Mitsubishi A5M

Mitsubishi A5M

Allied Code Name: "Claude"

Mitsubishi A5M

UNITS ALLOCATED

Carriers: Akagi, Hosho, Kaga, Ryujo and Zuiho.

12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, Oita, Ominato, Omura, Sasebo and Yokosuka Kokutais.

TECHNICAL DATA

Description: Single-seat carrier-borne fighter (A5M1 to A5M4), or single-seat land-based fighter (Ki-18 and Ki-33), or two-seat fighter-trainer (A5M4-K). All-metal construction with fabric-covered control surfaces.

Accommodation: Pilot in open cockpit (all versions except for A5M2b Model 22, Ki-33 and A5M4-K). Pilot in enclosed cockpit (A5M2b Model 22 and Ki-33). Student pilot and instructor in tandem open cockpits (A5M4-K).

Powerplant: One Nakajima Kotobuki 5 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 550 hp for take-off and 600 hp at 3,100 m, driving a two-blade propeller (Ka-14 No. 1 and Ki-18).

One Nakajima Kotobuki 3 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 640 hp for take-off and 715 hp at 2,800 m, driving a two-blade propeller (Ka-14 No. 2) or three-blade propeller (A5M2b).

One Nakajima Hikari 1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 700 hp for take-off and 800 hp at 3,500 m, driving a two-blade propeller (Ka-14 Nos. 3 to 5).

One Nakajima Kotobuki 2 KAI 1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 580 hp for take-off and 630 hp at 1,500 m, driving a two-blade propeller (A5M1).

One Nakajima Kotobuki 2 KAI 3A nine-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 610 hp for take-off and 690 hp at 3,250 m, driving a three-blade propeller (A5M2a).

One Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs twelve-cylinder vee liquid-cooled engine, rated at 610 hp for take-off and 690 hp at 3,900 m, driving a three-blade propeller (A5M3a).

One Nakajima Kotobuki 41 or 41 KAI nine-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 710 hp for take-off and 785 hp at 3,000 m, driving a three-blade propeller (A5M4 and A5M4-K).

One 720 hp Mitsubishi Kinsei A-8 or A-9 fourteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, driving a three-blade propeller (experimental installation on one Ka-14 prototype).

One Nakajima Ha-1a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial, rated at 710 hp for take-off and 745 hp at 3,700 m, driving a two-blade propeller (Ki-33).

Armament: Two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine-guns in the upper fuselage decking (all versions except as noted).

Two 20 mm Oerlikon FF cannons (A5M1a).

One engine-mounted 20 mm Hispano cannon (A5M3a).

External stores: two 30 kg bombs (A5M2b and A5M4), or one 160 litre drop tank (A5M4).

	Ka-14 (1st prototype)	A5M1	A5M4	Ki-18	Ki-33
Dimensions:
Span	11.00 m	11.00 m	11.00 m	11.00 m	11.00 m
Length	7.67 m	7.71 m	7.57 m	7.66 m	7.55 m
Height	3.27 m	3.20 m	3.27 m	3.15 m	3.19 m
Wing area	17.8 m²	17.8 m²	17.8 m²	17.8 m²	17.8 m²
Weights:
Empty	-	1,075 kg	1,216 kg	1,110 kg	1,132 kg
Loaded	1,373 kg	1,500 kg	1,671 kg	1,422 kg	1,462 kg
Wing loading	77.2 kg/m²	84.3 kg/m²	93.8 kg/m²	79.9 kg/m²	82.1 kg/m²
Power loading	2.5 kg/hp	2.6 kg/hp	2.4 kg/hp	2.6 kg/hp	2.1 kg/hp
Performance:
Maximum speed	243 kt at 3,200 m	219 kt at 2,100 m	235 kt at 3,000 m	445 km/h at 3,050 m	475 km/h at 3,000 m
Climb to	5,000 m	5,000 m	3,000 m	5,000 m	5,000 m
in	5 min 54 sec	8 min 30 sec	3 min 35 sec	6 min 26 sec	5 min 56 sec
Service ceiling	-	-	9,800 m	-	-
Range	-	-	648 naut miles	-	-

Production: A total of 1,094 A5Ms and derivatives were built as follows:

Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K., Nagoya:

6 Ka-14 prototypes (1935-36)

782 A5M1 to A5M4 (1936-40)

1 Ki-18 prototype (1935)

2 Ki-33 prototypes (1936)

791

K.K. Watanabe Tekkosho:

39 A5M4 (1939-42)

Dai-Nijuichi Kaigun Kokusho, Omura:

161 A5M4 (1939-41)

103 A5M4-K (1942-44)

264

A5M4 Three-view drawing

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