The A8 is certainly not a 1v1 dogfight aircraft. It's handling characteristics don't allow for the kind of vertical or turning maneuvers which (I believe) you need in order to succeed in dueling. Nor would it be the type of aircraft I would use in a close base defense (i.e. when the cons are practically on top of you and there is no time to build altitude).
I would also not say the A8 is a ride for newbie pilots. It's characteristics are tricky and unless you get a feel for it's '"sweet spot" you will quickly get into trouble.
The way I use the A8 is as follows: I will up from a field that is a reasonable distance from the fight and gain at least 10k of alt, or more depending on what the fight is looking like. Once over the combat area I will look for targets of opportunity, either bombers or low cons in the furball. The A8 is a great bomber killer and the tactics needed for that are explained in other threads. I will keep my speed in the 300-350ish range as I dive on targets and climb out when possible. I will continue fighting like this until the fight gets low on the deck, and then I will use slashing attacks, using roll rate and high-yo-yo's to stay with turning aircraft. I will keep my speed in the "sweet spot" (250-350) as long as I can. I will then take an opportunity to exit the fight to regain alt. The important thing here is to take *every* opportunity to exit and regain some alt in order to keep from getting slow on the deck.
The things you need to learn to be successful in the A8 are proper speed management, 'feel' for the plane itself, and exit strategy. I found that the A8, being less forgiving than other rides, *forced* me to learn these tactics and made me a better pilot in the process of learning, to the point that when I tried the A5 I was a lot better at flying it than I expected. I think that the A8's slower overall speed when compared to other bnz'ers was a plus in my case, because I have a hard time getting shots in at 375-450mph (my reflexes generally aren't good enough to get the shot in as I go by).
The trick with the A8 is that you absolutely have to fly it to its strengths in order to be successful. There are better planes in the game for sure, and definitely better planes to learn how to duel with, but I like flying the A8 on attack missions because with the restrictions there are also certain freedoms. In the A8 I know I can get into a furball with a decent chance of survival, and I can also drop any bombers I run into. I can also de-ack and knock out town buildings more efficiently. The medium gun package provides enough firepower to kill any target you care to name and has a generous supply of ammo, and it doesn't have the tricky ballistics of the K4 or the La's. Other than the N1K1 or the perked rides with 4xHispanos, it's probably the best mix of hitting power and range available.
That said, I will say that I will not fly the A8 into a 1v1 situation (which I stink at anyways) nor will I fight uphill if I can help it. It's just not that kind of plane. It's a boom and zoom aircraft for someone who prefers to be opportunistic (okay, a picker) and who is careful enough to gain an alt advantage before going into a fight.
Again, this is only my personal experience with this ride, and I am far from an expert pilot. The A8 is not to everyone's liking, but I like to fly it, and I think it's made me a better pilot in the process.
