Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

A7M

Totals

1330000 Price

280 Survivability

3730 kgWeight

336.6 Damage

Speed

1354 Airspeed

580 km/hTop Speed at Sea Level

580 km/hTop Speed at Best Altitude

1100 mOptimum Altitude

700 km/hMaximum Dive Speed

114 m/sRate of Climb

90 km/hStall Speed

312 km/hOptimum Airspeed

Mobility

86.5 Controllability

8 sAverage Time to Turn 360 deg

100 °/sRate of Roll

1556.6 Maneuverability

A6M5

A7M

J7W1

VII

1330000

Developed in 1942–1945 for the Imperial Japanese Navy as a successor to the A6M. Only 8 prototypes were produced and tested by the end of the war.

Tech Tree

Engine

VII

0

EngineNK9K

Specifications:
Engine Power, hp	1990
Type	air-cooled
Weight, kg	830

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

NK9K

VIII

13600

EngineMK9A

Specifications:
Engine Power, hp	2200
Type	air-cooled
Weight, kg	1035

Price:
Research cost	13600
Purchase price	75600

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VIII

13600

MK9A

IX

16800

EngineMK9E

Specifications:
Engine Power, hp	2550
Type	air-cooled
Weight, kg	1040

Price:
Research cost	16800
Purchase price	165000

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

IX

16800

MK9E

IX

0

Engine

Specifications:
Engine Power, hp	2550
Type	air-cooled
Weight, kg	1040

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

IX

VIIIJ7W1 →

Airframe

VI

0

AirframeA7M1

Specifications:
Survivability	280
Weight, kg	2600

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VI

A7M1

VII

23800

AirframeA7M2

Specifications:
Survivability	300
Weight, kg	2600

Price:
Research cost	23800
Purchase price	87000

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

23800

A7M2

VII

0

Airframe

Specifications:
Survivability	300
Weight, kg	2600

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

Wing-mounted weapon

VII

0

Machine gun20 mm Type 99-2 Model 4 (W)

Specifications:
Caliber	20
Muzzle Velocity, m/s	1440
Damage	100
Rate of Fire, rounds/min	400
Weight, kg	90

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

2x20 mm Type 99-2 Model 4 (W)

VII

16400

Machine gun20 mm Type 99-2 Model 5 (W)

Specifications:
Caliber	20
Muzzle Velocity, m/s	1600
Damage	110
Rate of Fire, rounds/min	400
Weight, kg	90

Price:
Research cost	16400
Purchase price	53900

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

16400

2x20 mm Type 99-2 Model 5 (W)

VII

0

Machine gun

Specifications:
Caliber	20
Muzzle Velocity, m/s	1600
Damage	110
Rate of Fire, rounds/min	400
Weight, kg	90

Price:
Purchase price	53900

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

2x

Wing-mounted weapon

VI

0

Machine gun13.2 mm Type 3 (W)

Specifications:
Caliber	13.2
Muzzle Velocity, m/s	1160
Damage	50
Rate of Fire, rounds/min	750
Weight, kg	60

Applicability:Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero, Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VI

2x13.2 mm Type 3 (W)

VII

0

Machine gun20 mm Type 99-2 Model 4 (W)

Specifications:
Caliber	20
Muzzle Velocity, m/s	1440
Damage	100
Rate of Fire, rounds/min	400
Weight, kg	90

Price:
Purchase price	41300

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

2x20 mm Type 99-2 Model 4 (W)

VII

16400

Machine gun20 mm Type 99-2 Model 5 (W)

Specifications:
Caliber	20
Muzzle Velocity, m/s	1600
Damage	110
Rate of Fire, rounds/min	400
Weight, kg	90

Price:
Research cost	16400
Purchase price	53900

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

16400

2x20 mm Type 99-2 Model 5 (W)

VII

0

Machine gun

Specifications:
Caliber	20
Muzzle Velocity, m/s	1600
Damage	110
Rate of Fire, rounds/min	400
Weight, kg	90

Price:
Purchase price	53900

Applicability:Mitsubishi A7M Reppu

VII

2x

No weapons

No weapons

No weapons

Premium aircraft

Gift aircraft

Modules

Engine

Tier	Engine	Engine Power, hp / Thrust	Type	Weight, kg	Price,
VII	NK9K	1990	air-cooled	830	50200
VIII	MK9A	2200	air-cooled	1035	75600
IX	MK9E	2550	air-cooled	1040	165000

Airframe

Tier	Airframe	Survivability	Weight, kg	Price,
VI	A7M1	280	2600	72500
VII	A7M2	300	2600	87000

Wing-mounted weapon

Tier	Machine gun	Caliber	Muzzle Velocity, m/s	Damage	Rate of Fire, rounds/min	Weight, kg	Price,
VII	20 mm Type 99-2 Model 5 (W)	20	1600	110	400	90	53900
VII		20	1600	110	400	90	53900

Wing-mounted weapon

Tier	Machine gun	Caliber	Muzzle Velocity, m/s	Damage	Rate of Fire, rounds/min	Weight, kg	Price,
VII	20 mm Type 99-2 Model 4 (W)	20	1440	100	400	90	41300
VII	20 mm Type 99-2 Model 5 (W)	20	1600	110	400	90	53900
VII		20	1600	110	400	90	53900

Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Fantastic DPS and good accuracy with the model 5 guns.
• improved thrust and engine power for its tier over zero predecessors.
• maintains very good maneuverability

Cons:

• Is very prone to crits, especially engine knockouts and fires.
• Massive. Comparable in size to the Me 262 HG II. Size makes it a easy target.
• Still sluggish for its tier despite improvements.

Historical Info

Towards the end of 1940, the Imperial Japanese Navy asked Mitsubishi to start design on a 16-Shi carrier-based fighter, which would be the successor to the carrier-based Zero. At that time, however, there were no viable high-output, compact engines to use for a new fighter. In addition, Jiro Horikoshi's team was preoccupied with addressing early production issues with the A6M2b as well as starting development on the A6M3 and the 14-Shi interceptor (which would later become the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden, a land-based interceptor built to counter high-altitude bombers). As a result, work on the Zero successor was halted in January 1941.

In April 1942, the development of the A6M3 and the 14-Shi interceptor was complete, and the Japanese Navy once again tasked Mitsubishi and Horikoshi's team with designing a new Zero successor to become the Navy Experimental 17-shi Ko (A) Type Carrier Fighter Reppu. In July 1942 the Navy issued specifications for the fighter: it had to fly faster than 345 kn (639 km/h) above 6,000 m, climb to 6,000 m in less than 6 minutes, be armed with two 20 mm cannon and two 13 mm machine guns, and retain the maneuverability of the A6M3.

As before, one of the main hurdles was engine selection. To meet the specifications the engine would need to produce at least 2,000 hp, which narrowed choices down to Nakajima's NK9 (Ha-45) or Mitsubishi's MK9 (Ha-43), which were both under development. The early NK9 had less output but was already approved by the Navy for use on the Yokosuka P1Y Ginga, while the larger MK9 promised more horsepower. With the larger, more powerful engine, wing loading became an issue. The Navy requested at most 150 kg/m², but wanted 130 kg/m² which complicated design considerations further. With the NK9 it could achieve 150 kg/m², but with the less power it would not meet the specifications for maximum speed. With the MK9 the engineers concluded it could fulfill the requirements; however, production of the MK9 was delayed compared to the NK9, and the Japanese Navy instructed Mitsubishi to use the NK9.

Work on the 17-Shi was further delayed by factories prioritizing A6M and Mitsubishi G4M production as well as further work on A6M variants and addressing Raiden issues. As a result, the 17-Shi, which became the A7M1, officially flew for the first time on 6 May 1944, four years after development started. The aircraft demonstrated excellent handling and maneuverability, but was underpowered as Mitsubishi engineers feared, and with a top speed similar to the A6M5 Zero. It was a disappointment, and the Navy ordered development to stop on 30 July 1944, but Mitsubishi obtained permission for development to continue using the Ha-43 engine, flying with the completed Ha-43 on 13 October 1944. The A7M2 now achieved a top speed of 628 km/h, while climb and other areas of performance surpassed the Zero, leading the Navy to change its mind and adopt the craft. The A7M2 was also equipped with automatic combat flaps, used earlier on the Kawanishi N1K-J, significantly improving maneuverability.

On June 1945, ace pilot Saburo Sakai was ordered to Nagoya to test the airplane. He declared it to be the fastest fighter he had ever seen, able to surpass anything on the air, Japanese or American. He claimed it could fly in circles, while ascending, around a Hellcat or a Mustang, and that engineers stated it could fight at up to 12,000 meters.

While it was hoped that the A7M would replace the A6M, production was disrupted by an earthquake on December 1944 in the Nagoya region, and Allied bombing raids on 11 March 1944, which caused the loss of full scale drawings and jigs for the Sam 12 (A7M2) and Ki-83. Only nine aircraf were completed by the end of the war. The type never saw combat.

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