Mitsubishi A5M4 "Claude"

Mitsubishi · Japan · first flew 1935 · fighter

The Mitsubishi A5M4 was Japan's first low-wing monoplane carrier fighter and the most capable carrier fighter in the world when it entered service, introducing a generation of Japanese naval pilots to the monoplane era.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, elliptical
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.55 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

open cockpit low-wing monoplane with fixed spatted undercarriage
elliptical inverted-gull wing with distinctive dihedral kink
Allied reporting name Claude

The open cockpit and fixed spatted undercarriage set it apart from its successor the Zero; the distinctive inverted-gull wing centre-section and elliptical outer panels are the primary planform recognition features.

Specifications

The Mitsubishi A5M4 has a length of 7.55 m (25 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11 m (36 ft).
Its maximum speed is 440 km/h (273 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed by Jiro Horikoshi (later creator of the A6M Zero), the A5M first flew in 1935 and entered Imperial Japanese Navy service as the Type 96 Carrier Fighter in 1936. The A5M4 was the definitive production variant with the Kotobuki 41 engine; it saw extensive combat in China before Pearl Harbor.

Variants

The A5M1 through A5M4 differed primarily in engine and cowling; the A5M4-K was a two-seat trainer conversion. Total production reached approximately 1,094 aircraft.

Where you'll see it

The A5M equipped all IJN carrier air groups until replaced by the Zero from 1940; examples relegated to shore bases and training units flew kamikaze missions in the war's final stages.

Related aircraft

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