One of the most famous -- or infamous -- fighters of WWII, depending on your point of view, captured 4/4/09, at the semibeautiful Chino Planes of Fame Museum in the semibeautiful Chino Airport in semibeautiful Chino, California. Like several other aircraft at the museum, this one is in top-notch flyable condition. They have it listed as a Mitsubishi Jukogyo KK AM65 Reisen Zero/Zeke. I love that nose/prop spinner. The model airplane shown at the bottom left in the top picture is a Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter. Some postwork involved in this effort, but not anywhere as much as with the Boeing P-26 Peashooter previously shown. ------------- The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a lightweight fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) from 1940 to 1945. The origin of its official designation was that "A" signified a carrier-based fighter, "6" for the sixth such model built for the Imperial Navy, and "M" for the manufacturer, Mitsubishi. The A6M was usually referred to by the Allies as the "Zero," a name that was frequently misapplied to other Japanese fighters, such as the Nakajima Ki-43, as well as other codenames and nicknames, including "Zeke", "Hamp" and "Hap". When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was the best carrier-based fighter in the world combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a "dogfighter," but by 1942, new tactics and techniques enabled Allied pilots to engage the Zero on more equal terms. The IJNAS also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the increasing scarcity of more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer enemy fighters that possessed greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approached the Zero's maneuverability. Although the Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, it remained in production. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was utilized in kamikaze operations. Armament Guns: 2 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 machine guns in the engine cowling, with 500 rounds per gun, the machine guns had ammunition for 30 seconds. 2 20 mm Type 99 cannons in the wings, with 60 rpg. The cannon had ammunition for 7 seconds. Bombs: 2 60 kg (132 lb) bombs or 2 fixed 250 kg (551 lb) bombs for kamikaze attacks Source: Wikipedia encyclopedia Thankx for clicking on, and have a tempestuous Tuesday.