Tamiya 1/48 A6M3 Type 32 Zero Fighter
Much has been written over the years about the Japanese Zero Fighter Aircraft series. Much was based upon hearsay and legend and little upon fact itself. Even the Allied Forces and governments refused at first to acknowledge its existence, and when they did get a copy of it, they could hardly believe the performance it produced.
The prototype zero or A6M1 first took place on paper on January 17, 1938, following the Japanese request for a shipboard fighter with a top speed of 270 kph at 12000 ft 7 6-8 hours of cruise economy endurance and 1.5-2 hours at normal combat speeds. Armament was to be two 20mm cannon and two 7.7mm machine guns plus the normal radio equipment and direction finding gear. These specifications wee so far from the existing state of the art that the famous Nakajima Company dropped out of competition, stating that they were impossible to meet. That left Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and their design team headed by Jiro Horikoshi the only company to tackle the problem.
First flight was on 1 April 1939 and combat trials were concluded in July 1940 with 15 pre-production A6M2's sent to two squadrons by the end of the month. These aircraft had folding wing tips to accommodate aircraft carrier elevators, and were the ones first seen by Gen. Chennault in China, and at Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Although the A6M2 met or exceeded original design specifications, modifications were taking place at the Mitsubishi factory to improve roll rate, speed up handling aboard carriers, and utilize the uprated Sakae 21, 1,130 hp engine. The first A6M3 type 32 (code named HAMP) took to the air on 15 July 1941 with production beginning in April 42. A total of 343 aircraft were produced by August 43, when the type 52 A6M5 began production.
The Type 32 Zero had the most radical change in the entire series and was readily recognized by its squared off wing tips. This reduced total span to exactly 11 meters and eliminated the cumbersome folding tips which consumed time during combat to get the aircraft down carrier elevators. The larger Sakae 21 engine gave the type 32 a better rate of climb and the shorter wing span (1 meter shorter) lessened stick forces and increased roll rate. The Hamp was utilized throughout the war, but saw most of its service off of land based installations in the southern island chains of New Guinea and the Philippines.
Returns & Refund Policy
At Sword & Board, we want you to be satisfied with your purchase. If you are not entirely happy with your order, we are here to help.
1. Cooling-Off Period and Returns
In accordance with the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, you are entitled to cancel your purchase within 7 days of receiving your items for a full refund, subject to the following conditions:
- Condition: The items must be unopened, unused, and in their original factory-sealed packaging. Due to the nature of our products (e.g., Trading Card Games, board games with components), we cannot accept returns on items where the shrink-wrap or security seals have been broken.
- Return Shipping: The cost of returning the item to our Milnerton store is the responsibility of the customer. We recommend using a trackable shipping service, as we cannot guarantee receipt of returned items.
2. Defective or Damaged Items
If you receive an item that is damaged in transit or has a manufacturing defect (e.g., missing components or printing errors):
- Reporting: Please notify us at info@swordandboardgames.co.za within 48 hours of delivery. Please include photos of the damage and your order number.
- Resolution: We will arrange for a courier collection of the defective item. Once inspected, we will offer a replacement, a store credit, or a full refund.
- Manufacturer Defects: For certain products, we may facilitate a request for replacement parts directly from the supplier to resolve the issue quickly.
3. Non-Returnable Items
The following items cannot be returned or exchanged:
- TCG Singles and Sealed Product: Due to market volatility, Trading Card Game singles and sealed "blind" products (booster packs) are non-returnable.
- Gift Cards: Digital or physical gift cards cannot be redeemed for cash.
- Sale Items: Items purchased on "Clearance" or during specific "Flash Sales" are considered final sale unless defective.
4. Pre-order Cancellations
You may cancel a pre-order for a full refund at any time before the item has been dispatched.
- Note: If a pre-order is cancelled after we have specifically secured stock for you, or if it is a high-value special import, we reserve the right to charge a 10% administration/restocking fee.
5. Refunds
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund.
- Approved Refunds: Refunds will be processed via EFT within 2 to 3 business days.
- Store Credit: If you prefer, we can issue store credit immediately upon approval of the return.
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