Smithsonian Air and Space Museum / The Mitsubishi Zero was a military fighter used by the Japanese throughout most of WW II. Its excellent maneuverability and long range made it Richard Erwin                                           superior to other carrier-based aircraft for the first year of the war. It took the Allies until 1942 to develop tactics that could compete with the Zero 8/10/2009                                                  in combat. Able to fly at 400 mph, the Zero could reach a distance of 1675 miles, due to its light weight and sleek design. But the plane had no                                                                    armor to protect the pilot and for a time in the war, had no self-sealing fuel tanks, deficiencies which did lead to many losses. A number of                                                                    variations appeared over the years, affecting speed, range, and maneuverability. The zero destroyed about 1550 American aircraft, despite the                                                                    fact that U. S. planes became equal or superior to the Zero by late in the war.