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From: Doug Vernon
Date: 7/16/2002
Time: 2:14:52 PM
Remote Name: 64.169.239.18
As we all know, various segments of an exceptional design program is at times integrated into a seperate program for many reasons. This may have been the case regarding the primary development of the Mitsubishi A6M Carrier Borne Fighter prototype. The "borrowing" of ideas is certainly not new in industry or the arts. But for the person who would place an A6M and a Hugh's racer side my side for comparison, he or she would find it very difficult to discover sameness. In my comparisons of the two aircraft, I have found none except for the fact both are powered by radial engines, both are low wing monoplanes with inward folding landing gear struts and wheels which disappear into the bottom of each wing.
The following is a list of what you will find familiar within the airframe of the Mitsubishi designed A6M Carrier Borne Aircraft Known also by its type designator "0" which by the way is derived from the year of "Showa"...meaning a certain year of the Reign of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Hirohito.
Electrical System components. Flight Instrumentation. Machine Cannon and Machine Gun amorment. Propeller assembly.
The above were built under license to the following:
Electrical Components: U.S. Manufacturer.
Flight Instrumentation: Pioneer and/or Sperry.
Machine Cannon: Orlikon of Switzerland.
Machine Gun: Browning of the United States and possibly Lewis of the United Kingdom.
Propeller Assembly: Hamilton Standard design produced by The Sumitomo Company of Japan. The Japanese built assembly was popularly known in Japan as Sumitomo/Hamilton.
According to the chief designer of the A6M project, Jiro Horikoshi...and I am of course paraphrasing his statement, the A6M design was the result of specifications set down by the Imperial Japanese Navy and submitted to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan. The design of the aircraft was original.
For an indepth history of the design of the A6M aircraft read "The Eagles of Mitsubishi" by Jiro Horikoshi.
Respectfully,
Douglas Vernon San Diego, California