Unexplored variants of existing planes?

[Saxman]

The problem I have with that durability is that it is so durable, more so even than P-47s and F6F-5s in my experience, that it makes it very lopsided against the A6M2s in scenarios.  The A6M2 is so fragile and a brief snap shot from the F4F will likely destroy it while the A6M2 has virtually no chance to destroy the F4F with a snap shot and must saddle up for a long, sustained burst of 20mm fire in order to down one.  Saddling up on one F4F means another F4F can easily saddle up on you, and his shot is easier due to ballistics of the Type 99 Model 1 compared to the Browning .50.

I don't think the A6M2 should wholesale sweep the F4F from the skies, but I think the domination the F4F has over the A6M2 in AH is accurate either, and that is largely due to the ability of the F4F to ignore the fact it is being hit by 20mm rounds for a little while.

I beg to differ. I had no trouble at all getting shot down by an A6M2 in the Coral Sea scenario today with a very short burst, and 1v1 the F4F is still going to lose most fights if it doesn't start at an advantage or take the HO. And I'm almost willing to bet those "long, sustained bursts" you describe involve a whole lot of 7.7 pings and maybe a couple of 20mm due to the awful ballistics. The scenario you're describing is largely tactical, and EXACTLY why the F4F ultimately ended up successful against the Zero: Its durability was an important factor in the effectiveness of American team fighter tactics employed from Midway forward.

[Seadog36]

P-47D-23...

+1 Easy addition~ D-25 performance and pylons on a D-11 template. Some of  the existing D-11 skins are actually later model variants: 57fg/65fs, 35fg/39fs, 56fg/62fs x2 and 404fg/506fs.

It would also open up some room for 15 new and badly needed fresh skins.

[Karnak]

I beg to differ. I had no trouble at all getting shot down by an A6M2 in the Coral Sea scenario today with a very short burst, and 1v1 the F4F is still going to lose most fights if it doesn't start at an advantage or take the HO. And I'm almost willing to bet those "long, sustained bursts" you describe involve a whole lot of 7.7 pings and maybe a couple of 20mm due to the awful ballistics. The scenario you're describing is largely tactical, and EXACTLY why the F4F ultimately ended up successful against the Zero: Its durability was an important factor in the effectiveness of American team fighter tactics employed from Midway forward.

Yes, in a 1 v 1 unless the F4F significantly out flies the A6M2 it will lose.  I have shot down an F4F with just my 7.7mms in the AvA long ago.  I shot down a P-47N with a D3A once as well, and it took far less 7.7s to do that.  If I have 20mm rounds available I only fire the 20mm due to the ballistic differences with them and the 7.7s.

The problem with the F4F's toughness in AH is that it doesn't just allow teamwork as a counter to the A6M, it allows it to almost completely nullify the A6Ms no matter the teamwork the A6Ms use.