Your 88’s are not going to be as deadly as planes. The planes get to shoot at each piece that comes into a reinforcement zone or any zone they are patrolling. They also get to shoot at each piece that tries to move out of any zone they are patrolling. So your planes get a swing at the 88’s before they are even on the board. And each plane gets a swing at each piece. You only get one swing per 88 no matter how many planes are in its zone.
The FTRs and BMBs do not get to retreat back to the Airfields before the Axix gets a chance to roll Antiair. I don’t have the cards in front of me either but I’m pretty sure the Axis gets AA for Bombers and fighters.
The only games that I have played that have even been close to Allied victory the FTRs seemed to never miss. You have to get 88’s into your reinforcement zones to have a chance at the FTRs but not going after those zones with the FTRs is a huge mistake even with 88’s in them. With some players the 88’s will keep them from putting FTRs in those zones but they get over that pretty quick.