Corgi Aviation Archive Series Die-cast Model

Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero – BII-124, 2nd Attack Wave Fighter Escort, 1st Aircraft to Launch, IJN Carrier Hiryu, IJNAS, December 7, 1941, “Pearl Harbor Raid 80th Anniversary”

1:72 Scale.  Length: 5”.  Wingspan: 6.5"


Limited Edition of 1,000 Models Worldwide

Even before the first attack wave had hit military facilities on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu at the start of the Pearl Harbor raid the second of three planned attack waves were taking off from their home carriers, which were steaming through the Pacific Ocean. Still unaware of what opposition they would be facing, this second attack wave consisted of 35 Mitsubishi Zero fighters, 78 Aichi Val dive bombers and 54 Nakajima Kate bombers, some equipped with torpedoes. The primary mission of the Zero fighters was to protect the strike aircraft from potential US fighter attack, but if opposition was light, their secondary task was to strafe the airfields on the Island, destroying as many U.S. aircraft as they could on the ground.

Additional Zeros were retained to perform combat air patrols, protecting the navy task force from possible attack. Although the pilot of this particular Zero is unknown, it is thought that this Zero was the first aircraft to take off from the second attack wave on the morning of December 7 1941 and it is unusual because the last numbers of its tail markings cannot be seen, as it appears to have recently required the replacement of its rudder. It carries the two blue stripes which identify this as an A6M Zero from the Japanese Navy carrier Hiryu, part of the Second Carrier Division.

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a fighter aircraft uses by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) from 1940 until 1945. The origin of its official designation was that "A" signified a fighter and "6" for the sixth model built by Mitsubishi "M". The A6M was usually referred to by the Allies as the "Zero" – a designation that was frequently misapplied to other Japanese fighters, such as the Nakajima Ki-43, as well as other codenames and nicknames, including "Zeke", "Hamp" and "Hap". First flown in April, 1939, the A6M Zero-Sen was the Allies' main opponent in the Pacific and the most famous symbol of Japanese air power during World War II.


Corgi is a leading manufacturer of high quality, pre-built, diecast model airplanes. Every model is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, using specifications of the original aircraft. Corgi models are made with diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model of an A6M2 Zero features: