Type 22 A6M3 Zero

by Chris Beaumont

Four more images in the text and four at the bottom of the page

The type 22 Zero's major design distinction was its wider, 12 metre wingspan.

This extra span incorporated folding wingtips, and gave the type 22 a greater range than the earlier type 32 model. This particular example had the antenna mast cut off at the canopy. A caption to a similar looking camouflaged aircraft on page 62 of the Japanese "Aero Detail # 7 Zero" fighter manual suggests that the removal of the radio and mast was typical of aircraft deployed at Rabaul during this period. In the birdseye model photo view below you will notice a hole in the canopy frame just behind where the antenna pole would have been. This is a cut-out ventalation hole.

This aircraft was piloted by Hiroyoshi Nishizawa of the 251st Flying Group stationed at Rabaul, Spring 1943.

Due to these excellant Zero photo manuals that feature a painting based on a photo of this exact aircraft, and moreso because of Shigeo Koike's exsquisitly illustrated box art I was able to confidently reproduce the squiggly camouflage pattern immediately aft of the cowling on the port side. The starboard side was copied from Hasegawa's painting instructions and could not be confirmed due to a lack of any additional reference.

 

The "Famous Aircraft Of The World" and the "Aero Detail" reference series can be found at specialist hobby shops and at HobbyLink Japan

 

A d d i t i o n a l   P h o t o g r a p h s


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For More Japanese Aircraft Visit
Hiroyuki Takeuchi's " Wings Of The Sun " Japanese aircraft page