Paging Nick...restored A6M Zero available

[Rougaroux]

https://silodrome.com/japanese-zero-fighter-plane/

 

Now there's no excuse. We need a Zero to go along with our shiny new Corsairs!

 

P.S. Long time lurker, first time poster. Hi!

[Gambit21]

On 6/21/2025 at 8:05 AM, Rougaroux said:

https://silodrome.com/japanese-zero-fighter-plane/

 

Now there's no excuse. We need a Zero to go along with our shiny new Corsairs!

 

P.S. Long time lurker, first time poster. Hi!

There's been restored Zero's available for reference and/or to visit for a long time...this isn't a new thing.

There's a few Oscars flying around as well. You can count on a Zero being on the way.

 

 

 

 

[julpeuz]

One thing I’m questioning about having a flyable zero, is who is actually gonna buy it, and play it multiplayer ? Given it’s underwhelming performances against both the Corsair and Hellcat in pretty much every aspects except low speed turns

[Qcumber]

6 minutes ago, julpeuz said:

One thing I’m questioning about having a flyable zero, is who is actually gonna buy it, and play it multiplayer ? Given it’s underwhelming performances against both the Corsair and Hellcat in pretty much every aspects except low speed turns

There are lots of factors here in terms of Zero performance. Yes, the F4U and F6F did better in paper both in terms of science and history. However, Japan did not have the same scale of experienced pilots at that point in the war. If you pitch these planes against each other one-on-one or in small scale MP skirmishes in DCS I suspect the outcome will not be completely onesided. 

 

[Gunfreak]

15 minutes ago, julpeuz said:

One thing I’m questioning about having a flyable zero, is who is actually gonna buy it, and play it multiplayer ? Given it’s underwhelming performances against both the Corsair and Hellcat in pretty much every aspects except low speed turns

That's mosty down to the fact that the Corsair and especially the Hellcat almost never met any pilots that could actually fly the Zero to its advantage.

The Zero could always outturn any allied aircraft, with the seafire being the only one that got close. 

But the Hellcat pilots mostly met pilots that could barely hold the aircraft straight. And this should always be used as a caveat when you see the Hellcat's 19:1 kill ratio be used. 

Those few times the Hellcat pilots met a Zero flown by an ace. It usually didn't end well for the Hellcat pilot. Party because the Zero was flown well, and partly because the Hellcat pilot didn't except a hard fight. On a raid over Iwo Jima in 44(so not the battle) some Hellcats met a Zero, flown by an ace. Two Hellcats were promptly shot down in short order. The 3rd one was flown by a high scoring navy ace. Who described the fight as the hardest he ever fought. And he said he didn't know the zero could do that.

 

The Corsair met somewhat more resistance in the south Pacific during the Solomns/Rabaul campaign. But still far between the really good Japanese pilots vs in 1942.

[Czar66]

1 hour ago, julpeuz said:

One thing I’m questioning about having a flyable zero, is who is actually gonna buy it, and play it multiplayer ? Given it’s underwhelming performances against both the Corsair and Hellcat in pretty much every aspects except low speed turns

So, devs should only make modules that can do well in PvP on paper?
whaaat??!!

Please bring Zeros! Yes!
I flew them more than Hellcats in that good ole WWII flight sim from the 2000s. Mitsubishi's Zeros and Nakajima's Kis overall on that sim.

Edited July 11 by Czar66

[Gambit21]

3 hours ago, julpeuz said:

One thing I’m questioning about having a flyable zero, is who is actually gonna buy it, and play it multiplayer ? Given it’s underwhelming performances against both the Corsair and Hellcat in pretty much every aspects except low speed turns

 

When it comes out I'll meet you somewhere, you take a Hellcat or a Corsair and we'll see how it goes.

You'll only win if you stay absolutely disciplined, don't get over-confident, and don't make any mistakes. My experience is that most online peeps are over-confident,  not that disciplined, and they do make mistakes. That's why I did so well in the Zero in years past. The Zero was always dangerous in the hands of a good pilot, right up to the end of the war.

 

[Nealius]

4 hours ago, julpeuz said:

One thing I’m questioning about having a flyable zero, is who is actually gonna buy it, and play it multiplayer

People who like the Zero and want the challenge. People who can fly with teamwork and tactics instead of lolgitgudskillissue min-maxing mouth breathers. The Japanese community in particular would literally throw their money at ED if an A6M were developed. 

People also show their ignorance of history with these discussions. Sure the Zero was inferior on paper, but a large part of the IJA/IJN failure was stubborn doctrine and forcing good pilots to fight until they died, then throwing undertrained pilots into the meatgrinder. The Allies, on the other hand, had flexible doctrine and cycled their best pilots through as instructors to train the next cohort of new pilots, passing on vital knowledge instead of letting that knowledge die somewhere over a jungle in the Pacific.

[julpeuz]

Hey guys I’m just raising a question, and I got plenty of good answers that I accept, no need to be mean and sarcastic. I don’t pretend to be a zero expert either, and would be very happy to have a flyable one. Chill down

[Gunfreak]

11 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

 

When it comes out I'll meet you somewhere, you take a Hellcat or a Corsair and we'll see how it goes.

You'll only win if you stay absolutely disciplined, don't get over-confident, and don't make any mistakes. My experience is that most online peeps are over-confident,  not that disciplined, and they do make mistakes. That's why I did so well in the Zero in years past. The Zero was always dangerous in the hands of a good pilot, right up to the end of the war.

 

The Zero will be a bit like the Spitfire, when in doubt, turn and turn, it's very unlikely the Hellcat or Corsair will be able to follow a Spitfire, let a lone a zero. I find the Spitfire the easiest to fight in, once you get low and slow, and you can keep turning at 100mph, while the Germans will stall at around 150mph or more, you got them. it's also easier to get in close and shoot in a turn fight then hitting an aircraft as you come in from the vertical.

[Czar66]

2 hours ago, julpeuz said:

Hey guys I’m just raising a question, and I got plenty of good answers that I accept, no need to be mean and sarcastic. I don’t pretend to be a zero expert either, and would be very happy to have a flyable one. Chill down

I didn't meant to be mean if it is about my post, bub. I was stating a discrepancy with my own experience in another sim and in DCS itself.
I'm glad we have you here on the forums.

Fair skies!

[MAXsenna]

2 hours ago, julpeuz said:

Hey guys I’m just raising a question, and I got plenty of good answers that I accept, no need to be mean and sarcastic. I don’t pretend to be a zero expert either, and would be very happy to have a flyable one. Chill down

Welcome to the forum! Everyone's out for himself!

[Gambit21]

19 hours ago, Gunfreak said:

 

The Corsair met somewhat more resistance in the south Pacific during the Solomns/Rabaul campaign. But still far between the really good Japanese pilots vs in 1942.

Yep - and when flown by one of the remaining experienced / initial cadre of pilots the zero gave as good as it got there as well.

Zero vs F6F-3 is actually a pretty even fight even on paper. The F6F-5 has more of numbers advantage, but above caveats still apply.

 

[Gunfreak]

3 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

Yep - and when flown by one of the remaining experienced / initial cadre of pilots the zero gave as good as it got there as well.

Zero vs F6F-3 is actually a pretty even fight even on paper. The F6F-5 has more of numbers advantage, but above caveats still apply.

 

I think people might be disappointed in the Hellcat. I think it's preformance will be quite close to the Anton. And we all know what people think about that "in a competitive multiplayer environment "

[jeventy26]

On 7/11/2025 at 3:49 PM, julpeuz said:

One thing I’m questioning about having a flyable zero, is who is actually gonna buy it, and play it multiplayer ? Given it’s underwhelming performances against both the Corsair and Hellcat in pretty much every aspects except low speed turns

Me. Id buy it on day one.  I'd be more than happy to dogfight you in it  

[MiGCap1]

2 hours ago, jeventy26 said:

Me. Id buy it on day one.  I'd be more than happy to dogfight you in it  

 

+1!   

[Qcumber]

3 hours ago, jeventy26 said:

Me. Id buy it on day one.  I'd be more than happy to dogfight you in it  

Which is better Corsair or Zero? There's only one way to find out.....

Edited Wednesday at 07:43 PM by Qcumber

[DD_fruitbat]

On 7/11/2025 at 9:49 PM, julpeuz said:

One thing I’m questioning about having a flyable zero, is who is actually gonna buy it, and play it multiplayer ? Given it’s underwhelming performances against both the Corsair and Hellcat in pretty much every aspects except low speed turns

Since most people won't have the discipline to fly the Hellcat and particularly the Corsair to use those planes advantages over the Zero, the Zero is going to spank a lot of blue DCS flyers and the forums will be littered by the whining....

Also, depending on what model of Zero, and yes their are many variants, its performance isn't underwhelming.

[DD_fruitbat]

On 7/12/2025 at 9:22 PM, Gunfreak said:

I think people might be disappointed in the Hellcat. I think it's preformance will be quite close to the Anton. And we all know what people think about that "in a competitive multiplayer environment "

Hmmm, I'm doubtful of that. For a start our Anton is the dog of the Anton family, the A8 is the fat overweight version of the 190 family when the focus had moved away from being a pure fighter. In a sim I'd rather be in a A3 or A4 than a A8 where things like armour are less relevant! The Hellcats turn performance is very different. If anything the Corsair was probably more similar in that respect to the 190 than the Hellcat irl, although still quite different.

Edited Wednesday at 09:25 PM by DD_fruitbat

[MiG21bisFishbedL]

On 7/2/2025 at 8:07 PM, Gambit21 said:

 

There's a few Oscars flying around as well. You can count on a Zero being on the way.

 

 

 

 

Where?

[Gunfreak]

9 hours ago, DD_fruitbat said:

Hmmm, I'm doubtful of that. For a start our Anton is the dog of the Anton family, the A8 is the fat overweight version of the 190 family when the focus had moved away from being a pure fighter. In a sim I'd rather be in a A3 or A4 than a A8 where things like armour are less relevant! The Hellcats turn performance is very different. If anything the Corsair was probably more similar in that respect to the 190 than the Hellcat irl, although still quite different.

People are complaining the Anton is slow. The Hellcat-3 has similar preformance in speed. It doesn't have water injection. It can only use bombs, not rockets. I think people will be disappointed in its preformance. That it can turn better then an Anton isn't much help. It's not the turn rate that people complain about, it's it speed. And the Hellcat isn't that fast. Especially without water injection. 

So yes I think people will complain about it. The Hellcat was never great even in real life. It was just good enough, easy to handle and available when needed. Stuff many sim pilots don't care about.

[Qcumber]

There is a lot of emphasis DCS on one-on-one dogfights. Historically most combat would have been group actions, protecting flights of attack aircraft or defending the fleet. Anyone getting into WWII DCS need to realise that. You need to learn to fly each aircraft in the way it was intended to be used. It's fun to watch Growling Sidewinder shoot down an F-22 in an I-16 but it's obviously not realistic. 

I am sure that the Hellcat and Zero will be interesting aircraft. Any new WWII plane is a very welcome addition. 

[SOLIDKREATE]

On 6/21/2025 at 8:05 AM, Rougaroux said:

https://silodrome.com/japanese-zero-fighter-plane/

 

Now there's no excuse. We need a Zero to go along with our shiny new Corsairs!

 

P.S. Long time lurker, first time poster. Hi!

 

We have two of them just 25min down the road from me. We also have the only Type I Ki-43 in the entire world, and it flys.