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.
The P-39 doesn’t have a broken flight model, it is just fast. The A-36 can perform slightly better in dives and shallow climbs.
It has a higher deck speed than Ki-84 and so much energy retention it feels invincible.
It has 1200 HP…
Aerodynamics and engine altitude performance differences matter.
All of these planes are faster than a Ki-84, at the deck.
oh
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.
There is nothing worse than flying a slow Japanese plane against people who know to keep their speed up.
You feel like an old lady on a walker, desperately trying to keep up with the young cool kids having fun way over there…
There are multiple Japanese planes that need their BR reduced, not raised.
Yeah but 90% of the player are not those players.
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.
Gaijin when!?
The suggestion is in pending status, so soon
It has 720m/s shell velocity (so same as every MG151/20 belt with exception of stealth? paired with excellent ballistics which means they are way faster outside of 250m compared to MG151/20 stealth belt and essentialy their effective range is a few hundred meters longer. They are also doing a lot better than Shvak, but the gap is not as big
Only US/British 20mm cannons are easier to aim thx to higher muzzle velocity. But they require a few shells to hit to ensure success.
Type 99 Mk2 will take Fw 190/P-47/Corsair wing out with a single hit, or at least cripple it past any kind of combat effectiveness.
You sound like typical “barely over 50% WR” ace who thinks he’s higher echelon, while reality is, you’re not even grasping the most basic concepts, like weapon effectiveness
30mm.A6M3 would be way easier to fight because it would have less ammo, lower ROF, and basically no change in hitting power. It would be an inferior A6M3.
I never considered myself a flying ace. There is one more aspect that increases the effectiveness of Japanese aircraft. It’s the players, Japanese planes are difficult to operate, you either learn or you die quickly. You underestimate the Japanese as much as the Americans/British and the Dutch did in 1941/42, so I’m not surprised you keep getting killed by them. You play historically
Even as i liked your post as a whole - your second point assumes that the JP player lost situational awareness (or gets swarmed) and is forced to commit to a head-on and simply cant dodge - so he gets sprayed down by FCH opponents.
But even then the fellow player is correct with his statement that in case the JP pilot commits the Type 99 Mod 2 has the “one hit, one kill” ability and is compared to a MG 151/20 the way easier weapon to use.
Regarding subsequent exchanges:
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I am not sure why you think that @Loofah would be a member part of the “OMG, plz nerf JP planes” community - iirc he enjoys to fly certain JP fighters and scored recently 10 kills in my beloved B7A2 in Air RB.
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He simply stated some well known facts like A6Ms can extinguish wing fires quite easily, addressed their rather questionable high g-load ability to dodge, stated that the 3.7 Ki-61 is real pain to fight and the superior firepower of the Type 99 mod 2 cannon vs the MG 151/20.
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Even if i don’t share certain views regarding other things (like personal judgements) - this exchange looks for me like a misunderstanding. Stating that certain aspects makes it not really easy to kill an experienced pilot in a JP plane is not wrong.
Relax and have a good one!