Tamiya 1/48 A6M5c Type 52 Zero Fighter
"In April 1939, shortly after the first Japanese Zero began test trials, modification drawings were already taking place on the zero in the Mitsubishi design room, to keep pace with the anticipated long air war in the Pacific. After the initial superiority of the Zero over allied aircraft began to wane, due to new U.S. types being introduced, Mitsubishi was hard pressed to maintain a superiority. The introduction of the Grumman F6F and Chance Vought F4U, provided a need for more firepower, armor protection and capability led the combined companies of Nakajima and Mitsubishi to produce the A6M5 series of aircraft.
Total production of the Type 52 series consisted of 10,449 aircraft of which Nakajima produced 6,570. It first entered combat in August 1943 at a time when the Japanese forces were withdrawing from previously held islands in the South Pacific. The type 52c was the last of the A6M5 series, and the most effective against Allied aircraft due to its armament configuration three of 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannons. A total of 93 Type 52 and 52b zeros were field modified to ""c"" weapons configuration. The 7.7mm machine guns, housed in the cowling of the Zero since its first introduction, proved to be less effective during the latter stages of the conflict, due to the heavier armor protection of allied aircraft, and their self sealing fuel tanks. The 13mm weapon was greatly more effective; however, due to its increased weight, only one of them could be housed in the cowling and one in each wing. The 7.7 machine guns were removed from the cowling and one 13mm gun was mounted on the right hand side. This installation also made necessary the enlarging of the right hand projectile exit and cowling tube input, of the cowling, giving it an unbalanced look when viewed from the top.
Code named ""Zeke"" by the Allies, the Type 52c was powered by a 14 cylinder twin row NK1F Sakae 21 engine of 1,130hp, of which later versions were alcohol injected. In addition to the machine guns and cannons, the 52c could also carry four air to air rockets or four 30kg air to air bombs or two 60kg air to ground conventional bombs. The air to air systems were initiated in an attempt to disrupt B-29 operations by firing the rockets or dropping the small bombs on the formations. The bombs were timed to air-burst a certain number of seconds after release from the fighters."
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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