Ink, Ardy, Mak and JUGgler get it.
It's not what you fly, but how you fly it.
We're not talking about "what's easier to get kills in" as much as "what flying technique will produce kills with the least effort required."
That, to me, has a lot more to do with the notion of "respect" for cartoon fighting skills.....
It's certainly easier to get kills in a Spit16 or LA7 than it is a P-39D or I-16. No one disputes that, and to think aircraft choice doesn't play a huge part in your chances of making back to base alive under most MA circustances is silly.
However, I think how you fly means a lot more.... ie, I would tend to be more impressed with someone who upps an LA7 to fight an incoming horde and is outnumbered 4 to 1, and only lands 2 kills, than someone who flies a 25 or 30 eny plane but never leaves the horde, runs to friends at the loss of total advantage, or vulches and cherry-picks around a capped field, and lands 10 kills.
I happen to like the LA7 because I know most runners can't get away without having to fight. I do find little or no satisfaction in landing kills when I have all of the advantages, but I do get a good bit of satisfation from living through a fight and landing scalps in the LA when I've pushed the plane outside of its envelope, such as slow and low, stallfighting Spits and F4Us, often while outnumbered.
Do I really care if anyone here "respects" my landing kills in an LA? LOL. No. I don't play this game for anyone but me. But like LUGgler said, I don't understand how some people get enjoyment from avoiding the fight, running, and flying to get kills by not putting themselves at risk or pushing their aircraft and their own abilities beyond what they should be capable of. But hey, it's their $15, what do I care.