All the theorizing and fact quoting aside, the simple truth is that in competent hands the Spit Mk XIV is a monster in AH. What it can't out run it can out climb and out turn and/or out accelerate. It is a superb E-fighter, a better than average BnZ fighter and better than average in an angles fight, all of which make it a powerful furballer. There are only two airplanes in the AH livery that give me pause in the XIV - the 4-hog and the tempest. The rest in the stable are meat. Having said that, the XIV in the hands of someone who isn't familiar with it tends to be a dog, so it isn't a cure-all for the unskilled dweeb, but a sky full of XIV's in AH would be a nightmare for anyone flying anything else. It's worthy of the price.
Just my $0.02
asw
