Best naval fighter II

[cheddar cheese]

and possibly japans most successful plane

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

undoubtibly their most sucessfull...........

 

[cheddar cheese]

indeed 8)

 

[Lightning Guy]

The Zero was Japan's most successful plane, but not the best naval fighter of the war. Both the Hellcat and the Corsair proved themselves to be better than the Corsair. Even the Wildcat held a slight edge over the Zero in head to head combat.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

the Corsair proved themselves to be better than the Corsair

??

the zero was easily more manouverable, but to get this it had to sacfice armour and armourment, witch wasn't a good idea against big beefy american fighters....................

 

[Lightning Guy]

Better than the Zero. My typing hasn't been so hot lately (not that it ever is). I must be making my posts too late. The Zero was more maneuverable, by the Corsair and the Hellcat had almost every other advantage of the Zero and the Hellcat could even out-turn it at all but the slowest speeds.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

it hnk the problem for the zero was it's engine, it was weak, it only gave out 740h.p. which isn't allot...........

 

[Lightning Guy]

The Sakae 21 engine in the A6M2 produced 940hp at take-off and in the A6M5 was only putting out 1130hp. Considering those low figures the performances of the Zero was incredible.

 

[cheddar cheese]

yup, and i suppose it because the engines were underpowered that they had a range of 1,940 miles?

 

[Lightning Guy]

Well that was one part of it. The Zero didn't carry THAT much fuel (138.7 gallons internally plus a 87.2 gallon drop tank). In general, lower powered engines do get better 'gas mileage.' The other thing was the lightweight of the Zero.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

also the tanks could be bigger because they weren't self-sealing, and as LG said, due to lack of armour, our armorment, it wasn't that heavy, the lighter a plane, the further it'll go...................

 

[Lightning Guy]

The Japanese tried fitting self-sealing tanks to the A6M5 but the tanks had all kinds of problems (leaky self-SEALING tanks are a bad thing). They ended up including fire-extinguishers around the fuel tanks which (theoretically) would stop a fire but would do nothing for the fuel being lost from the tank.

 

[Stuka-99]

Now now it also depends on the pilot.It is very dificult to tell who would be the best out of the two, really it depends on the circumstances.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

what are you refering to.................

 

[MP-Willow]

The self-sealing tanks were not used that much because of ground crew problums. The crews were just not that familier with the systems. The A6M was at the begining very good and when used and fought on it's turms could hold win! It was the evolution of Allied aircraft and more to the point tactics that did them in.

But the kighter I would go for is the A6m's replacement the N1K2 "Violet Lightening". It was as good or better then the F6F and F4U in claim turn, and handleing. But the numbers of production and the development problums were its big downfall. The J2M also was a cabable fighter.

 

[plan_D]

The A6M was the plane that gave Japan it's invunerable status. It made out as if the Japanese were impossible to beat, as the Zero was running rings around the Wildcats.
The same stance the Americans took on the ground in Vietnam.

 

[Lightning Guy]

Wildcats held the edge over the Zero in head-to-head combat. That's a fact. MP-Willow, the Shiden wasn't seen as a successor to the Zero and neither was the J2M Raiden or 'Jack'. Both of these aircraft were designed to be interceptors, the Zero was an air superiority fighter. The closest thing the Zero had to a true successor was the A7M Reppu or 'Sam'.

 

[plan_D]

And another FACT is the Zero ran rings around the Wildcat.

 

[Lightning Guy]

So they did. But running rings around something is different from shooting it down. Was the Zero the better fighter, yes. But the Wildcat still had the better head-to-head record.

 

[plan_D]

That's great. The Zero was still the better, fighter and aircraft. And that's why the USN was getting a severe beating for the first six months. Which forced them to change tactics, and get new improved planes like the Hellcat and Corsair.