[NathanielGreene]

just a question, are you using the AI mod?
it'll help with the 'circling eerily from high above' thing that you describe, i'm sure... 8)
as for Zero vs Corsair, I can pretty much hold my own in each of them vs. the other. But its taken me a few years of flying these planes, to get to the level where I actually can. For the first while, the Zero always nailed me in a Corsair, but like Anto said, the Zero is a tight turner, and is best down low, where it can pretty much outturn/roll anything, as mentioned. The Corsair is better than a Zero in a dive, and its advantage will increase with altitude....
hope that helps... 8)

Haha, yea i've got A.I. mod, they still seem to do it. I don't really have a problem with any PTO fighter aside from the Corsair (used to have a Seafire phobia, terrible flashbacks of campaign scrambles on Okinawa)

I've shot plenty down when it gets to an old fasioned dog fight (Zeke is the best in the business)

I just find myself too often in a position where i can't catch them, can't climb to them, or both. And they wont come to me unless they're shooting.

I'll go with Maico's advice. Escape, gain some altitude on them, and reengage. Thats a good kill set up too. I can dive on them while they're trying to climb to me.

The bulk of my kills end up the result of the enemy pilot thinking he can just fly to the moon. Except in this case, they're usually trying to escape.