Mitsubishi A6M Zero history and specifications

Mitsubishi A6M Zero
イメージをクリックする事で拡大イメージが表示されます

It is universally known as Zero from its Japanese Navy designation, Type 0 Carrier Fighter (Rei shiki Kanjo sentoki, 零式艦上戦闘機), taken from the last digit of the Imperial year 2600 (1940), when it entered service. In Japan it was unofficially referred to as both Rei-sen and Zero-sen, Japanese pilots most commonly called their plane Zero-sen (the English word ‘zero’ and the French ‘zéro’ were introduced in the late 19th century by English and French engineers).

The official Allied code name was Zeke in keeping with the practice of giving boys' names to Japanese fighters, girls' names to bombers, bird names to gliders and tree names to trainers. The reason for choosing Zeke as a code name for the Mitsubishi A6M is uncertain. When in 1942 the Allied code for Japanese planes was introduced Zeke may have been thought an appropriate choice. Later two variants of the fighter, not immediately identified as such, received their own code names: the A6M2-N (floatplane version of the Zero) was called Rufe and the A6M3-32 variant was called Hamp.

A6M Zero List