The A5M was the first carrier-based monoplane fighter in the world,
debuting with the IJN in 1937. It still retained the open cockpit and
fixed wheels of earlier biplanes, however. The A5M was used extensively
in the Chinese theatre in the late 1930's, but had been replaced
by the A6M Zero by 1941 in primary carrier groups. The last combat of
the A5M as a carrier fighter was at the Battle of Coral Sea in May
1942. Some 1,100 were built. It's Allied codename
was "Claude".
The A5M4 had a crew of one and used 26.3 gallons of aviation gas at routine usage.
Type 96 Carrier-Based Fighter
Subassemblies: Recon Plane chassis +2, Medium Wings +2, three
fixed wheels
+0.
P&P: 585-kW HP aerial gasoline engine with 585-kW prop
and 84-gallon standard fuel tanks [Wings]; 2,000-kW batteries.
Occ: 1 XCS Cargo: 1
Body
Weaponry
2¥Aircraft LMG/7.7mm Type 97 [Body:F] (500 rounds each)
2¥132lb bombs [Wings:U]
Equipment
Body: Medium radio receiver and transmitter, navigation
instruments,
autopilot, arrestor hook. Wings:
One 132-lb
hardpoint each.
Statistics
| Size: 25'x36'x11' | Payload: 0.54 tons | Lwt: 1.88 tons |
| Volume: 96 |
Maint.: 58 hours | Price: $11,700 |
HT: 8
HP: 60 Body, 80 each Wing, 6 each Wheel
| aSpeed: 273 |
aAccel: 9 |
aDecel: 35 |
aMR: 8.75 |
aSR: 1 |
|
| Stall: 64 mph |
Design Notes
The historical wing area of 192 sf has been used. Design speed was
290 mph. The weight, cost and HPs of the body were quadrupled,
primarily to increase robustness. Loaded weight was decreased 9% to
match historical. The -4 also has provisions to carry a 42-gallon
centerline drop tank (instead of the bombs). The chassis was about 0.6
spaces too small. Since there was 1.2 unused spaces in the wing this
was handwaved.
Variants
The A5M1 (1935) had two 20mm Oerlikon FF cannons (20mm Short
Aircraft AC) in the wings. It used a 436-kW engine, which gave it
aSpeed 252. .
The A5M2 (1937) used either a 455-kW (2a) or 477-kW (2b) engine. The
A5M2b could also carry the same bomb load as the A5M4. Some of the
initial 2b's had enclosed cockpits, but the pilots hated them, so
design reverted back to open cockpits.
The two experimental A5M3's used a 455-kW engine with a 20mm Hispano
cannon
(20mm Long Aircraft AC) firing through the propeller hub.
The A5M4-K was a two-seat trainer version (103 built) which continued in service after the A5M was withdrawn.