Most Overrated aircraft of WWII.....?

[pops-paolo]

Blimey no, they were just taking it on against the British far-east airforce, the Chinese airforce, the Ducht East Indish airforce, the Australian airforce, the US Navy and US Airforce at that time.

Bit silly to compare a late war Corsair to an early war design isn't it? The Zero got it's reputation early on in the war and well deserved in my opinion. They were not just fighting obsolete designs, but par example also did well against the British Hurricanes in Malaya. True, they soldiered on way to long, later US designs were quite a bit better, but in the well trained hands of the early Japanese pilots, in 1942, it was a lethal opponent.

You are right the corsair was a bit late to the party but all of those airforces you listed like the British far-east airforce, the Chinese airforce, the Dutch East indian airforce, and the Australian airforce were rather small and not really a major threat to japan like America. But the plane fell off rather quickly in my opinion

 

[fastmongrel]

Also helps when your pilots are the best of the best. The Japanese pilots were superbly trained and often very experienced if they had been flying biplanes they would still have swept the skies.

 

[GrauGeist]

You are right the corsair was a bit late to the party but all of those airforces you listed like the British far-east airforce, the Chinese airforce, the Dutch East indian airforce, and the Australian airforce were rather small and not really a major threat to japan like America. But the plane fell off rather quickly in my opinion

America wasn't a threat to Imperial Japan's air services until 1942.
Prior to that Japan had been fighting Chinese air elements for roughly seven years.

 

[SaparotRob]

And here I always understood the British Empire to be global (meaning both sides of the world), but aparently, I was mistaken.

Well, now you know.

 

[Marcel]

You are right the corsair was a bit late to the party but all of those airforces you listed like the British far-east airforce, the Chinese airforce, the Dutch East indian airforce, and the Australian airforce were rather small and not really a major threat to japan like America. But the plane fell off rather quickly in my opinion

The Japanese airforce was not so big either. And combined, the mentioned airforces were quite a bit bigger than that of the Japanese. That they fell off rather quickly was more due to Japan's low resources and industrial capacity than the quality of the aircraft itself. They were not capable to replace experienced lost pilots, nor did they have the capability to develop their aircraft as well as the US or produce them in the same numbers. Combine that with some doubtful defensive strategies and you have a better explanation for that.

I do see your point. By 1944, the allies had stepped up their game, while the Japanese basically were stuck with a beefed up (armoured) version of the 1940 Zero with inexperienced crew. But don't forget, by the time of the Coral sea, they already had conquered most of the pacific and it took many years to wrestle that out of their hands again. That's not all due to the Zero of course, but at that time, the Zero was a more decent than fighter that could bring the fight to the enemy over a 1000 km away. That's not a feat that many contemporary fighters could do. Remember, the P51D was still a distant promise at that time.

 

[pops-paolo]

The Japanese airforce was not so big either. And combined, the mentioned airforces were quite a bit bigger than that of the Japanese. That they fell off rather quickly was more due to Japan's low resources and industrial capacity than the quality of the aircraft itself. They were not capable to replace experienced lost pilots, nor did they have the capability to develop their aircraft as well as the US or produce them in the same numbers. Combine that with some doubtful defensive strategies and you have a better explanation for that.

I do see your point. By 1944, the allies had stepped up their game, while the Japanese basically were stuck with a beefed up (armoured) version of the 1940 Zero with inexperienced crew. But don't forget, by the time of the Coral sea, they already had conquered most of the pacific and it took many years to wrestle that out of their hands again. That's not all due to the Zero of course, but at that time, the Zero was a more decent than fighter that could bring the fight to the enemy over a 1000 km away. That's not a feat that many contemporary fighters could do. Remember, the P51D was still a distant promise at that time.

Bro holy shit I never realized how small they were 1,500 aircraft????
also n 1943 the allies had better planes not 1944

 

[tomo pauk]

also n 1943 the allies had better planes not 1944

Cheers and welcome to the forum.
If an old fart might say a word or two: adding real, well-sourced numbers to reinforce stuff in the posts will see these posts' credibility skyrocket. And that of the author of these posts.

 

[special ed]

Both sides of the world? It really is flat?

 

[fastmongrel]

Whatever you say about the Japanese Navies Zero don't forget the Japanese Army Air Forces equivalent to the Zero the Ki43 Hayabusa actually shot down more aircraft.

 

[fastmongrel]

Both sides of the world? It really is flat?

Don't be stupid it's not flat the water would run off the edges when the Elephants moved.
https://www.epl.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/09/Discworld_BlogPost_1024x768.png

 

[Clayton Magnet]

also n 1943 the allies had better planes not 1944

So did the Japanese. Ki-44 was operational in 1942, and the Ki-61 in 1943.
The IJNAS had the N1K and J2M, granted, they didn't see combat until early 1944.

 

[GrauGeist]

also n 1943 the allies had better planes not 1944

By 1943, the Allies were reaching parity.
The F6F was entering the Pacific war in limited numbers by late 1943, the F4U would start appearing in 1944.
The P-38 started trickling into the South Pacific in 1942, butnit would be a while before they were in any significant numbers.
Also bear in mind that Japanese Aces, like Nichizawa were taking on and downing the best of the USN as late as 1944 with an A6M5.

 

[pops-paolo]

Cheers and welcome to the forum.
If an old fart might say a word or two: adding real, well-sourced numbers to reinforce stuff in the posts will see these posts' credibility skyrocket. And that of the author of these posts.

what

 

[Marcel]

Bro holy shit I never realized how small they were 1,500 aircraft????

All A6M's, capable of flying long distances??? Ever looked at the map and distances of the Pacific?

 

[Clayton Magnet]

A6Ms are so overrated omg just because they are maneuverable does not mean they are fast. A corsair would rip right by an a6m and then gain some altitude and zoom again on it with 50 cals

If only Pappy Boyington had learned that trick in time, maybe that Zero wouldn't have shot him down, in 1944

 

[pbehn]

Both sides of the world? It really is flat?

Yes, left or right of the Greenwich meridian, look at the map, there are clearly two sides, mine has a dotted line so I can fold it to be like the real thing.

 

[pops-paolo]

By 1943, the Allies were reaching parity.
The F6F was entering the Pacific war in limited numbers by late 1943, the F4U would start appearing in 1944.
The P-38 started trickling into the South Pacific in 1942, butnit would be a while before they were in any significant numbers.
Also bear in mind that Japanese Aces, like Nichizawa were taking on and downing the best of the USN as late as 1944 with an A6M5.

the f4u and f6f were in 1943

All A6M's, capable of flying long distances??? Ever looked at the map and distances of the Pacific?

i know that about the a6m like I'm not that dumb

 

[special ed]

I thought those dotted lines were perforations. Too late now!

 

[tomo pauk]

what

I'm trying to politely say that you (and me, and everyone else) needs to have facts & figures to back up the opinions posted.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I'm trying to politely say that you (and me, and everyone else) needs to have facts & figures to back up the opinions posted.

Without facts, opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink. I'm seeing more opinion than fact.