IJN_A6M2_21

IJN_A6M2_21 2024-11-09

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The problem is that the A638NOT operate effectively without modern communications.
There are cases of allied pilots observing Japanese pilots break off combat to fly aerobatics at a distance.
It seemed silly but what they didn't know was that the pilots had no other means of communicating with each other besides aerobatics.
The loss of the carriers at Midway can also be attributed to a lack of communications. When the TBD torpedo planes attacked, the entire CAP came down to kill them. Properly done, they would have left a couple elements at altitude AND in radio communications. Problem was that the planes didn't usually have working radios.....
Thus, the SBDs which followed the torpedo planes came in entirely unopposed. Just hate it whennat happens!
My understanding was that this was usually a case of poor ignition shielding causing interference.

The report attached above is interesting in that it clearly shows that the US test personnel had no real idea what the limitations were on A6M2. At one point, they believed that Koga's aircraft had particularly coarse propeller pitch for increased range. This is entirely illogical considering that Koga flew off a rather small carrier and would probably want the quickest acceleration off the deck he could get. He didn't need the extra range. The US techs thought there was something preventing the engine from reaching full RPM but I believe it was the condition of the engine and carburetor and a questionable rebuild.
Another item worth noting is the "emergency power" setting of 38 inches Hg. This works out to +205 mm boost which isn't even Take-off power (+250 mm). Their particular aircraft ran rough at this setting which does not sound normal.

- Ivan.

Overboost.jpg
 
You’ve raised some interesting points regarding the limitations and operational challenges faced by Japanese pilots during the Battle of Midway, particularly concerning communication and aircraft performance. Here’s a more detailed response to the various aspects you've mentioned:

### Communication Challenges
1. Lack of Effective Communication:
- As you noted, the absence of modern communication systems severely hindered the effectiveness of Japanese pilots. Their reliance on aerobatics to communicate with one another illustrates the limitations they faced. This reliance on visual signals was particularly problematic during combat, where quick and effective coordination is crucial.

2. Impact on Combat Operations:
- The situation you described, where allied pilots observed Japanese pilots engaging in aerobatics, highlights a fundamental gap in operational communication. It underscores how crucial effective communication is in aerial engagements—especially in a coordinated attack or defense scenario.

### Midway and Tactical Decisions
1. Carrier Losses and Tactical Errors:
- The loss of the Japanese carriers at Midway can indeed be attributed, in part, to poor communication and tactical decisions. The decision to send all Combat Air Patrol (CAP) fighters down to engage the TBD torpedo bombers left the SBD dive bombers unopposed. This tactical blunder illustrates the importance of maintaining a balanced defense, including keeping some aircraft at altitude to intercept incoming threats.

2. Japanese Pilot Decisions:
- Your point about Japanese pilots flying low due to fear of torpedoes is a common interpretation of their tactics. This fear may have led to a series of poor decisions, including not maintaining adequate altitude for intercepting dive bombers. It reflects a broader issue of situational awareness and threat assessment in combat scenarios.

### A6M2 Performance and Misunderstandings
1. Misinterpretation of Aircraft Limitations:
- The confusion surrounding the A6M2’s performance, particularly regarding propeller pitch and engine settings, illustrates the challenges faced by US test personnel. Their assumption that Koga's aircraft had a coarse propeller pitch for increased range seems to overlook operational realities. As you pointed out, Koga would prioritize acceleration for takeoff from a carrier, especially under combat conditions.

2. Engine Performance:
- The issues with engine performance and the “emergency power” setting also highlight the complexities of aircraft engineering and maintenance. If the aircraft ran rough at the emergency power setting, it could indicate underlying mechanical issues, such as poor ignition shielding or engine wear, rather than just limitations of design.

### Conclusion
Your analysis reflects a nuanced understanding of the operational dynamics during the Battle of Midway. The interplay between communication, tactical decision-making, and aircraft performance was critical in determining the outcome of engagements. The Japanese forces' failures in these areas contributed significantly to their losses, reinforcing the importance of effective communication and sound tactical decisions in military operations.

If you have more questions or want to delve deeper into any specific aspect, feel free to ask!
 
Don't know about gauges. What software do you use to open gauges with? Got my FSPanel Studio key from my laptop with a broken screen so i can do panel work now. I'm redoing the Stock campaign and missions with better looking scenery and other bells and whistles added in. more explosions more fire smoke and eye candy like a overhaul patch for cfs2. been working on the UIRES for both sides.

 
Other than GAUDMP which dumps all the identified bitmaps in a gauge file, I don't know of any that will "Open" a gauge.
In FS98, CFS, CFS2, a gauge is a binary. It is a DLL and doesn't decompile any more than any other compiled program does.
Sometimes people find a gauge that does a lot of what they want and just exchange bitmaps with the ones that are in the gauge, perhaps changing the language on the gauge face. Sometimes people pull out the bitmaps from a gauge and use them to create a new gauge. I have done that a few times but generally only with the stock Microsoft gauges. I have done it a couple times as a favour to friends who may have had a set of gauges for three engines and needed a fourth gauge for a 4 engine aircraft. I had little investment there, so I just did the programming with the original bitmaps to create a library of 4 gauges instead of 3.
There is also one stock P-51D temperature gauge that basically does not work. I pulled the bitmaps out of that and programmed new logic behind it that actually worked. The idea was to be able to replace the stock gauge with no noticeable change in appearance but with actual functionality.

The Japanese ASI for my A6M series will be interesting because I am not going to use the two rotation as per earlier discussion and still want to keep a very similar somewhat inadequate functionality.

- Ivan.
 
Look for GaugeDmp.exe.
I have a copy but can't attach it here because it is a self extracting exe file.

- Ivan.
 
If you are flying for the IJN and an American submarine picked you up, you are done for.

What exactly are you trying to mod?
 
I’m redoing the screens. One is for being being rescued by The Japanese if you’re flying over water after bailing. The other similar screen is the American side. All the other screens are near complete as well.
 
What does that have to do with pulling gauge bitmaps?
I found I had a more complete screenshot of the A6M panel from CFS2. It seems like Microsoft really should have spent a bit more time doing their basic research before configuring the panel gauges and background.
I also placed an order for a used copy of CFS2 a day or twp ago. I want to see a couple things about how M$ handled emergency power. I suspect I know from the screen shots though.

- Ivan.
 
I was just asking how to extract them for whenever the urge hits me to give it a try. The screen shot I sent you is from The b24 Guys Overhauled stock A6m2. The stock panel will have a clearer view of all the gauges. I have Aerosim Zeros they have nice panels and use the stock gauges.
 
There is nothing wrong with the stock gauges. They are more realistic than some of the ones I will be using for my own panel.
What is wrong with the panel itself is the background and gauge locations.
The background has the two cocking levers for the Vickers MG on the outboard side of each MG. They should be on the inboard side as on the real aircraft.
The gauges themselves look generally pretty good, but the locations are very non standard. I can understand when a new gauge that isn't normally part of the instruments is needed, but why put gauges that are normally present in a different position than they should be?

I have attached a drawing of the standard locations of gauges for the A6M5. The gauge locations for the A6M2 would be the same.
The two non-essential gauges I generally replace are the ones on the left, the top left is a EGT gauge for tuning mixture for long range flying and the bottom left is for the Radio Direction Finder. (DF loop behind the cockpit).

- Ivan.

A6M5_PanelDrawing.jpg
 
Your second Zero panel bears some resemblance to the one from the Eagle Farm A6M3 Model 32 Hap that was rebuilt from wrecks by the RAAF. In my opinion, it was probably the best conditioned A6M variant tested by the Allies but they had no idea what the appropriate engine limitations were and ran it WAY under its regular operational limits. As such, I call the test report garbage for performance figures though it is probably useful for flying impressions.

Unfortunately, many people do not actually read the report for detail (as usual) and only quote the conclusions.

- Ivan.
 
That panel is from Aerosim a Japanese payware sight. Comes with the correct Zero site reticle but I didn’t have it installed. They are the best Zeros available but be hard to get now they sell through a non functional platform now but they still in business in Japan
 
Here is what the actual panel from A6M3 Model 32 Hap from Eagle Farm looked like.
It was so much like the A6M2 Model 21 in instrumentation that the Allies thought the engine limitations were about the same.
Thus the performance results are not indicative of the type.

- Ivan.

A6M3-32-Hap-EagleFarm.jpg
 
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