First off, it's a game...remember?
Second, I scripted this set up, on the fly because the CT Staffer who was supposed to come up with something had some personal hardship he had to deal with. It was literally a last-minute gig, with no time to consult with each other or with the community. Don't like, blame me.
Third: "No Spit?" "Yeah, no Spit." Why the P-47 instead of the Spit? First of all, the Spit has seen usuage in numerous set ups, being regularly available in BoB, BoR, BoF (where it had no business being). One of the complaints I hear time and again from some of you is, "You never try anything different." Well, I set this up to give people a chance, indeed, a requirement to fly some match ups we don't see that much. I don't mean that there is no potential to see these match ups; just that when other choices are available people don't fly these birds as much.
I clearly acknowledge it is not a completely historical match up for the time and place. Guilty as charged, your Honor. I believe in my set up announcement on these boards, I implied as much. I included the Jug (the earliest model available, which is fast but not particularly nimble in most pilots' hands...and climbs like a pig), because otherwise I felt the Axis would have a significant advantage air to air. The Hurri is too slow, the P-40 is a pitiful climber and also a tad slow. The 109F can easily handle both the Hurri-IIC and the P-40, and is a decent match for the P-47. P-47 has fire power, but a mediocre A2G load, poor turning (again, in all but the most skilled hands), and poor climb. Fw190A-5 has a good gunpackage, is fast, accelerates well, and is the nimblest of the 190 series we have. Mossie was added to give Allies some jabo capability to counter 110 and Ju87. Bombers are a similar story, with the more versatile Ju88 pitted against the more rugged Marauder.
You can point to any one of these a/c and point out something that makes it superior in some way to some opposing a/c. It's the aggregate that matters, not one aspect alone. I've not heard alot of Axis complaints. I flew Axis over the weekend, and felt neither over or undermatched. In the end that intangible assesment, a mental summing up of gut feeling (seasoned with what facts and stats are availbable), is what I call balance.
To sum it all up, I acknowledge that it is not a completely historical set up, but believe it to be pretty balanced on the whole. You have the right to disagree and I will not think less of you for it.
