Zero I

The A6M, in Imperial Japanese Navy service from 1940, dominated the early Pacific War through an unprecedented combination of maneuverability, range, and climb rate — achieved by largely dispensing with armor and self-sealing fuel tanks. Allied pilots quickly learned to avoid dogfighting it directly and instead attack from altitude and dive away, where the Zero could not bring its advantages to bear. In the game it is exceptionally agile and quick to turn, but vulnerable to concentrated defensive fire.