Mole,
With your question foremost in my mind yesterday, I logged onto the MA shortly after reading this post.
First engagement, I was in an F4U 3/4 of the way between our field and the enemy field. I had previously been sprinkled by a B-17 flight before running into a lone pony. I came in from his 6, and with about 2k altitude advantage and was rapidly approaching. I know this guy saw me, and what I think he was doing was slowing down and baiting me in. At any rate, at 800 out he broke and I sprinkled him, then overshot. In the vertical, I lost sight of him in the star wars blast shield behind my head. I'm looking and looking and can't find him, so I point the nose down and extend.
Sure enough, he's sitting 400 off my nose high and he puts bullets all over my plane.
As we pass, I just keep the gas on and since I have way more speed than him now, as he reverses he settles 1.5k out on my 6. I'm headed flat out for home and I see on the text buffer "run F4U" to which I replied, "Hey you can catch me, if you want me come and get it." I have a sector and a half to go to get home and a pony should easily catch me.
I egressed to home and landed my shot up plane.
Next sortie I up a P-51D, hoping to run into my friend. Instead, I run into a pair of P-47's in close formation, and a spit 8 engaged with a friendly. The friendly quickly gets shot down by one of the P-47's. Now, I'm sitting comfortably with the choice to evade the second P-47 and egress, or stay and fight a 3v1, at least two of whom were a team. I elected to stay. We went several turns although I couldn't get a gun solution as every time I had one getting close, another was setting up his run. Alas, I blacked myself out on one turn, and in the 30 second timeout BEARKATTS shot me down. I didn't really expect to live 3v1 though.
So, all in all, I have to say that, while fun, I didn't find getting shot down any more satisfying than running home and landing alive.
To each their own, but I believe I'll stick with the disengagement option for now.