Question about Japanese air-units' operational range early WWII

Operating at extreme ranges requires highly skilled pilots to get the most out of their fuel. Just a few minutes of incorrect setting can make the difference between flying home and swimming home. Also, a large proportion of Japanese aircraft during the early part of the war did not have self sealing tanks. Therefore any bullet hole in a gas tank means you will start leaking fuel - if you don't have much reserve, this is a problem for you...

Given the lack of Japanese air-sea rescue efforts, operating at the extremes of range means a higher loss of aircrew, which OTL Japan could not sustain and IMHO absent major changes before the war as well as a much better flow of AVGAS to Japan after the war starts, they simply cannot fix.
 

HJ Tulp

Donor
Operating at extreme ranges requires highly skilled pilots to get the most out of their fuel. Just a few minutes of incorrect setting can make the difference between flying home and swimming home. Also, a large proportion of Japanese aircraft during the early part of the war did not have self sealing tanks. Therefore any bullet hole in a gas tank means you will start leaking fuel - if you don't have much reserve, this is a problem for you...

Given the lack of Japanese air-sea rescue efforts, operating at the extremes of range means a higher loss of aircrew, which OTL Japan could not sustain and IMHO absent major changes before the war as well as a much better flow of AVGAS to Japan after the war starts, they simply cannot fix.

Do you think 600 miles is extreme for a Betty or Zero?
 
Do you think 600 miles is extreme for a Betty or Zero?

For a Betty no, that is a very comfortable range. For a Zero yes. Rabaul to Guadalcanal is about 550 and they did that but they lost a lot of of guys who could not coax even slightly damaged planes back home. Sakai’s experience is noteworthy but he was a freak of nature, even in the elite corps of IJN fighter pilots.
 
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