Don't use it as an excuse not to get really good with a plane like the D9. Being in the top 95% percentile, you should be able to hand at least half of the spit16s pilots their tulips in the main arena.
I agree. The prize is still enticing - and who enters a fight without an advantage (well, me, often, actually)? It's like I say, the usual scenario of me in the D9 is:
1. exhausting all my E on the first enemy con, usually because of ineffective initial gunnery, that godawful long nose, and a dogged unwillingness to pull off
2. falling victim to the second enemy con.
At the same time, having spent a lot of stick time in the Spit lately, I'm starting to appreciate how untouchable those d9s can feel when they come in fast. It's also interesting to watch a good D-9 stick use his roll as an evasive. I tend to overdo it, half-piping with higher-amplitude roll excursions and burning too much speed. A really good d-9 stick will extend on you even as he frustrates your aim via smaller, quicker roll excursions.