The Mitsubishi A5M, Japanese Navy designation "Type 96 carrier-based fighter" (九六式艦上戦闘機), was a Japanese carrier-based fighter aircraft designed by Horikoshi Jirou and introduced in 1936. The Allied reporting name was Claude.
It was the world's first monoplane shipboard fighter and the direct predecessor of the more famous Mitsubishi A6M Zero, which was largely based on the A5M's design. It is notable for having a fixed undercarriage.
The A5M saw limited use during World War II. It was considered obsolete by the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and served mainly in the early years of the Sino-Japanese War. The airplane also features in the 2013 anime film Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises), which retells Horikoshi's life.
Kasuga Maru notably carries one like a falcon in Kantai Collection as in real life the Taiyou-class escort carriers were too small to handle newer fighters.
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