The Dogfighter That Achieved an Kill Ratio of 12 to 1 | Mitsubishi A6M Zero

The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range fighter aircraft that was used by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 1940 to 1945. It was made by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, which is now part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. There was a Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter called the A6M. Its name was rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki, which means "rei-sen." Pilots often called the A6M the Reisen (雋戒, "zero fighter"); "0" was the last number in the imperial year 2600 (1940), when it was first used by the Imperial Navy. It was "Zeke" that Allied soldiers used to report, but the name "Zero" was also used informally.

When it was first presented early in World War II, the Zero is thought to have been the world's best carrier-based fighter. It had a very long range and could turn quickly. It was also often used as a fighter plane on land by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service.