The winner of the second stage will receive the "2v2 Duellist" title and 300! Scores will be considered in the overall standings in the tournament series "Aviation Legends".

The winner of the first stage will receive the "2v2 Duellist" title and 300! Scores will be considered in the overall standings in the tournament series "Aviation Legends".

The A6M2 Zero and Jirō Horikoshi

In spite of the fact that there is an entire range of different versions of the A6M Zero fighter, one of the player favourites is the A6M2. The secret of the Reisen’s popularity lies not only in the ease and simplicity of piloting it and the universal machine gun/cannon weaponry, but also in the fact that this aircraft is legendary. The A6M2, designed by the talented Jiro Horikoshi, is a living legend and is, for its time, probably the best modification of Japan’s most widely produced aircraft.

The A6M2 is a single-engined carrier-based monoplane fighter, thats series production began back in 1940, turned out to be a successful and extremely timely development by Japanese designers. The A6M replaced the A5M4, a previous creation by Horikoshi. The A5M was a successful vehicle whose creation brought the young (only thirty-three years old at the time) designer fame and recognition. But his next project – the A6M – was the true pinnacle of Horikoshi’s career. This was the aircraft that ensured his name would go down in the history of global aviation as the author of one of the most successful fighters of World War II.

The A6M surpassed its main foreign rivals with an entire range of characteristics. In its very first aerial battles, the Zero proved itself extremely robustly against the quickly aging P-40 and F2A. The disheartening results of these skirmishes for the American side soon forced US command to review their aerial battle tactics and think about the need to create superior carrier-based fighters.

Historically, as indeed in War Thunder, the Zero overwhelmed the enemy with its maneuverability. In a horizontal dogfight, it had no equal, and the powerful weaponry of this light and ‘flighty’ aircraft allowed it to sometimes destroy an enemy aircraft with a single burst. Horizontal maneuvering is precisely the strategy to stick to when flying the A6M2. At the same time, excessively high speed and hits from enemy weapons should be avoided – this aircraft’s low flutter speed and low durability are its key weaknesses. Paradoxically enough, although the Zero does not get along with high speed, it does fine at high altitudes: it is comfortable at height, so you don’t necessarily need to tie up the enemy in a dogfight near the ground. A height of between two and five thousand meters can be useful for easier maneuvering and always allows you to slowly draw the enemy downwards.

When flying the Zero, many players often come up with their own ways of doing battle with this fighter. Air duels will offer you a new platform for improving your skill. You may find them in the Events tab in the game!