Ok, going a bit wild here and see if mods chime in.
With all due respect Mr. D, nothing could beat a Zero in a turning dog fight as long as it was under 250 mph or so (Spitfire included). Basically the technique was to dive and do a slow high speed turn the Zero could not stick with (hard on controls). Sakai (lot of myth there) outmaneuvered a group of Hellcats over Iwo Jima and he only had one eye.
The Zero was extremly light and had high G load structure (it was not rugged but that gets into damage end no G load). Japanese were obsessed with maneuvering over reality which is speed rules all (initially it was the fastest climbing aircraft out there as well).
The latter P-47s did have the legs and the P-47N was the ultimate. Hellcats were a bit slow but more than fast enough for Pacific combat. P-38 being twin engine true fighter was hard to fly. Bong and gang had a lot of time on the P-38 when they went into combat.
I have laughed hard at the insistence by one of the Hellcat designers that it was as fast as a Corsair. Not even close. The Hellcat was a great Pacific fighter as it was easy to fly and had the climb and speed needed out there. At the end of the War the Navy was replacing replacing Hellcats with Corsairs. Hats off to the Hellcat, it allowed green pilots to survive and thrive and broke the back of the IJN aviation groups.
Flown right a P-40 and P-39 could take on the Zero (as did the Wildcat flown correctly). Spitfire pilots found to their regret that even the Spit could not out-turn the Zero at lower speeds.
Ironically the Allison in all respects was a much better engine than the Merlin which was good. The Army Air Corp refused to let Allison work on two stage and or two speed super chargers which the Merlin did have. The P-38 has a tubro/supercharger series ergo its speculator performance. Allison got more hp (if allowed war rating the Merlin did) and had far better time on wing and easier to repair (a lot fewer parts, the Brits love complex parts and fasteners)
Its a twist of history the Army Air Corp tied the Allison engine behind the P-40 and P-51A back, then used exactly the two speed super charger in the Merlin in the P-51 that they would not let Allison develop.
The Wildcat simply did not have a speed advantage on the Zero but the same diver and up over 250 mph and turn and you escaped.
With all due respect Mr. D, nothing could beat a Zero in a turning dog fight as long as it was under 250 mph or so (Spitfire included). Basically the technique was to dive and do a slow high speed turn the Zero could not stick with (hard on controls). Sakai (lot of myth there) outmaneuvered a group of Hellcats over Iwo Jima and he only had one eye.
The Zero was extremly light and had high G load structure (it was not rugged but that gets into damage end no G load). Japanese were obsessed with maneuvering over reality which is speed rules all (initially it was the fastest climbing aircraft out there as well).
The latter P-47s did have the legs and the P-47N was the ultimate. Hellcats were a bit slow but more than fast enough for Pacific combat. P-38 being twin engine true fighter was hard to fly. Bong and gang had a lot of time on the P-38 when they went into combat.
I have laughed hard at the insistence by one of the Hellcat designers that it was as fast as a Corsair. Not even close. The Hellcat was a great Pacific fighter as it was easy to fly and had the climb and speed needed out there. At the end of the War the Navy was replacing replacing Hellcats with Corsairs. Hats off to the Hellcat, it allowed green pilots to survive and thrive and broke the back of the IJN aviation groups.
Flown right a P-40 and P-39 could take on the Zero (as did the Wildcat flown correctly). Spitfire pilots found to their regret that even the Spit could not out-turn the Zero at lower speeds.
Ironically the Allison in all respects was a much better engine than the Merlin which was good. The Army Air Corp refused to let Allison work on two stage and or two speed super chargers which the Merlin did have. The P-38 has a tubro/supercharger series ergo its speculator performance. Allison got more hp (if allowed war rating the Merlin did) and had far better time on wing and easier to repair (a lot fewer parts, the Brits love complex parts and fasteners)
Its a twist of history the Army Air Corp tied the Allison engine behind the P-40 and P-51A back, then used exactly the two speed super charger in the Merlin in the P-51 that they would not let Allison develop.
The Wildcat simply did not have a speed advantage on the Zero but the same diver and up over 250 mph and turn and you escaped.
He introduced me to Dave Tallichet a millionaire who owned a thunderbolt and some other war planes. We worked volunteering to support the opening of the 56th Fiighter Group Restaurant at Republic Airport. Dave promised me that when he makes his movie thunderbolt I could play it in it. 
