Regarding the P-38 G (hidden as imho slightly off-topic):
- It sits at BR 2.7 in RB and is well known as good climber and very good turner. Iirc the French versions were the only allied aircraft (used in large numbers) having a positive K/D vs the LW in the Battle of France - even the Spits and Hurricane of the BEF got clapped as they did not have 100 octane fuel from the US at this time.
- Various hits and just getting yellow wings is a result of getting hit by 7,7 - 8 mm - a single 20mm shell kills them.
- The ability to rtb with a damaged engine is based on having a radial engine - liquid cooled fighters are faster but more fragile and don’t like any hits in cooling systems.
- The ability to continue fighting even when damaged is a result of mouse aim & instructor.
- Killing / shredding bombers is a result of US 0.50 cals and rather fragile bombers at this BR.
- Being a good turner is relative - the 109 Es turn quite nice too, but turnfights are ill advise in general if you can play energy. I admit that energy trapping a P-36 is tricky due to their low stall speed but doable. Btw - A Ki-27 flies circles around a P-36 and outclimbs it.
- Altitude - the P-36 sucks at 4-5 km as the engine had no supercharger, above 3 km the planes loses engine power - like most USSR planes. No engine power = no speed, no speed = lack of turn.
I am not sure that your feelings can be backed up by facts.
- The 109 E-4 at BR 3.0 is the far better plane and can engage and disengage at will due to way superior speed and climb; same as the identical JP premium which is a preferred seal clubber plane.
- The 2.3 Bf 109 E-1 outclimbs any P-36 by a substantial margin and is way faster, the 2.7 Bf 109 F-1 outclasses any P-36 regarding speed and climb.
- The major downside of those 109s is either the lack of cannons or the limited combat range of the 20 mm MG/FF - with the 7,92 mm MG 17 you need multiple passes to kill an enemy aircraft - you need patience.
- On top of that you have to manage water and oil temperature with MEC, otherwise you cook your engine.
The key to fight good turning aircraft was always to drain their energy with BnZ/BnR tactics and pushing them low and slow which kills their ability to regain energy with a dive - no speed = no turn.
In other words: You have to use the same tactics like fighting JP planes.
Whilst i am very cautious with the term OP, i agree that at very low BRs we have a lot of undertiered US/USSR props - wait until you fly the P-39 N-0 at the same BR of 2.7.
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Together with the USSR premium version (at 3.0) one of the most undertiered props in the game - and a preferred seal clubber aircraft.
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I mean the low alt performance (below 4-5 km) is good enough to play up to 4.7 - and the USSR used them due to their excellent low alt performance until the end of WW 2.
But, as a relegating factor, a lot of US aircraft need some experience to make them work. As soon US fighters need an altitude and speed advantage to gain kills outside head-ons most players struggle - and subsequently their BRs are lower than if they would be just based on actual aircraft performance.
A related topic:
I am not sure why you focus just on US aircraft - the combat effectiveness of USSR planes is way more concerning as their usually also way too low BRs were in the past always “excusable” due to the their low ammo count and lackluster performance of their 20 mm ShVak cannons - it was not unusual to survive multiple hits without getting substantially damaged.
But since Real Shatter 3.0 one or two hits are enough to kill a fighter. Together with the ballistic changes the ShVaks are easy to use and aim and very hard hitting cannons. So it is not unusual to see in Air RB guys with 3-5 kills with 110/120 cannon ammo without reloading.
If you then consider that most prop fight shappen below 4 km and USSR fighters shines there the most it is rather disturbing to see a Yak-1 with 110 20 mm shells at BR 2.3 or the successor (which went into production after the 109 G-2 at BR 4.3) the Yak-1B at BR 3.0…
