For me it's IJN had the best trained pilots in the world.
Listen, the zips may have had more training hours than most of the USN newbs but the Brits and the Germans had been fighting an air war for 2 years by the time 11s fought against anyone who shot back.
IJN's actual record is dismal at best.

Against the Flying Tigers
>BTFO

Against the USN
>BTFO except in a surprise attack without DOW

Against the marines
>BTFO except in Midway where the marines literally hadn't even been trained on how to dive bomb.

Anytime you mention this people start babbling about how if they had met on equal terms they'd win or whatever, who the fuck cares the only thing we know for sure is Japanese pilots lost and lost hard every time they faced opponents that shot back.

>>17866976 (OP)
What could possibly be more equal than pre-1950s aerial combat? There's no terrain to hide in or behind and the weapons technology would require them to fly in the same wind and weather systems at the same time.

>>17866999
>Gets blasted by bf109 that pops from the clouds directly above you

Didn't the IJN have the first battle in Aviation history where Carrier based aircraft defeated land based aircraft over the skies of China?

>11's
based

>>17866976 (OP)
Nice plane