The time has come for the T3 Japanese planes. I shall quickly analyze how they work, what they’re meant for, what you should aim for while playing these planes and why they’re kick-ass. I won’t bore you with my introductions and get straight into it, let’s begin with…

3. A7M2

Daddy is here.

There are many things that I love about this plane, one of them is the fact that you are maneuverable and pretty sturdy, even for a Japanese plane. What about the speed? Well, if you decide to invest in A7M2 a little bit, you can upgrade it and reach the maximum speed of 654 KM/H in AB and 630 KM/H in RB. It’s perfect for boom and zoom gameplay but more experienced players will know that your biggest weakness is its wings - try not to get hit over there and you should be good - have fun!

Why this plane is awesome:

• Armaments, which I forgot to mention, are also OP - 20mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons and x2 13.2mm machine guns with plenty of ammo
• Sturdy cockpit, 70mm bulletproof front glass, and 13mm steel plate behind the seat.
• Surprisingly decent payload, x2 60KG bombs, and plenty of rockets

More info:
https://wiki.warthunder.com/A7M2

2. Ki-61-II Otsu Kai

An okay plane.

I think the best way to describe this aircraft is that it’s a jack of all trades, but a master of none. It has some durability in the cockpit but not on the same level as A7M2, it’s better at having a better payload in terms of bombs - 50KG, 100KG, and 250KG bombs that can be used for ground targets if nobody can’t be bothered with that. It accelerates pretty well in speed and you can use this for boom and zoom tactics. Wings are also a bit sturdier but do NOT engage in head-on situations, as that will most likely end up with you getting wasted!

Why this plane is incredible:

• Jack of all trades
• Decent armaments, similar to the A7M2, except the machine guns, which are lower caliber(12.7mm)
• Relatively easy to learn, doesn’t take too much time to master

More info:

https://wiki.warthunder.com/Ki-61-II_Otsu_Kai

1. Ki-61-I tei Hien

The one and only.

A flexible plane that excels in turnfighting and boom&zoom tactics, you can choose which one suits you the best but it also depends on enemy fighters and other scenarios. You don’t have to worry about lower caliber weapons shooting at you from behind as your pilot is protected with a 13mm steel plate installed behind the seat but the rest of your plane is not super-duper sturdy so don’t be too overconfident. Plenty of firepower, such as the two 20mm Ho-5 cannons and the classic x2 12.7mm machine guns. The payload is also a nice bonus, you can equip yourself with two 250KG bombs that can eliminate ground targets such as tanks, bunkers, and artillery units, and damage bases to a smaller extent. Excellent, versatile plane - good luck grinding for it, though!

Why this plane is awesome:

• x2 250KG bombs are rather powerful, both the damage+radius
• There’s some armor behind the pilot’s seat, which should prevent you from getting picked off by some sniper planes
• A decent turnfighter and an even better BnZ fighter

More info:

https://wiki.warthunder.com/Ki-61-I_tei

You may also be interested in:

• [Top 5] War Thunder Best Battleships That Wreck Hard
• [Top 10] War Thunder Best aircrafts
• [Top 5] War Thunder Best Dogfight Planes That Are Excellent
• [Top 5] War Thunder Best Bushes
• [Top 5] War Thunder Best British Tanks
• [Top 5] War Thunder Best British Planes
• [Top 10] War Thunder Best Anti Air Vehicles
• [Top 10] War Thunder Best Ammo For Planes
• [Top 5] War Thunder Best Bomber Nation