People keep failing for the same mistake of dogfighting Japanese Prop fighters, once people realise this Japanese Prop fighters aren’t that hard to counter though they can still be annoying to face against [Annoying to fight against doesn’t automatically =/= to overpowered]. With a few exceptions Japanese Prop fighters are all One trick ponies in the form of pure dogfighting. This applies more so Tier I to III fighters especially since Tier IV Japanese prop fighters don’t turn as well as their previous tiers focusing more on Energy Fighting [and to a lesser extent BnZ] though again they still can be countered
That is incorrect. While its main focus is turn fighting, its secondary focus is a multitude of tricks. I’d give you a quarter for every time I’ve seen anyone use it in a form that is not turnfighting and that would only be 1.
For the people that think Japanese props are too strong:
Look at this graph for a second:
This is maintained IAS speed (kmh) at climb rates (m/s) of 4 planes, at the deck.
P 39 N (br 2.7)
Ki-44-2 hei (br 3.7)
Ki-43-3 Otsu (br 4.0)
BF 109 G2 (br 4.3)
Note how climbing at 5 m/s, a US 2.7 plane beats everyone else in maintained speed. If you and your opponent start at the same altitude and same speed (in other words, same energy state), then your slow Japanese opponent will NEVER catch up to you in a shallow climb. In fact, you will gain more energy than your opponent! If a zero/ki43 tries following you aggressively (their nose is pointed at you), it will result in you going faster, and therefore, gain altitude at a greater rate, creating a potential energy difference. With enough separation, you are invulnerable, and with enough time, you secure energy advantage.
In a case where two plane’s maintained speed differences in a shallow climb are great enough, you can literally store more energy in your speed, so if you both go up, you end up stalling higher, resulting in an energy trap (you still need some separation). Examples: F8F vs all of Italy (domestic), He 162 vs all props.
I fought zeros (A6M3) in a He 100 comfortably using speed, and facing zeros (A6M5) in a He 162 is just sad.
Be aware that these curves will shift around the higher you go, depending on what your planes are tuned for.
Speed is pretty much the best weapon against Zeros. Hence why some Italian planes and Spitifires kinda suck defeating a Zero. They are just not fast enough to gain any advantage over the insane turn rate of the Zero, unless it’s a 5.7 Spitfire.
The P-39 is distinctly unfair comparison because it has such a broken flight model if can hit 850 in a dive from 4000m and barely bleeds any speed at all. If anything it is more broken than the Zero, since it picks up so much speed in shallow dives it can catch the G-2.
Oh and it has zero lockup so you’re dead.
Japanese planes usually climb into space to catch people at low energy. If you play horizontal (speed) you can defeat them.
You have to learn Japanese plane’s weaknesses. As a Japan enjoyer, I see many players avoid turn fighting. If you avoid turnfighting with a Japanese aircraft, you get to capitalize on its weakness, for example, you can use boom and zoom (BnZ) on Japanese aircraft.
Unless WT drops a tutorial “How to defeat Japanese planes” players will continue to get shot down by them.
In a mixed team the disadvantage isn’t also not really a problem, since they are basically unbeaten when it comes to turn fights.
If you get fast or good climbing planes in the mix that can pressure the enemy, they can swoop in for the kill.
3.7 Ki-61 is almost unkillable in good hands (not mine).
The problem with Japanese planes are as follows:
Zeros keeping their speed surprisingly well, I had extremely difficult time diving away from A6M5 innFw 190 F8, which should accelerate way better in a dive above 450km/h, and keep its excess speed for way longer, while in fact Zero will stay on your six like you’re pulling it on a string behind you,
Zeros pulling 13-14G at 685km/h which essentialy means you can’t realistically use compression against them, unless you’re in Fw 190 and you’re both going 750IAS - and all you’ll achieve is being able to run.
(edit: I was wrong about that - I mean, you can pull insane Gs but not at 685km/h IAS, only 685km/h SPD)
Zero and Ki-61 pulling 12G like it’s nothing because pilots are goddamn robotsz which means, if the pilot knows how to dodge, they can keep dodging till they run out of alt even if your aim is good, which may take ages
Type 99 Mk 2 is routinely removing entire wings and tails with a single shell, so if Zero decides to force a head-on, he has to hit your Corsair/Fw 190/P-47 once, you have to hit him several times, and Zero has the ability to pull head-ons out of his ass. 3.7 Ki-61 is also super deadly due to 4x HE-slinging 12,7mm, but to a lower extent.
Japese planes are oftej not great, but they are royal PITA to fight against.
Zero can also fall apart from one bullet. All Japanese fighters are susceptible to burning. Japanese designers have always focused on two things: maneuverability and range. I don’t understand people who complain that a plane that was designed to be agile is, let’s think about it… AGILE. I mainly play Japanese and I know that one hit is enough to turn into a crumbling pile of scrap. Countermeasures against Japanese army and navy fighters are simple. First, don’t fight in a dog fight. Secondly, you almost always have much better firepower, so you will easily win a head-on fight
Zeros burn, extinguish, then continue annoying me to no end.
And they can tank some real damage. Meanwhile fighters are like paper against Type 99 Mk2. They hit like proper 30mm.
So no, you don’t have better firepower than 2x 20mm autocannons with great range that one-shot everything. I’ll take that over Ta-152H armanent any day.
To sum up, Japan is so OP that the A6M2 should be 12.0 and the rest even higher, the Ki-61 fighters should have a potato with no engine and only have to ram, the Ki-84 should be removed from the game, the n1k1-j should automatically explode during take-off, and the J2M should become a ship? ALL countries have good and bad planes. The Japanese focused on maneuverability, so the need to think not to engage in dogfights with the Japanese should not be a reason to destroy the vehicles. Would you like American propaganda to work, for the Zero to be made of cardboard, for Japanese light tanks to charge heavy tanks shouting banzai? Bravo, you are very prejudiced against the Japanese.
Two more comments. First of all, the Type 99 gun has a low bullet velocity and low velocity accuracy. Secondly, in 1943 the A6M3 variant with 30 mm guns was created, I wonder how you would deal with it.
