Mitsubishi Zero drop tanks: Hasegawa A6M7 configuration

[thierry laurent]

The best reference about Zero tanks and their fixtures is the Model Art Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Airplanes Illustrated Volume 2. It has 28 pages of detailed color drawings about that topic plus a dozen of other ones dedicated to other fighters tanks such as the Ki-44.

[thierry laurent]

I got an additional bit of information: it looks like the wing tank fixtures were a standard model developed for all fighters late in the war. The ones used on the Ki-84 also look identical. 

[A6M]

The wing tanks used on the Ki-61, Ki-43, and Ki-84 were all 200 L in size. The Zero wing tanks were 150 L. The wing tank on the Zero appears to have been introduced in early 1944 for use on the fighter-bomber version of the A6M2. The later A6M5b seems to continued to use the same tank. The 150 L tank used on the A6M7 was probably a later model, possibly unique to the M7.

 

Some additional details on the 150 L wing tank can be found here: http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=5186.0

 

Ryan

[thierry laurent]

Thanks Ryan. Indeed, I was fooled by the identical shape whereas we can assume the Zero tank was probably a 25% smaller wood tank. So, using tank from an IJAAF plane kit would alas be wrong as well. Too bad! What is your source to conclude the A6M7 tank used possibly a different pattern? 

[A6M]

Hello Thierry. I suspect the changes in wing tank mounts were made necessary on the A6M7 because of the permanent wing mounts (four on each wing) for the small bombs or rockets. The additional wing MG might also have played into the problem as well. The earlier wing tank configuration did not have these extra fittings or armament. But the A6M7 had both the bomb/rocket mounts and the extra MG and the older wing tank system simply did not fit. Ryan   

[thierry laurent]

I understand but in such a case, why redesigning fully the tank when the issue was only linked to the mounts? To me one does not imply the other. Well, we will possibly never know considering the rarity of pictures of in service A6M7s... I think I will either build an A6M5C with scratchbuilt wing tanks, either an A6M7 with a bomb! 

[A6M]

Hello Thierry,,

 

I do not believe that the A6M5c was ever equipped with wing drop tanks. It only used the centerline tank. When the need arose for a fighter-bomber version of the A6M5C the use of a centerline bomb rack led to the adoption of the wing drop tanks. According to Robert Mikesh, Zero: Combat and Development History (1994), page 92:

 

"The Model 52c aircraft then being turned out were modified for the fighter-bomber mission, while in the assembly plant under the project designation A6M7, Model 63. The armament remained the same as on the Model 52c, but the centerline drop tank was replaced by a Mitsubishi-designed bomb rack  capable of carrying a 550lb bomb. Replacing the centerline fuel tank were two wing mounted 40 gal drop tanks fitted outboard of the landing gear."

 

I still think the wing drop tanks used earlier on the A6M2 fighter-bomber and a number of the A6M5b  simply would not fit on the A6M7 with its added 13mm MG and wing bomb/rocket mounts.

 

Below are two drawings of the A6M2 fighter-bomber wing drop tank done by Dave Douglass.

 

Ryan

 

[thierry laurent]

Thanks very much for the drawing as the ones I have have no scale! You are right that if the undersides of wings permanently equipped with the bomb and rocket launchers are not compatible with the tank mounts, this should apply as well to the 5C.So, this will either be the Hasegawa central tank or a bomb.