Hardrada55
ACCESS: Confidential
- Joined
- 31 May 2008
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Have the original 16-Shi Japanese Navy specifications for the successor to Mitsubishi's A6M "Zero" fighter ever surfaced?
As I understand it, there was a delay in starting design work on the 16-Shi design for a successor to the new A6M in 1940 and 1941 because of problems with development of the 14-Shi Mitsubishi J2M land based interceptor "Raiden" and the illness of chief designer Jiro Horikoshi. By the time Mitsubishi was able to return work on the successor to the Zero, it was April of 1942 and the specifications had been updated to the 17-Shi version. The 17-Shi specifications resulted in the Mitsubishi A7M "Sam" carrier fighter.
As I understand it, there was a delay in starting design work on the 16-Shi design for a successor to the new A6M in 1940 and 1941 because of problems with development of the 14-Shi Mitsubishi J2M land based interceptor "Raiden" and the illness of chief designer Jiro Horikoshi. By the time Mitsubishi was able to return work on the successor to the Zero, it was April of 1942 and the specifications had been updated to the 17-Shi version. The 17-Shi specifications resulted in the Mitsubishi A7M "Sam" carrier fighter.