I completely disagree that the Mosquito in AHII has been porked compared to AHI. IMHO it is just the opposite!
1) The Mosquito now has tremendous fuel range. You can fly at full throttle for about 18 mins on each 25% fuel load. You can fly for 90 minutes on 100% plus drop tanks and little throttle management. That is the complete opposite from AHI where the fuel range was awful.
2) IMHO it handles better, (or I'm just getting better...)
3) It is far better in the vertical than the AHI Mosquito. I have gotten numerous kills on fighters that went vertical on the merge because they assumed the Mossie was like the old AHI Mossie that was awful in the vertical. The AHII Mosquito is quite good in the V department, I can stand it on it's tail down to 40 MPH and blast away with it's 8 guns at poor flopping wannabe rope a dopers.
I especially enjoy P-38s because they invariably go vertical and give me a nice big planform as I turn inside them on the loop.
4) It turns pretty darn well. Or maybe the opposing pilot assumes the Mossie can't turn so tries to make too gentle of a turn, but I regularly outturn enemy fighters of all types in the initial couple of turns. I think part of it is the Mossie bleeds E very fast, so if you chop throttle in a turn, you will turn inside almost every other equal E fighter for at least one or two turns. Usually it only takes 1/4 to 3/4 of a turn and you've got your deflection shot lined up with that massive firepower. But you better not miss, because almost every fighter will win the sustained turn game.
5) As mentioned, it has the best climbrate and speed of all the JABOS when heavy with ordnance. I'm always throttling back if I go with P-51s, F6Fs, F4Us, or P-47s. Only the P-38 is really able to keep up when heavy.
One trick, you can raise your head up quite a bit and get a much better view over the nose. It really helps for those high deflection shots.
The downside:
1) It flames wings just like the AHI roman candle.
2) It takes awhile to get used to the spin. Just practice is all. I very rarely spin it anymore, and can quickly recover any spin except the dreaded reverse tail slide stall/spin.
3) It's not as fast as I wish for the RTB after a JABO attack. But almost no good JABOS are. So I take a Tiffy if I expect to be outnumbered at an enemy base, at least it has good speed for the rtb.
4) It is prone to pilot wounds when attacking GVs. One evening I was pilot wounded half a dozen times in a row while defending a base from Panzers.
But all in all it is my favorite plane. I even have the below print hanging above my monitor, signed by original RCAF aircrew:
Rangers on the Rampage by Robert Taylor
RAF Mosquitos on a "Day Ranger" mission attack a German airfield shortly after D-Day, 1944. Pilot signed print.
Signatures
Air Marshal Broom, Sir Ivor KCB CBE DSO DFC AFC
Group Captain Cunningham, John 'Cats-Eyes'
Wing Commander Fumerton, Moose
Squadron Leader Kearns, T
Air Commodore Sismore, E B 'Ted' DSO DFC AFC AE
