In my virtual combat experience, the F4F is all over the A6M2 in a multi-vs-multi fight. All it takes is a tiny snap shot and the A6M2 is dead, whereas the F4F can take lots and lots of punishment before it is truly disabled.

That said, let me go out on a limb here and equate the Nieuport series with the Spitfire. Both were continually developed for years, both were agile and well liked by their pilots (not OUR nieuport, I know), and both continued post-war as completely redesigned aircraft.

Albatros = Bf 109. That's easy.

Fokker D.VIIF = 190-D9

Spad 7 and 13 = P-51B and D

DH2 = Defiant

Well, now you're talking the simulation, not real life.

That said, with regard to my virtual experience, I generally dominate everything in the Zeke.
Corsairs, Hellcats, nevermind the Wildcat. This is because rarely does a red pilot ever fly smart. I sucker them into a turn fight, and it's over.
A snapshot to the canopy = done. Need a longer burst? Plenty of opportunity if the need arises. The Wildcat is easy pickins, but I've fended off 3 human flown Hellcats at once on one occasion, 4 human flown P40's on another, and 3 human
flown corsairs on another. In the last instance, I shot all 3 down. In the previous 2, they got me eventually after 15 minutes or so, after a shot 1 or 2 down.

In the right hands, and given the reality of how most online pilots us their aircraft, the Zeke is hard to beat.
Now when I fly one of the red planes, I generally beat the Zeke, because I don't get involved in turn fights. Especially in the Wildcat, I come crashing through guns
blazing, then I go home. Or, extend out a few miles and come back at altitude again. A quick burst like you said is all you need.
It's the "I need to get a kill every time" outlook that kills most people, and what I count on when I fly the Zero online.

I used the name you see here online, but when I flew a Zeke I became "Warrant Officer Yamaha Kawasaki" LOL...and he was feared!!

ONE time, ONE single time a buddy of mine flew smart in a P38, kept BnZ'ing me, and I couldn't touch him. ONE TIME in I don't know how many online missions. LOL
Anyway, I was done with IL2 some time ago.

I think "thinking Zero" will help me come to terms with the Camel. Right now I stink at flying that plane, and not sure yet how much time I'll spend with it.
Oddly, I rather like the tamer planes.


Back to real life "Fire in the Sky" is an excellent read about the Pacific air war.

Yes, I was assuming a fight where the F4F pilots understand energy and cooperative tactics. Of course the A6M2 wins if the F4F pilots are beginners.

I had the chance to fly in a scenario once where each squad took turns flying for the Japanese or the USMC/USN. With almost everyone understanding the relative strengths and weakness of the A6M2 and F4F, I felt almost helpless in the former.

To be clear, many of my kills against Hellcats, Wildcats, etc were against experienced pilots - just experience pilots who
lacked discipline. We all fall into the trap now and then. The "I'll get away with it this time...just one more turn...I'm good enough to pull this off"
Or whatever. In other words, knowing better, but the desire to score overcoming their better judgement. IME that was the rule rather than the exception.
Made flying the Zeke a blast.

Right now I can't imagine flying with such success in RoF. I'm still not used to the huge difference in flight envelope, and that DAMN WING in my way all the time!

How valid is this discussion of WW1 aircraft as BNZ vs TNB in ROF? In IL2 for example, it is a simple matter to translate altitude into speed up to over 600-700kph, whereas with WW1 a/c you have to be extremely careful not to over-rev or rip off the wings. The tolerances of advantage over the target a/c are muich finer and unless you're careful you can squander your energy advantage over your target in 2 passes.

I think the distinction between BNZ and TNB etc is far more blurred in WW1 air combat.

It's relative, but the same difference is present between energy states of a lever turning aircraft spending energy, and diving aircraft.
So in answer to your question, the discussion is very valid.

Would you say that relative pilot ability between opponents is even of even greater importance in RoF than in WW2 aircraft? Eg I can be a novice FW190 pilot and its not tremendously difficult or dangerous to drop down on a target several thousand feet below, shred him with multiple 20mm/MG's etc then zoom back up. But if I'm in an Albatross that far above your quarry you pretty much need to adopt a narrow dive or spiral descent etc to manage your revs and avoid ripping your wings off, and even once you get in position for a pass, 2 MG's is all you have.

Taube = Waco CG-4, less carrying capacity. Moderately less engined, of course, than the Taube.

My favorite thing to do in a 190, or Hellcat, or Corsair, or Jug...
I'd argue that it takes a fair amount of skill to dive at that speed, anticipate the target's position, calculate that solution intuitively,
aim the guns in the buffeting aircraft for that one critical spit second and take the snap shot that takes him out. Not just any newb can
pull that off consistently.

I'd say that once accustomed to the envelopes of the aircraft in either sim, the differences in pilot ability (maybe) plays an equal part in both sims, especially while on the ragged edge.
I remember one mission where I was flying a P51B, and unwisely
allowed myself to get low and slow on the deck. Not good. I ended up with a Ki43 on my tail. Now if you're familiar with both of those AC, you know that should
have been an easy kill for the Ki43.

I dropped flaps, dropped gear, banked that Mustang just to the edge of falling out of the sky. He fired and missed, at close range, several times while I muscled that
Mustang around with the wingtips just above the water. Somehow whipped around on that Ki43 and got a burst. I missed. Then he was out of ammo. We both lived, but the point
is that because I flew that AC to the edge of it's envelope, and he didn't fly the Ki 43 close enough to the edge of it's envelope, I survived a fight that should have killed me.
I would have been easy pickins for a better pilot, who wouldn't eve have come close to letting me shake them given the AC we were both flying.

Another favorite tactic in Il2 when I get in trouble, and find myself low and slow. Drop flaps, maybe gear, and start banking on the edge of hill. Make him stall
and crash into the hillside. Saved my butt a few times. Another situation where relative skill plays a huge part.

All that said, perhaps given the nuances and idiosyncrasies of the AC in RoF, as well as their hugely different flight envelopes, pilot skill perhaps comes into
play more often. For one that, that WING in the way all the time! It's taking me some time to adjust to that. I'll be able to comment more on that one at a future date.
I'm still getting used to RoF myself - offline.

For now I'd say this - in Il2, a new pilot is more likely to luck into a kill, or luck into surviving when he shouldn't than in RoF.

cracked me up

Sorry, computer says no (see LITTLE BRITAIN to understand this reference). The Waco had no engine so cannot be compared to the Taube. That affirmation, however, begs the question: "Which WWII airplane would be the equivalent of the Taube?"

I have been thinking about that for five minutes and cannot think of one.

Pls remember that the Taube fulfilled its role commendably in the first two years of the war...

You just earned Superbookdeals.com 22 euros...

The best matchup for the Taube would probably be the early bomber version of the JU-52. They served over Spain and were , of course, replaced by better airplanes like the HE-111 and D0-17.