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Nakajima A6M2-N (Rufe)

1942 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

History

As an island nation with a strong navy as its main military focus, Imperial Japan was forced to rely on a healthy fleet of seaplanes and airships during its conquest of the Pacific during World War II (1939-1945). In 1940, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) commissioned a special "fighter" - a seaplane capable of fighting in water, while retaining the capabilities and firepower of a modern military fighter.

This type of fighter was created out of Japan's need to deploy forward combat forces that did not rely on fixed airfields or aircraft carriers for general operations and support. Therefore, this country is the only country in the war that values ??"fighter jets".

Kawanishi led the production of the new fighter (later to become the N1K "Kyofu" described elsewhere on this page), while Nakajima was selected to provide an interim solution based on the famous Mitsubishi A6M "Carrier-Based Fighter". Zero" platform. The model chosen became the A6M2 with its wheeled retractable landing gear completely removed.

In its place was a triple float arrangement utilizing a large central float section with two underwing floats for added stability on the water. The floating components will remain fixed in flight, increasing drag and reducing performance to some extent. The cockpit is located under a greenhouse-like canopy, and the view of the fuselage is generally reasonable. Retains the original A6M armament, including the 2 x 20mm cannon and 2 x 7.7mm machine guns, which proved adequate in early campaigns against enemy aircraft over Asia and the Pacific.

This new fighter was used as a prototype on December 7, 1941 while IJN troops were busy raiding Pearl Harbor, Hawaii The first flight was made. It was subsequently entered into service with the IJN as "A6M2-N" and eventually received the Allied designation "Rufe".

The A6M2-N entered service in 1942 and saw immediate action in several mid-war campaigns including the Aleutian and Solomon Islands campaigns. On August 7, 1942, a seaplane base was destroyed by Allied fighter-bombers and most of the available A6M2-Ns were taken, and the A6M2-N inventory suffered a serious setback. Still, total production managed to bring in 327 aircraft, which were used efficiently against Allied positionsmarking patrol units, supporting naval guns, engaging convoys, and scouting areas on the horizon. However, as Allied fighter cover became more and more effective, and the A6M2-N became less and less valuable, casualties naturally began to increase.

In the final months of the war, the series was used as an interceptor against the Japanese mainland, and the aircraft's ability to counter high-altitude Allied bombers and faster, more capable enemy fighters was severely hampered.

In the post-war period, the French managed to capture an example in Indochina, although the plane was soon lost in a crash, the only foreign use of the type - albeit briefly.