This is a reverse analysis aerial combat tactic that Corsair pilots can use to splash Zekes in Combat Flight Simulator 2. Zero pilots can also learn how to flame Corsairs, or at least survive to live another day. Read it. Learn from it. Use it to help you flame bogies.

Mad Max Merlin flew a Zero (A6M5, stock CFS2) against some of the top Corsair fighter squadrons today including the Knights of the Damned, VF-85 and many others. Then, he switched sides and flew a Corsair (F4U-1a, stock CFS2) against the top Japanese fighter units including the Flying Cranes, IJN, Tainan Kokutai and other samurai squadrons.

Mission De-briefing

I have been engaging other units by flying a Corsair against Zekes and a Zeke against Corsair for a very long time. In another life, I was a member of an IJN unit in CFS prior to joining a USN Corsair unit in CFS2. The Seven Secrets are written from the perspective of a Corsair pilot flying a CFS2 stock F4U-1a Corsair engaging Japanese A6M5 or A6M2 Zekes. Perhaps you can glean some useful intelligence from my OPFOR experience that will help both Corsair and Zero pilots improve their performance, or at least survive longer in a furball.

Tactical Analysis: The Seven Secrets of Surviving a Furball

1. NEVER, EVER TURN FIGHT A ZERO! They will kill you EVERY time. Zekes can out turn your Corsair and if you try to engage them in a tight turning dogfight a good Zeke pilot will make you go swimming EVERY time. Corsairs outclass Zekes on speed, power, diving ability, armament and armor. Zekes outclass Corsairs on turning and climbing plus they can outmaneuver you at low speeds and low altitude. Make the Zero climb to your Corsair if you can't get an angle to boom-and-zoom him. Disengage quickly from low level turning fights. If you don't, you'll wind up in the ocean.

2. Head-on engagements between Zekes and Corsairs were frequently fatal for the Corsairs. Zekes piloted by skilled veterans can jink better than Corsairs so the Zeke can hit you and dodge your attack at the last instant. Wing hits will cripple your Corsair, diminishing your ability to turn while the Zeke turns on your six. If you are unlucky enough to take on Zekes head-on and are hit do not try to turn on him. Best to nose over, gain speed, and get the heck outta Dodge. Run. Assess your damage and if necessary land to repair. If you can turn, climb above the Zekes and execute a boom-and-zoom attack.

3. Zekes want you to come down on the deck where booming-and-zooming are less affective. It only takes a couple of hits to make those flimsy Zeros unflyable but NEVER turn fight a Zeke. Outsmart and out-shoot him instead.

4. Your best kills will be achieved by booming-and-zooming and by attacking head-on from an oblique angle using long range deflection shooting. Lead the Zeke and unload on him in short bursts. Lengthen your bursts when you have the deflection correct and start to see hits.

5. Beware of a Zeke that has an altitude advantage especially if he is engaging your inbound Corsair. Zekes will break off and climb above you, using their climbing advantage to gain an altitude edge over your Corsair. Zekes can out-climb Corsairs and Corsairs can out-dive Zekes but need more air to pull out. Once the Zeke breaks and climbs to at least 2000 feet above you, he will roll into a short Immelman, cut airspeed to about 150 and drop in on the target. Using speed brakes and flaps, the Zeke will keep his air speed under 200 so he can easily turn and jink to track his target (your Corsair) with minimal turns. The Zero remains very responsive at low speeds, unlike your Corsair which becomes a wallowing hog at low speed. Beware Zeke sharpshooters. Once he has you sighted, a good Zeke pilot will kill you. Using your weapons advantage, you can line up a deflection shot gun pass, drop in on a Zeke bandit and open up as far always as 1200 feet with short bursts and walk your fire in on him. Your Corsair's .50 cals have greater range and do more damage than Zero weapons. Careful deflection shooting will enable you to score enough hits to splash him in the first pass.

6. Beware of target fixation. Stay on your target as long as you can but keep the engagement as short as possible. Get in, do damage, break off and dive away. Or, pull up if you are booming-and-zooming, just before you hit the ground (in a diving attack use air brakes and full flaps). If you stay on target too long the Zeke's wingman rolls in on you. Works every time. But beware because it also works for the Zero. They will jink, turn on you and score about 15-20 hits in a single pass when they open up with both cannons and machine guns. The trick is to stay on your target long enough to fill him full of lead and yet break away soon enough so you can pull up without eating dirt or getting smoked by his wingman. A good Zero pilot will bring you down to wavetop level, knowing he can pull up when you cannot. Some of my turns in a Zero at low level left grass stains on the Zeke's underside or wave spray on the canopy as I pulled up less than 100 feet above the deck. Had to watch airspeed in the dives. Corsairs dive like falcons but only go in one direction easily - DOWN. Pop air brakes and full flaps to recover but allow plenty of air to pull up. With practice, you can drop from above angels 10 to wavetop level but you need to pop brakes and flaps at around 3000 feet to survive that maneuver. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

7. Beware the slow flying Zero. When engaging Corsairs in a Zeke, I sometimes drop airspeed to 200 in the breakaway. It enables me to turn quickly on a Corsair and nullify his boom-and-zoom advantage. I can frequently catch the Corsair's 6 as he makes his boom-and-zoom pass. IF you're a smart Corsair pilot, you will nose over and dive away from a turning Zeke. Get a few hits and zoom out of there. The Zero might put a few rounds into you but probably not get enough hits to kill you, just enough to really annoy you. Do not fall for that and try to turn on him. That's what the Zero wants you to do. Turn fight and die.

Lessons to Learn

A. Work in pairs or even teams of three: lead-wing left-wing right. It takes a ton of lead to splash a Corsair and just a few hits to flame a Zero. Exception - if your Corsair takes a wing hit, you are usually toast. Zekes can outmaneuver Corsairs in the blink of an eye. Corsairs don't stand much of a chance trying to turn with Zeroes. Alone, best to boom-and-zoom. In teams of two combine boom-and-zoom with thatch weave.

B. The bird dog and wingman jump tactic works great just don't become too predictable. Alternate tactics and keep the Zekes off balance. If they can predict your next move, you're dead because they can outmaneuver you.

C. If you consistently use the same tactic such as the Corsair on defensive always breaking left (the more nimble move since engine torque helps improve turning) and the Corsair wingman always attacks the Zeke pilot from over the Zeke's right shoulder, the Samurai will get wise and nail you after about the second or third use of that tactic.

D. Don't stay on the target too long and keep your fat blue Corsair tail wiggling. Whenever you fly too straight, too long, the Japanese ace will make you too dead.

E. Wingmen need to stick to their wing leaders like ticks on a hound dog. 1 on 1, Zeke to Corsair, you risk getting killed if the Zero pilot has guts and uses his superior turning ability to get on your 6. 2 on 1 and the odds are in favor of the Corsairs. 3 on 1 and the Zeke is dead every time.

F. An excellent tactic is for the leader to zoom in on the Zeke at an angle (avoid going head-to-head) full WEP throttle. If you don't kill the samurai on that pass, he knows you cannot turn on him fast enough to get on his 6. Your Corsair is probably blasting through 350 or even 400 knots and the closing speed is probably 600-700 knots. The Zeke ace with guts is going to drop airspeed to 200 knots or less for the tight turn, jink out of the line of fire, turn on your 6 and firewall his throttle. Those clunking sounds you hear are Japanese rounds perforating your Corsair. If there is a second Zeke covering the leader, and you try to turn back on the attacker, the wingman comes in and drops on your six. Bang, you're dead!

Corsairs are armored like Sherman tanks so it takes a tremendous number of hits to splash them - unless you take wing hits. Avoid target fixation and yet take advantage of it in your enemy. You can nose over and dive to the deck if the Zeke is close on your six and pull up at the last moment. A fixated Zero will miss the turn and crash. Zekes need to stay on you and pump a lot of lead into your Corsair before you get killed. Frequently they will fixate and that's the perfect set-up for your wingman to jump the Zeke and send him off to meet his honorable ancestors. Stay on your target just long enough to score fatal hits but break away before his wingman comes in to rescue him. Remember, with all your armor, you can stay in the fight longer and take much more damage and, if you're highly skilled, still break off, dive away and turn on the Zeke from a distance to kill him with an oblique attack and deflection shot.

Boom, zoom and come back to finish him in a second pass. Sometimes, a Zeke will break off the leader and turn on the inbound attacker to put some lead in you both just to survive long enough to break and escape. If you boom-and-zoom at a lower airspeed, you can do the same to them. Flying straight and level is NOT recommended. Wiggle your tail and take evasive action when you bug out. At a safe distance, drop air speed and turn tight on the Zekes. Don't let them sandwich you or you'll be taking a long dirt nap.

Zekes will usually dodge the head-ons by jinking until they clear the attacker's guns (just barely) and then turning hard left with a tight roll and shallow Immelman. They will hit you when you boom-and-zoom past them.

One last observation. Stay focused and aware. If your attention wavers for a second, you're dead. Also, don't assume a diving, smoking Zeke is a dead Zeke. Those guys can rise from their grave and will bite you on the butt. They can clip the grass and climb back up on your 6 in a heartbeat. Come around again and finish him off. Or, even better, work in tight wing pairs and let your wingman finish him while you nose over and bug out. Confirm the kill.

Good Hunting!
Mad Max Merlin