Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Clearly the P-38 was a superior plane (as was the F6F that came just a little while later). And I'm not trying to take anything away from the obviously superb skills of the Pacific aces. This is more of a general question of when the decline in skill of Japanese pilots began to be noticed by the combatants themselves, and to what extent that decline worked to the advantage of America's pilots.When the P-38 arrived in New Guinea in late '42, they were soon engaging both IJN and IJA fighters who's skilled pilot pool had not started to decline yet.
It was the P-38's ability to "energy fight" that put the A6M and KI-43 at a disadvantage. In other words, with the P-38's ability to turn and climb/dive at higher speeds, the Japanese pilots were not able to fully bring an effective fight against the Lightning.
By 1943, the US had hands on experience with a captured A6M and know how to defeat it.
Keep your speed up - it was almost impossible to manoeuvre an A6M when it hit 350kts - even the old F4-F Wildcat would eat it alive in a fast dive.
The A6M never went 350 kts except in a steep dive. The top speed was 565 km/h or 351 mph, not 350 knots. 350 knots is 402 mph. No A6M ever went 402 mph in level, unaccelerated flight.
Some things are easier said than done.Which was how you killed an A6M, dive on him, force him to break and try and dive away, he died.
Once F4F pilots grasped not to turn with a Zero, it was a zero.
Which was how you killed an A6M, dive on him, force him to break and try and dive away, he died.
Once F4F pilots grasped not to turn with a Zero, it was a zero.
Some things are easier said than done.
Which was how you killed an A6M, dive on him, force him to break and try and dive away, he died.
Once F4F pilots grasped not to turn with a Zero, it was a zero.
The A6M pilot had an instinctive desire to turn into the fight, but he can't - he has to try and get away from the faster plane - and then his crappy controls lock up
Turning into the fight was not an option for an A6M pilot of the other guy kept his speed up.
Well, no Zero ever got the better of me on my sim, it cant be that much different in an actual plane.Some things are easier said than done.
YesYou mean like Tommy Lynch?