Question about removal of radio and mast on A6M Zeros

[Spitfires Forever]

Hello

I have been doing research on the A6M Zero fighters, and after looking at pictures, reading books, looking at various websites sites, I have seen pictures of Zeros with the radio mast. From what I have learned, the Japanese radios were useless and not worth the extra weight. As a result the radios were removed as well as the wooden radio masts. The reason for this query is that I am bilding a replica of Saburo Sakai's A6M2 which he flew during February of 1942. I have seen a picture of one of his planes that is missing the master. Was this removal of radio equipment wide spread, or done on a unit or individual pilot/aircraft basis? 

Cheers

Edited January 20, 2017 by Spitfires Forever
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[Garry c]

The radio equipment in the A6M2 was a Fairchild design built under license. Because of secrecy , the radio and design teams did not work together resulting in radio interference problems from the air frame. There were few trained radio service personnel in the field. The unit that  Saburo Sakai was in attacked the Philippines from Formosa at the beginning of the war. This was at the extreme range of the Zero, so every ounce of unnecessary weight was removed which included the radios.

Air battles over Guadalcanal were also at very long range from the airfields from which  Saburo Sakai's unit flew. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on how common the removal of radio equipment was.

 

Hope this helps

 

Garry c 

[Nick Millman]

There is probably a distinction to be made between the removal of radio equipment and the removal or cutting down of the aerial mast. 3rd Ku also attacked the Philippines from Formosa and their aircraft were photographed on departure with aerial masts in place - no idea whether they kept the radio equipment. The removal or cutting down of masts certainly happened during the Solomons campaign but there are still plenty of photos showing the masts in place. Generally Tainan Ku removed the radio equipment, RDF loop and aerial but as so often, photos of your subject be your guide. Several different aircraft have been attributed to Saburo Sakai not all of which are supported by photographic evidence. Much confusion has been caused by the change of Tainan Ku markings between Bali and Rabaul, with the former white outlined red codes sometimes depicted anachronistically for later combats when the codes had been changed to black. The aircraft V-138 seen behind Sakai after returning wounded on 7 Aug 42 has been identified as that flown by Lt (jg) Sasai Jun'ichi.   

 

Nick