Dont you think the 239 should have the same ENY as the new I-16? I was just in a Hellcat and other then maybe stall turning the F6F-5 pretty much controls the entire engagement. Its faster, accelerates well, must climb almost as well, has a very large range with DT, and most of all has a serious Ord load as well as 2 additional 0.50s with all those extra bullets. The HellCat is only 5 eny cheaper for all that.
The 239 is a really fine airplane but it carries no ords. Has no DT. And while its nimble, turns great, climbs well, its not very fast. It has good guns in its 4 brownings, probably a bit better then the I-16, but the two are so closely matched it just seems like they should have the same eny. The FM-2 is 20 also but the FM-2 is faster, has drop tanks, can carry 6 rockets and 2 100lb bombs.
Other 20 eny planes? Yak-9u "all that speed", P-38/P-47s "speed, bombload,range,guns", LA-5, C-205, Wildcat has 6 0.50 option, DTs, ords, and more speed. The zero has all that range, gun package, ords. Even the 25 eny KI-61 is much faster, has a great gun package, ords, DTs. The 109K4, a speed, climb, and gun monster, is a 20 eny airplane.
And here comes the Brewster 239. 4 0.50s, no ords, no DTs, cant use on CVs and not much speed. Clearly a nimble, effective fighter but not in the 20 eny class.
I say make it 25 eny where it belongs. More will use it in LW and I dont think it should be lower then the I-16. a lot of these 20 eny planes are already LW monsters with all the speed, guns, ords you could want. Does the B-239 really belong in the same eny class?
