Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Fighter

Known to the Allies as the "Zeke", the A6M2 was a vital component in Japan's tide of conquest during 1941 and 1942. The A6M2 (Zero) was a clean low-wing monoplane with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear. The Zero entered service in the fall of 1940 and proved itself in combat over China. The Zero swept all before it in the opening campaigns of WW II. The Zero had a top speed of 332 mph and was armed with two 20-mm cannons and two 7.7-mm machine guns. It could also carry two 132-lb bombs.The photo shows a model of the first aircraft off the carrier Akagi in the Japanese attach on Pearl Harbor Dec 7, 1941.