Do you like zooming around in a glass cannon while giving physics a giant F*** YOU in big bold flashing letters? Well, there’s only one set of craft in Japan’s arsenal that can actually zoom worth a damn but if you are a joystick user who is ready to absolutely shatter the arcade flight model then we got your go-to nation right here. So let’s start things off right.

I'm only going to say this once but it applies to the entire Japanese lineup (with the exception of the KI series as they are energy fighters). You can't turnfight em. If you try or are forced into the position you are Screwed with a capital S. Hell, even going head on is a shotty proposition as a good pliot will just dance around and plug you in a matter of seconds. Thus said the universal weakness of the Japanese is thier low dive speed, climb rate and non-existent armor. That requires a bit of foresight to take advantage of but all you need is one good plug.

The trick to being a good Japanese pilot is not to give em the opportunity.

By *right* I meant slogging through the 2nd worst starting lineup in War Thunder.

The plane itself is actually not bad. Roll rate is a tad slow but the pitch is pretty powerful resulting in a excellent turn rate (get used to this). What ruins it are those two pathetic excuses they try to pass off as guns. I know, reserves. But this does not get any better till a few planes down the line. Go for assists. At this tier that 5000 lion wing-man reward is a nice haul.

With Joystick: Roll and pitch is pretty stable but that rudder has that slow bounce found on the beaufighters. The controls are about the least of your worries with this plane anyway.

Apparently someone forgot to tell Mitsubishi about the business end of what these craft are supposed to be doing.

Climbs good, turns good, good energy retention in a turn but those damned 7mm type 89s. Same deal as before with the KI-10.



With Joystick: This one is a a bit more touchy than the biplanes so fine tuning is tricky. Considering your armament, that’s a problem. Hey, not like you are gonna get any more kills with mouse aim anyways.

Hey! You finally get a gun upgrade. 2 whole 12.7MM replacements! Excited?

Good plane, crap arma.... You noticing a pattern here? Your ammo reserves now suck as well so have fun with that. This is why I don't like the early Japanese lineup though would you believe me if I told you it gets worse?


With Joystick: Uhh... it's stable and most of the rudder bounce has cleared up so at least it's joystick friendly right? Doesn’t really matter when your guns suck this hard.

Looks like your flying with a big dong hanging out. Feels like it too. For that visual analogy, you are welcome (Dammit man! Isn't anything sacred to you? Nope).

Bad innuendo aside, holy crap this thing has cannons. Two of em which beats out even the Russians in terms of firepower. However, your turn rate is not as amazing as it once was making targeting tricky. Another problem is that the A6M2-N is slow as hell so be careful where you pick your fights. You ain't getting out of there till the battle is resolved. Thankfully with those 20MMs, you should be able to do it pretty damn quickly. One thing about ammo is that the Japanese have a pretty decent set of cannon tracer rounds (High explosive fragmentation tracer rounds). Consider using em if it helps you fine tune your shots. You don't have the ammo to waste. They are also great for turning pilots and gunners into paste.

With Joystick: Not the most stable thing the in the world with a fair amount of rudder bounce. But it's servicable.

Those two extra MGs up front are here about an era too late if you ask me.

Where does this thing fit in the arsenal? The only thing the KI-61 ko has going for it is it's diving ability. Everything else (turn rate, acceleration, climb rate etc...) is sub-par. The crate just feels heavy. Later on you get the KI-61-IB ostu but those 4 Ho-103s do not cut the mustard anymore. Hate to keep harping on this but the plane is no good if you can't kill anything before someone else swoops in with their cannons and takes the credit.

With Joystick: Taken a step back I'm afraid. The slow rudder bounce is back with a vengeance and your pitch is not stable. Considering your crap armament it's bad news bears for the KI-61.

Not having much luck with the KI series so far. Can Kawasaki redeem themselves with the KI-45? Short answer, yes.

You get Four KI-45. They all fly exactly the same so forgive me if I don't like repeating myself. The most important thing to note is that those engines are powerful so you don't have to worry about losing turning performance due to speed. You may not have the best turning off the bat but if you exploit the vertical you can take on anybody outside a zero, spit or high level 109. Mostly the KI-45 is a bomber and attacker hunter and does so extremely well. It has a great climb rate if it even needed it.

The main difference between the KI-45s is it's guns:
KI-45 Ko - 2 12.7MM Ho-103s and 1 20MM type 94 cannon: Not bad for light crap and you are basically in a position to boom and zoom everything in existence. Note that your ammo supply is one of the 45s main drawback so be careful with it and veteran your crew if you get the chance. It helps out a lot.

KI-45 Otsu - 1 20MM type 97 and 1 37MM type 94 cannons: Looks like Japan is first in slapping a big-ass gun on an aircraft. This is where bomber stomping comes into play but it's not all sunshine and roses. The low bullet velocity of the type 94 makes using it tricky and it may necessitate repeated hits if you are unlucky (a problem with only 16 shots). Also note the pathetically low ammo count on the 20MM. It's just there to screw with your ammo counter and lead indicator.

KI-45 Tei – 1 37MM Ho-204 and 2 20MM cannons in Schräge Musik configuration: Anyone know what the in-game difference is between the Type 94 and Ho-204 is? I don't. Anywho, the 20MM cannons are pointed ~45 degrees upward so get creative with em. They are hilarious to use.

KI-45 Kei – Like the Ostu, you got an extra cannon you don't care about jacking everything up. Also, those 109s are starting to breathe down your neck are they not?

With Joystick: Pretty stable all around but fine tuning that 37MM is a ♥♥♥♥♥ and a half. That roll rate locks up at around 450kph and the roll has some inertia to it. Thus said I love this crate. At 13 kills it holds one of my better streaks.

Whaddya know. Taking off the giant landing dildo actually improves performance (Okay! Okay! No more).

Ah, the legendary zero in all it's glory. True to form it's turn rate is amazing. Also true to form it can't a hit worth a damn. It tends to lose a lot of speed in it's turns but unlike the spitfire, the zero's low speed performance is great. Just be sure you are not in a position to get jumped before you can recover. You will not last long. At this point you are pretty much dependent on your cannons and they tend to run out of ammo at the most inconvenient moments. One final note, your climb rate is going to suck until your upgrades kick in. Happy grinding.

With Joystick: Perfect. No other word for it. If you are not racking in the kills then I can safely say that it's 100% your fault. You have in your hands a legendary ability to bend over the arcade FM at will but it does cost a hell of a lot of speed. Use it well.

Without upgrades that's a climb rate of 7.6 m/s. I am so not looking forward to the higher ranked zeros.

Same deal as with the A6M2 only with a slightly better engine and more cannon ammo. Like I said, you'll be hurting for upgrades. Also note that the WEP is very powerful on this one. Try not to overheat it during a crucial moment.

With Joystick: No changes here. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Yeah... that's a 57mm up front and yes, It does exactly what you'd expect it to do.

Same as with the rest of the Japanese big guns, the Ho-401 has a low bullet velocity making using it on fast moving targets tricky. Good news is that the KI-102 has a decent backup armament in the form of twin 20MM Ho-5s with a hefty supply of ammo. No way to separate the cannons firing together so that's sad. Performance wise the 102 is the same as the KI-45. Might be an issue considering your competition. It's BR of 4.3 might be a smidge high.

Note: There's a bug in this aircraft with its wing durability. Simply put, a box of Kleenex will do a better job withstanding bullets. No exaggeration. This is fixed in 1.39.

With Joystick: A BFG in a plane that is stable as a rock. Let the good times roll.

That injection upgrade gets further and further every plane doesn’t it? The fact that the zero needs it badly to be competitive dosen't help matters.

Yet again, same deal as before but with a better and slightly heavier engine. Are you honestly surprised? Other than that, nothing new to report. The A6M3 can still wreck face in the right hands.


With Joystick: This is were I tell you that the 4th iteration of the zero screws you over like the spitfires right? Thankfully not. Stable as ever.

Nice to see a KI with a proper gun array. It only took them 13 aircraft.

It's not the best turner but it's decent. It's not the fastest plane, but it's decent. It's not the most durable plane, but it's decent. It's not the best gunner, but it carries twin cannons with 300 rounds of ammo so that is actually pretty awesome. Overall, the KI-61 is a true jack of all master of none. Whether or not this is worth getting ranked up to BR 4.7, I'll leave that up to you.

With Joystick: It's not the most stable thing in the world, but it's decent.

I think you can pick up by now on how much I'm not a fan of the KI series. It's just that... wait a minute... You mean this thing is actually good?

Right off the bat, notice how the KI-84 is not much as a gun heavy slug as the KI-61s once your upgrades start kicking in. Yeah, the acceleration is a tad crap, turn rate isn't the best, and your takeoff and low speed performance is abysmal. Thing is, The KI-84 is stable and it's energy retention is great. A pretty good high speed energy fighter for when those P-51s, late spitfires, and 109s have to die. Really wish those upgrades would come faster though.

How to kill: I've seen these things take on late model spits and if the pilot was any better he might of won it outright. Use your acceleration to gain a quick energy advantage and smack him around in a turn fight. If the 84 is already going fast watch out. These things will not lose their energy quickly.

With Joystick: Like I said, stable. Bout damn time to.

As for the Japanese latter offerings? Almost nonexistent so make like the Patriots and F*** the Jets (now who the hell will get that reference?).