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No, perk points are placed because of the effect on the Arena. Take one of the best US fighters, stick 4 Hispanos on it and you'll have a beast of a plane.
The Typhoon and Spit 14 had a decent amount of planes built AND USED. But they aren't perked on a basis of how many they were built. They were perked because they dominated.
Further proof of how you are wrong is the 3 Gun La7. The 3 gun La7 only had 50-100 planes built, not many used. Yet you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the arena with a 2 gun La7.
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Shouldn't use "wrong" in a discussion. Very counterproductive. Usually just a matter of listening better. Of course perk points are mainly assessed for EFFECT on the arena. No one would argue that point.
From the beginning of the perk debate, one of the main arguments for perking the F-4UC and limiting its EFFECT was because it was used in Aces High in much larger numbers than the small number of its real life counterparts late in WWII and thus was having a disproportionate EFFECT in Aces High gameplay.
I didn't make that argument, but many others did, and it is legitimate as part of the EFFECT. As in real life, limited numbers of F-4UC's would not have that much EFFECT on Aces High, hence the perks to limit their EFFECT (and keep their numbers more proportionate to their real EFFECT in WWII).
The Pershing would be in the same vein. It barely got to Europe. Zilch EFFECT on the war. But it could really distort the feel of WWII tank warfare if it were used much in Aces High.
The 3-gun La-7 example is another good one, and strongly supported by its limited use in WWII. Its 3-gun version probably should be perked, but not the 2-gun version. That would seem so easy to do that it's surprising it wasn't done long ago.
EFFECT is the bottom line, but it is a culmination of many factors including firepower, performance, and number of units.
The ultimate example of EFFECT including large production numbers in WWII is the B-29. It was so EFFECTive, including combat in large numbers, that it has never been introduced in Aces High no matter how many perks it would warrant.
The other side of that EFFECT is the Me-262. Although it never saw combat in sufficient numbers to turn the tide, it is so superior in performance that it is the premium perk plane in Aces High. Theoretically the B-29 could be introduced sometime with perks probably as least twice those of the Me-262.
So yes EFFECT is always the main consideration, but supporting arguments frequently have cited numbers actually seeing combat in WWII vs. numbers used in Aces High. There is nothing "wrong" about those arguments; they simply support considerations dealing with EFFECT.
The F-4UC and your example of the 3-gun La-7 are strong arguments for perks mainly for EFFECT strongly supported by their limited historical use.
Many Aces High participants are strongly influenced by EFFECTs of aircraft and vehicles in Aces High being reasonably commensurate with their EFFECTs in WWII. Those preferences are neither right or wrong, just preferences.
