Zero

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a light-weight, carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. They were put to effective use in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent invasion of Hawaii.

A combination of excellent maneuverability and very long range made it one of the finest fighters of its era. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation, outclassing its contemporaries. Later, design weaknesses and the increasing scarcity of more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer fighters.

Many American pilots had scoffed at the Zeroes and their pilots until they met them in the air.