Line 153: @@
 === Enemies worth noting ===
 * [[P-61C-1]]: this plane is one tough nut to crack. It is quite fast, packs a fatal punch, has a searching radar, and a deadly turret on top. The turret consists of 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns that cover the upper half of the plane, and most P-61 players tend to fly low or get you into their upper half to target you with the turret. Avoid being above them at all costs, utilize the Zero's maneuverability and sneak under their belly. Its appearance resembles a P-38: a center fuselage with two engine nacelles extending backwards and forming the twin tail like a frame, you will know it is a Black Widow and not a Lightning when red tracer bullets start shooting out from it.
 * [[I-16 (Family)|I-16]]: the late I-16s are equipped with ShVAK cannons that can be pretty dangerous to your fragile airframe. They can turn equally well as the Zero, have superior roll rate but the stability is so terrible that as soon as they pull a little more on the stick, they will enter spins. Therefore it is quite easy to counter them: engage a turnfight with them and turn tighter and tighter, or do a few barrel rolls. They will quickly lose control and start spinning and it is quite hard to recover. Then simply get some separation, turn around and put some solid shots into them. They have an I-15's short and fat fuselage, a flat radial engine and triangular stabilisers located right after the low-mounted mono wings, all covered in olive green paint.