Aside from the early-morning raid on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, perhaps the biggest shock for American forces in the Pacific was the outstanding performance of the Imperial Navy's main carrier fighter, the beautifully proportioned Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero-Sen. Some 10,500 Zeros were built by Mitsubishi in no fewer than eight different sub-types, and although outclassed by more powerful US fighters from late 1943 onwards, the Zero retained a modicum of 'combatibility' due to its weight.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of an Imperial Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter that was embarked upon the IJN Aircraft Carrier Hiryu, during its attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 6-1/2-inches
Length: 5-inches

Release Date: December 2021

Additional Zeros were retained to perform combat air patrols, protecting the naval task force from possible attack. Although the pilot of this particular Zero is unknown, it is thought that this fighter was the first aircraft to take off from the second attack wave on the morning of December 7th, 1941, and is unusual because the last numbers of its tail markings cannot be seen, as it appears to have recently required the replacement of its rudder. It carries the two blue stripes which identify this as a fighter from the Imperial Japanese Navy carrier Hiryu, part of the Second Carrier Division.