zooom posted 06-02-99 04:09 PM            

Can someone tell me what the difference is between these two planes in Warbirds and in real life.

I can't find that much info on the A6M3.

Thanks

Val_DoD posted 06-02-99 04:26 PM            

I'll have to get my books out at home later, but to start:

The A6M3 had the newer wing design. The Ailerons were a bit longer, and the folding tips were removed. That is why the wing appears to be shorter and squared off.

I also belive that the new style wing incorporated drum fed 20mm cannon which allowed for a larger ammo load.

The engine had more horse power as well.

All in all it rolled , accellerated, and climbed a little faster than the A6M2.

I'll post more info tonight.

val

------------------

Scott (val) Valline

Dweebs of Death

Warbirds Training Staff

Yak posted 06-02-99 04:38 PM            

somebody else will post some good information, but here's something in the meantime:

http://home.interlink.or.jp/~katoh00/kaigun/a6m/a6m.html

He gives a breakdown of the stats between the various A6M models, and has some silouttes so you can see the shape changes. The important thing to know is that the A6M2 we have is the Model 21, and the A5M3 we have is the Model 22. Damn the US for it's inconsistant numbering--they should have used more spies.

Yak

Bino posted 06-02-99 04:45 PM            

The following quote is from the page HOOF put together in his pre-iMOL days www.rdrop.com/users/hoofj/

"...The A6M3 is the best manoeverer of the three A6Ms Warbirds models. Sure the A6M2 will outturn it (eventually), but the A6M3 outrolls it by a large margin at all speeds, had a better horsepower to weight ratio, and does better at higher altitudes. Plus the A6M3 has better higher speed handling. But wheras the A6M5 loses turn performance and a bit of roll performance with all the extra weight added, the A6M3 is free from those degrading add-ons, and thus is the perfect TnB machine. Plus the A6M3 is on parity with the Ki43 in all areas except turning, unlike the A6M2, which helps immensly. The A6M3 is the most agile fighter at slow speeds, and thus is the most capable of defending itself at slow speeds, such as when in a close knifefight and some BnZ plane passes through..."

PS: The A6M3 has the same low-ROF, low-MV 20mm cannon as the A6M2, but carries lots more ammo.

zDom posted 06-02-99 07:37 PM            

I may be mistaken, but I thought the square-winged M3 came

with an additional snazzy nickname, too: "the Hamp"

triggr posted 06-02-99 07:50 PM            

I would add the the 3 is faster than the 2 and almost as fast as the 5 and seems to maintain its controllability in a dive better than both the 2 and the 5. Not that you want to fly these things fast since they all lose some aileron and elevator control at speed and therefore can be taken advantage of at speed by a better high speed performing plane.

Manx posted 06-02-99 10:29 PM            

Ahh, the old A6M3 confusion

The important thing to know is that the A6M2 we have is the Model 21, and the A5M3 we have is the Model 22. Damn the US for it's inconsistant numbering--they should have used more spies.

Hehe Yak, actually, as zDom pointed out, the WB A6M3 is the clipped wing model 32. It's confusing because both model 32 and 22 are designated as A6M3 (by IJN, not the US spies).

To add to the confusion, model 32 came before model 22. Model 22 is basically the same as model 32 except for reverting to folding longer wings, extra fuel tank in the wings. The inner edge of the aileron that was shortened in 32 was extended back again in 22. All in an effort to extend the range of 32 for the Solomons campaign. Later model 22s carried the long-barrelled Type 99 mk 2 cannon that A6M5 would carry.

Hap/Hamp designation only applied to the model 32 and was eventually dropped officially in favor of Zeke 32.

-manx-

II./JG54

Fryorb posted 06-02-99 11:48 PM            

This is the info out on early model A6M's from a BIG book on fighters I have.

An outline specification for a 12-Shi successor for the A5M shipboard fighter was issued by the Imperial Navy Staff on 19 May 1937, the design of Mitsubishi's contender being assigned to a team led by Jiro Horikoshi. The first prototype flown on 1 April 1939, was pwered, like the second prototype, by a Mitsubishi Zuisei 13 engine rated at 875 hp at 11,810 ft (3,600 m). On 14 September, the 12-Shi aircraft was accepted as the Type 0 Carrier Fighter, or Rei shiki Kanjo sentoki, a contraction of this formal designation, Rei-sen, becoming the unofficial popular appellation of the fighter. The less formal official designation was A6M, the first two prototypes being A6M1s, and the third prototype, flown on 18 January 1940 with a Nakajima Sakae 12 engine rated at 950 hp 13,780 ft (4,200 m), being the A6M2. The Sakae engined model was adopted for series production, an additional prototype, 15 similar pre-series examples (committed to combat in China from July 1940) and 48 series aircraft being delivered as the Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 11. With the 68th Rei-sen, manually folded wintips were introduced, 740 with this feature being built as Model 21s, two subtypes being similar in other respects and carrying an armament of two 20mm and two 7.7mm guns. A further development, the A6M3 flown in June 1941, discarded the folding wingtips, thus redusing wingspan by 3ft 1/3in (1.00m), and adopted the Sakae 21 engine providing 1,130 hp for take-off. A total of 343 was built as Model 32s before the folding wingtips were reinstated, production continued as the Model 22, and, with long barrelled cannon, as the Model 22-ko, a further 560 being built between autumn 1942 and summer 1943.

The following data relate to the Model 21. Max speed: 331mph (533 km/h) at 14,930ft (4,550m). Initial climb: 3,100 ft/min (15.75 m/sec). Max range: 1930 mls (3,105 km). Empty weight: 3,704 lb (1,680 kg). Loaded weight: 5,313 lb (2,410 kg). Span 39ft 4 1/2in (12.00 m). Length: 29ft 8 3/4in (9.06 m). Height: 10ft 0 1/2in (3.05 m). Wing area: 241.55 sq ft (22.44 m2).

Yes...I was bored when I typed this.

my $2.00 worth

Fryorb