I used to fly the N1k2 a lot, just for the pure firepower. 4x20mms do a lot with just a snap shot. I stopped flying it as my regular ride because it I found it just too damn slow to egrees and land my kills.
P38s and F4Us caused me a lot of trouble, and the N1k2 barely pulls more sustained G's than a P38 or F4U (about 3.1 vs about 2.8 with the stall horn going at around 160mph IAS at sea level -- try it offline!), but has inferior level acceleration. I've consistently gotten into one-turn fights below 200mph against both, and could never pull enough lead to hit, then the pilot would level out and accelerate away. If I'm lucky I could hit at 700yds and take something important off as they extend (again, those 4x20mm). And really, wallowing about 150 mph no matter how many G's the airframe can generate is wallowing about at 150mph - a slow target: it just means I can get shot in the face instead of the bellybutton (which happened alot in sustained turn fights and scissors in 2:1 engagements).
It's got piss poor roll and pitch authority (like the spitfire) above 250mph where P51's, P38's and Typhoons cruise at, making a clean shot against a aware adversary difficult (but again, a single ping with those 4x20mm is all ya need).
I've taken out a fully functional N1k2 in a La5N missing half my elevator, just by staying fast above him (having half the elevator missing helped conserve A LOT of energy each pass). I've even out scissored a N1k2 [and Spitfires] in a high speed dive in a C.205.
It takes balls to NOT turn hard against a N1k2 (or Spitfire) screaming down and closing on your aircraft when you're already at top speed: but remember this, they can't maneuver well if they're closing on you like that. They DO hold energy well in a level run, and the WILL close to firing range, but they will be going 300+mph and CAN'T keep his guns on you if you *gently* twitch out of the plane of his guns. They *WILL* begin to slow down as they pull G's trying to stay on you [they always have to pull MORE G's than you to get a guns solution, thus burn more E than you], and *WILL* fall back. You just need the balls the look out the back window, see him at 200 yards[!], and roll and pull (gently!) to get out of the plane of his guns(and occaisionaly do a cheap negative-G twitch - but that's another thread). Every so often look back and slowly (*excruciatingly slowly*), the range numbers will slowly stop decreasing, and start increasing. I've done it. Most exciting damn thing I've ever done... and I get away... most of the time. I do it in my new favorite ride --the La5N -- all the time. It's a blast
