P-38J or L is one of the easiest fighters in AH to jump in and do well with. Calling it very hard is a farce.
Karnak, have you lost it? It is pretty low-average in the two basic attributes that noobs can use easiest for kills/survival....turn and speed. Couple that with the fact that it can be dangerous if you don't watch it in dives....the only "easy mode" part of the 38 is the gun aiming and the lack of torque, the latter being of dubious usefulness to the uninitiated anyway, except for take-off.
Me and Batfink tried something the other day. Me, starting off with an alt advantage 38J, him in a SpitIX. Fighting in the vertical to the absolute limit, I got in one burst, that unfortunately for me did not prove fatal, and lost position, so he got me in subsequent maneuvering. Then he tried the 38 and me the SpitIX for a few iterations...I got him each time in that variation. And Batty is an uberstick with a ton of experience in twin-engine designs with nose-mounted firepower.
The uber-plane it ain't unless you know your situation and *exactly* what you are doing.