The A5M Claude was a WW2, single-seat, carrier-borne fighter. Designed and developed by Mitsubishi, it entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1936. At that time, it was the fastest naval aircraft in the world. It was produced in large number, with more than 2,000 aircraft in different versions: A5M1, A5M2, A5M3, A5M4, and A5M6 being the main ones. It replaced the antiquated carrier-based biplane; the Kawasaki Ki-10.
It was also the first Japanese carrier-based monoplane as it became the dominant fighter in the Sino-Japanese War, during which it built up an enviable reputation for strength and agility. It had taken part in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, as a dive bombers' escort. It would be used until the end of WW2 but as a trainer and as a kamikaze plane, because, by 1942, it had been replaced by the much faster and maneuverable Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
Technical Characteristics
The Mitsubishi A5M was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane, with fixed landing gear. It was fitted with straight cantilever wings, which were mounted low on the fuselage. However, the first prototype, the Ka-14, had elliptical inverted gull wings. This naval aircraft was of all-metal construction. The cockpit was small and deprived of canopy. The A5M4 version was powered by one Nakajima Kotobuki 41, 9-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine, which put out 750 horse power. This engine was powerful enough for this light aircraft.
Specifications (A5M4 variant)
Type: Carrier-based fighter
Designer: Jiro Horikoshi
Length: 7.57 m (24 ft, 10 in)
Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft, 1 in)
Wing Area: 17.80 square meters (192 sq. ft)
Height: 3.27 m (10 ft, 9 in)
Maximum Speed: 440 km/h (270 mph)
Range: 1,200 km (750 miles)
Service Ceiling: 9,800 m (32,200 ft)
Armament
The Claude was not very well armed, as it was a major deficiency. It was equipped with only two 7.7mm machine guns and one 60-kg bomb. It was not able to shoot down the sturdy F4F Wildcat.
Below, the Mitsubishi A5M Claude in flight, in skies over China in 1939.
