Strana 83
BUILT
A6M2-K, Tsukuba Kōkūtai, Tsukuba Base, Japan, 1944
In July 1943, a regulation was issued that, among
other things, mandated that training aircraft
deployed in combat operations or based in
areas where the enemy was active should be
painted like combat aircraft. In practice, this led
to the repainting of already-produced A6M2-K
trainers. One such aircraft was Tsu-415, which
is known from a photograph showing it with
a yellow-orange coating on all surfaces. However,
in a later photograph, it appears camouflaged
with dark green paint on the upper surfaces,
while the original paint and markings on the
tail remained unchanged. A6M2-K aircraft were
also used for target towing during training.
In February 1945, Tsukuba Kōkūtai was ordered
to form Kamikaze units. The training program for
these pilots included the following requirements:
at least eight pattern flights, a minimum of
seven formation flights, at least ten instrument
flights, a minimum of ten special attack training
flights, at least six flights in darkness, five flights
to a designated target, and a minimum of five
navigation flights.
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April 2025