COBI Building Set HC WW2 Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero-Sen" (COBI-5729)

Build your model of the Japanese fighter aircraft Mitsubishi A6M2 ZERO, which was in active service from 1940-1945. The assembled aircraft has a wingspan of 33.5 cm, an overall length of 28 cm, and a height of 13 cm. Movable parts include flaps, a rotating propeller, retractable landing gear, and a removable cockpit cover. The package contains 250 blocks and 1 figure of Japanese pilots in Tainan Naval Air Force uniform. The aircraft can stand on its own landing gear or on a stand included in the package.

Interesting facts:
» The development of the aircraft began in 1937 at the request of the Imperial Navy's aviation office, which was looking for a replacement for the outdated A5M.
» Two companies, Mitsubishi and Nakajima, entered the competition. When company representatives unsealed the envelopes with the requirements for the new aircraft, Nakajima withdrew from the competition after a brief study, considering the requirements unattainable.
» The design was undertaken by a young engineer Jiro Horikoshi, who never became a pilot due to severe myopia. In 2013, a feature-length animated film The Wind Rises was made based on the famous engineer's life story.
» The first flight of the prototype took place on April 1, 1939, in Kagamigahara. After the construction of the second prototype, tests were also conducted on the aircraft carrier Kaga. 
» Thanks to a powerful engine, the fighter was equipped with a three-blade propeller. The requirements of the Imperial Navy were met.
» The powerful engine and lightweight construction were behind the high agility of the Zero model. Japanese aircraft had no competition until the arrival of the American Hellcat. American General Claire Lee Chennault noted that maneuvering against the acrobatic abilities of the Japanese is suicide.
» The mythical invincibility of the Zeros aircraft changed only after the event of June 4, 1942, when young Japanese pilot Tadayoshi Koga was forced to land with a damaged aircraft in the marshy terrain of the nearby Akutan Island after an attack on Dutch Harbor.
» The Americans managed to rescue the machine from the deep mud, repair it, and test it. Tests showed that the maneuverability of the Zero significantly decreased at speeds above 370 km/h, and the engine would shut down under negative overload, as the carburetor was unable to supply fuel. » Based on these findings, the American Navy developed a new and successful tactic. Nevertheless, the Zero remained a dangerous opponent until the end of the war.
» Approximately 11,000 units were produced in various versions.

Technical parameters of the original:
Dimensions: wingspan 12 m, length 9.1 m, height 3.53 m
Maximum takeoff weight: 2,796 kg
Power unit: 14-cylinder radial engine Nakajima NK1C SAKAE-12, 700 kW
Maximum speed: 533 km/h
Maximum flight altitude: 10,000 m
Range: 1,870 km
Climb rate: 15.7 m/s
Fuel tank volume: 545 l + 330 l in an auxiliary tank
Armament: 2x cannon 99-1Mk.3 caliber 20 mm + 2x machine gun 97MG caliber 7.7 mm + 2x 60 kg aerial bomb
Crew: 1

Parameters:
Number of figures: 1 pc
Scale: 1:32
Box dimensions (package): Dimensions 34 x 24 x 6 cm
Number of blocks: 347 pcs
Dimensions when assembled: 38 x 27 x 11.5 cm
Package weight: 545 g
Recommended age: 7+
Blocks can be combined with another well-known brand: Yes
Collection: World War II