P38's rating is based SOLELY on popularity, the more ppl fly em the lower the perk rating becomes. The performance of a plane only indirectly affects its perk rating.
Variables that make a 38 such a high rating:
Unpopular in the MA because:
More difficult to kill with for the non experten
View isn't that great
Not very fast
Compression
IT'S NOT A TnB'er.
The plane that, is relatively fast, has hispano's, a decent turn rate, decent visibility, decent payload, and painted a pretty bloo, is the most popular, therefore lowest rating, its the easiest aircraft for a non experten to kill in, and is probably the best multirole machine in the game.
New additions like the F6F and seaspit may in time see their ratings go up, based on their popularity. I suspect the seaspit's will for sure, once the newness wears off. The rating of 17 for both these aircraft may have been tough to guess at for HTC, not knowing exactly how popular they would be.
my ramblins
AKskurj