Its different up there...and I'm not taking advantage of the differences, I guess.
There was a stream of higher alt enemies dropping on a furball between 2 bases, so I upped a P-47D-25 to try and bounce a few -- and maybe just drive the monkeys a little lower for my friends. At about 18K, and beyond the primary fight zone, I spotted a couple co-alt enemies -- but they spotted me and decided to engage. When they closed enough, they turned out to be (cue Gomer Pyle voice: "Surprise, surprise!") an La-7 and a Spit XVI.
I decided to use my advantage (performance at alt) and try to do a slow rope. I didnt have enough speed to do an immelman merge, so I winged over and trusted they would follow. I wasnt sure about 18K level speed advantage over the XVI, but I was confident I could outclimb it; I pretty much discounted the La as meat on the table this high up. Lastly, from an SA standpoint, I was all on my own (as were these 2) and I was pointed away from friendlies.
I went into a gradual climb, hoping to see the distances increase so I could steepen sharply, rudder over, and reverse. Trouble was, I also tried to gently circle so I'd be heading toward friendlies -- and looking back, i think that let them cut inside me to make up the difference. Couple times I got too steep and let them close into near firing range, but I'd level or dive slightly to extend and did fine.
These two pesky boogers stayed with me up to 25K, and I never felt I had advantage enough to do anything but keep them at bay. Once I got pointed right, I straightened out and got down to business -- but the XVI thot better of it and dove out. The La jsut woudlnt give up, and even sprayed some at me. Frustratingly, the flatter ballistics up there let the LA actually hit me from 600 during one upward pull -- and took an airelon.
A couple times the La dropped alt, but by the time I started to turn in he was right on me again. I'm sure my frustration at not seeing him flutter into a stall climbing at 26k kept me from thinking well, but I wasnt coming up with any ideas - so as i crossed the patch of friendlies I called out a drag, dropped down some, and levelled off.
He took my elevator from 600-800.
At this point I was annoyed and ready to go home, so dropped into conservative dive and pulled him well into the friendlies. Before the drag came to full effect, he dove out for home.
I landed with my teeth gritted. It wasnt supposed to work like that!
SO how could I have better taken advantage of their performance disadvantage?