nic727, if you are flying as nic1 and yesterdays experiences led to this question - what you've seen yesterday is absolutely realistic A6M performance. No buggy flight model, no cheating by the players.
The wing and wingspan of the A6M are about as big as that of an F4F, but the plane is only two thirds the weight of an F4F. As the lift the wing produces has to support all the weight of the aircraft, and therefore the A6M turns very much better than the F4F.
Do you know the phrase "turn and burn"? This phrase was coined by the US pilots in the Pacific, pilots who tried to turn with an A6M would usually end up burning, because the A6M was such a good turner. What you need to do is to fly hit and run style combat, where you attack from an altitude advantage, fire at the opponent, and then run away.
This is boring when flying alone, but very efficient in team work. If the enemy is not starting to chase you, you can gain some altitude, turn around and come back for another pass. If the enemy is chasing you, your wingman has an easy target on your six.
Anyway, A6M3 vs. F4F is pretty hard for the F4F, and I'd recommend you the P-40 when you have the choice. It can't nearly take as much damage, but it is faster and can extend safely if necessary.
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