FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
I think you're confusing models -The Oscar 1 wasnt that slow!! it had the same max speed like the Zero 2.
Japan's Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (peregrine falcon), "Oscar" - World War II Vehicles, Tanks, and Airplanes
The I and Ia had a top speed of just over 300 mph at altitude. The IIb had a top speed of 320 mph.
Agree to a point - I have to look up my references as to the P-40B/C sea level speedsSo Sea level speed was around 460km/h vs 475km/h of the P40C.
As higher the planes did fly as better the Ki-43-1 got, in comparison to the P40C. Due to the higher weight, smaler drag and higher engine power, the P40C always could outaccelerate the Oscar1, same like the Zero 2 in a shallow dive, while the initial acceleration was way better with the Japanese planes.
And they usually "sped away" in a dive which gave them way more than 20 mph. The Zero's VNE was 410 mph from what I remember. The P-40 was able to safely dive at speed in excess of 480 mph.Since the allied pilots fast got aware of this, they just kept the speed up and avoided tight fights and they was happy not to have a 20mph slower airplane.
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