Hobbies And Interests
Zero
The carrier-based Mitsubishi A6M was designated Type 0 and quickly became known as the Zero to American forces. Built light and aerodynamic with a one-piece aluminum wing, the Zero shocked U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor and afterward with its maneuverability and skyrocketing climb rate. It was armed with twin 7.7 mm machine guns and two 20 mm cannons. Nothing was spared in the pursuit of light weight and fuel efficiency for longer range, including pilot survivability -- the Zero had no armor protection. It was under-powered for its time as well, with only a 950 horsepower engine. Once the Allies developed dogfight techniques to counter it, the more powerful, heavily armed and armored Grumman F4F Wildcats established air domination over the Zero in the Pacific. Nearly 11,000 Zeroes were produced between 1940 and 1945, with fewer than 40 verified examples surviving today.
Mitsubishi JM2 Raiden
Nicknamed the "Jack" by Americans, the Raiden was designed by Jiro Horikoshi, designer of the Zero. As a land-based fighter interceptor, it was a heavier aircraft, with greater speed and power and less maneuverability than the Zero. The JM2 was chiefly used against United States B29 bombers. Powered by a 14-cylinder engine producing 1,820 horsepower, it was capable of a maximum speed of 371 miles per hour. JM2s were armed with four 22 mm cannons and could also carry two 132-lb. bombs.
Nakajima KI-43
Known as "Oscar," the KI-43 was a Japanese Army fighter aircraft powered by a 1,150 horsepower, 14-cylinder engine. It was armed with two 12.7 mm machine guns and two underwing bombs and assigned to long-range, land-based operations including the direct aerial defense of Tokyo. The KI-43 was in production during the entire span of World War II with nearly 6,000 manufactured. In the final stage of the war, many KI-43 were converted to use as Kamikaze suicide bombers.
Kawasaki KI-61
It was such a departure from the typical Japanese fighter theme that when the Allies first encountered the KI-61 in combat in the south Pacific, they believed it to be a copy of the German Messerschmitt. Instead of trademark Japanese air-cooled radial engines, the KI-61 utilized a large, liquid-cooled inline engine and was designed more for brute speed and power than agility. It was also heavily armored and extremely effective in dive mode, both bombing and pursuing American P-40s accustomed to escaping from lighter-weight Japanese fighters by diving. It carried two 12.7 mm machine guns, two 20 mm cannons and two 500-lb. bombs. Approximately 2,650 were produced and the KI-61 flew in opposition to American fighters and B29 bombers to the very end of the war.
Japanese Fighters Today
In 2011, the Japan Air Self Defense Force relies heavily on fighter-interceptors to oppose hostile aircraft. Approximately 360 fighters make up the J.A.S.D.F. fleet. The principal model, accounting for approximately one-third of Japan's fighters, is the McDonnell Douglas F-15. Of American design, the F-15 is produced in Japan as the F-15J under license to Mitsubishi. The single seat, two-engine F15J is armed with a 20 mm Vulcan cannon and has mounts to carry Sidewinder, Sparrow and Mitsubishi AAM-4 missiles. The FS-X support fighter also plays an increasing role in the J.A.S.D.F. Manufactured at both Lockheed in the United States and Mitsubishi in Japan, the single-engine, single seat FS-X carries an array of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles as well as a 20 mm cannon and mounts for both free-fall and smart bombs. Currently, the FS-X makes up 25 percent of the Japan Air Self Defense fighter fleet. The remainder are aging F-4s tentatively scheduled to be replaced by 2015 with Lockheed's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.