While waiting on the completion of the Kawanishi N1K, Nakajima was chosen by the Imperial Japanese Navy to provide an interim floatplane, which they did by modifying Mitsubishi's A6M-2 Model 11. Mitsubishi was not offered the contract as they were already overburdened. Nakajima proposed that they could churn out 900 aircraft in under a year. The design of the plane itself wasn't much different than the A6M-2 it was based on. The retractable, wheeled undercariage was removed and plated over. This was replaced by a large central float and one cantilever stablizer float under each wing. The tail was straightened out and the under fuselage received a type of two-section "keel" designed to counteract movement by the central float. The engine, cockpit, and armament remained stock. The first prototype of the A6M2-N flew on 7 December, 1941, ten months after the initial request, and an order for 500 units was placed. Despite their boasts about production capability, Nakajima was unable to deliver more than 327 aircraft, including the prototype.[1][unreliable source?][2][unreliable source?]
Operational history
The aircraft, referred to as the "Suisen 2" ("Hydro fighter type 2"), was deployed in 1942 in both the Aleutians and Solomon Islands operations. On 7 August, 1942, almost all of the Rufes in the Solomons were destroyed by a raid made up of 15 Grumman F4F Wildcats launched from the USS Wasp (CV-7). The A6M2-N proved its worth in the Aleutians at Kiska, where they weren't hampered by the lack of airfields and allowed land-based fighters in the Kuril Islands to be freed up for tasks elsewhere.[1][unreliable source?]
The seaplane also served as an interceptor for protecting fueling depots in Balikpapan and Avon Bases (Dutch East Indies), and they reinforced the Shumushu base (North Kuriles) in the same period. Such fighters served aboard seaplane carriersKamikawa Maru in the Solomons and Kuriles areas and aboard Japanese raiders Hokoku Maru and Aikoku Maru in Indian Ocean raids. Later in the conflict, the Otsu Air Group utilized the A6M2-N as an interceptor alongside Kawanishi N1K1 Kyofu ("Rex") aircraft based in Biwa lake in the Honshū area, suffering heavy losses. By this time it was already well-known that the Rufe simply could not compete against modern fighter designs, so production ceased in September 1943.[1][unreliable source?]
A6M2-Ns lined up along a beach.
The last A6M2-N in military service was a single example recovered by the French forces in Indochina after the end of World War II. It crashed shortly after being overhauled.[3]
Operators
Japanese pilots at an A6M2-N plane anchorage. Two Rufe planes are visible in the background.
Janowicz, Krzystof. Mitsubishi A6M2-N Rufe (Kagero Famous Airplanes 4) (in Polish/English). Lublin, Poland: Kagero, 2004. ISBN83-89088-42-8.
Mikesh, Robert C. Warbird History: Zero, Combat & Development History of Japan's Legendary Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter. Osceola, Wisconsin: Motorbooks International, 1994. ISBN0-87938-915-X.
Sakaida, Henry. Imperial Japanese Navy Aces, 1937–45. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1999. ISBN1-85532-727-9.
Gunston,Bill. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft of World War II. London, UK: Salamander Books Ltd., 1978 ISBN0-89673-000-X
1 X as second letter is for experimental aircraft or imported technology demonstrators not intended for service, 2 Hyphenated trailing letter (-J, -K, -L, -N or -S) denotes design modified for secondary role, 3 Possibly incorrect designation, but used in many sources
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