Imperial Fighter
Renowned for its agility and maneuverability, the Japanese Zero gained a reputation early on in World War II as a much feared dog fighter. Built with new lightweight aluminum, the A6M emerged in 1940 as an incredibly light, swift and long-legged carrier plane, the first of its kind able to outpace land aircraft. However, as time went on and the U.S. built more capable fighters — efforts helped in part by testing done on an intact Zero found in the Aleutian Islands — the Zero waned in influence. As its edge dwindled, the Zeros went on to be flown for more Kamikaze suicide attacks than any other airplane. All told, nearly 11,000 Zeros were manufactured during 1940 to 1945, making the model the most produced Japanese airplane of WWII.