Quote:
Originally Posted by mattmanB182
Close? lol Well I guess we should give the Zero a fighting chance.
I think the Zero would score a big "Zero" on this one.
If the Wildcat held its own against the Zero, the 109 would demolish it.
Here is a match up for you: Erich against Sakai. They would probably meet head-on. With Erich knowing he has the edge on firepower and armor. The Zero turns into a fireball and plummets to earth.
Ok OK I MAAAAY be a little biased here.
|
Well, since I believe Hartmann was the one who preferred to make hit & run attacks & never turn with his opponent, I think poor Sakai would be pretty screwed. (and if anything, I'm naturally biased in favor of Sakai, since I've read "Samurai!" 3-4 times.) The zero was really a crappy little plane. It had maneuverability & nothing else. It's too easy for a decently trained pilot in a faster, better climbing plane to use simple tactics to overcome a maneuverability disadvantage. There's a reason that Japan is the only major wartime power where just about all of their high scoring aces died early in the war. Sakai probably only survived because injuries from Guadalcanal forced him to sit out most of the war.