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Last update:
05/05/2012
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Nakajima A6M2-N Rufe |
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Scale 1:33 |
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Author: Lukasz Fuczek |
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File Size: 26.5Mb |
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Please take a look at
Our Offer page before placing an
order. |
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Pilot: CPO Eitoku
Matsunaga, 8 victories
934th Kokutai
Banda Sea/ Ambon Island
September 1943-1944
Model also contains
transport cart for the plane.
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Price $12.00 |
Model # 070 |
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Model of the Rufe
(different markings), in
printed format, is available from WAK |
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If ordering a CD, please
add $5.75
for Shipping & Handling. One charge per order. |
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Technical data: |
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Length |
10.10 m |
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Span |
12.00 m |
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Engine |
1 x Nakajima NK1C Sakae 12, 950hp |
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Max Speed |
436 km/h |
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Armament |
2 x 20mm Type 99 cannons and 2 x
7.7mm Type 97 machine guns |
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Range |
1,782km |
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Crew |
1 |
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Japan was the only nation to produce and
deliver into service float-equipped single-seat interceptor fighter
seaplanes. When in 1940 the Japanese navy initiated the design of a new
interceptor seaplane (Kawanishi N1K1 Kyofu), the need was also expressed
for a stopgap aircraft and the Nakajima was instructed in February 1941 to
develop a float-equipped version of the excellent Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero
naval interceptor. Imperial Japanese Navy recognized that in the
inevitable 'island-hopping' war in the Pacific, there would be few
ready-made air bases from which to provide air cover during the occupation
of the smaller islands, and that construction of runways would be
impractical. Although equipped with almost a dozen aircraft carriers,
Japanese navy would be unable to use them in support of every single
island invasion. After removing the wheel landing gear and fairing over
the wheel wells of a standard A6M2, Nakajima mounted a large float under
the fuselage by means of a forward-raked central pylon and a pair of
V-struts below the cockpit; two cantilever stabilizing floats were also
mounted under the wings. The standard Zero gun armament was retained, and
the first prototype was flown on 7 December 1941, the day on which the
Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor. Those modifications degraded
performance of the aircraft by about 20% in comparison to the standard
Zero. Entering production as the Nakajima A6M2-N and codenamed Rufe
by the Allies, the new fighter still displayed a creditable performance,
being first issued to the Yokohama Kokutai and deployed to Tulagi in the
Solomons where the Japanese had first landed during the Battle of the
Coral Sea. Unfortunately for the Japanese, on August 7th, 1942
almost all of the Rufes were destroyed during an air strike performed by
Wildcats from the USS Wasp. Rufes fared much better in the later Aleutian
campaign, but losses soared as soon as American fighter strength could be
built up. During the final year of the war, when American heavy bombers
and naval aircraft opened their great attacks on the Japanese homeland,
Rufes of the Otsu Kokutai, based on Lake Biwa, were thrown into the battle
as interceptors in defense of Central Honshu but suffered very heavy
losses. Total production of the Rufe amounted to 327 before being halted
in September 1943. - Aviastar.org |
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