As an example, when you have you have a choice of saddling up on a Mustang, Spit, P47 or P38 below you and you have a good position on all of them, which plane would you choose first? All pilots have equal skills lets say.
Tactically, I would think the choice should be taking out the plane that is the greatest threat to equalize or advance his or her's E. Real game life though most seem to choose bigger plane first. That's my take on it anyway.
Didnt read the rest of the thread, but if those choices were all under me this is the order I'd shoot for. (Let's say I'm flying my P51)
1st: Spit. If he climbs and gets Co-E with me I'm in a heap of trouble. Hes First.
2nd: P38: Lasers for guns, will out turn me and he has a bigger profile, hes next.
3rd: P47. Holds E in the vertical. Can't extend away from a good 47 pilot, at least not by diving.
Last is the P51. He's probably already gone by now but if he was a skilled pilot I'm confident enough in my flying that I could out-fly a Pony that I have an e-advantage on.
This would change as the fight progressed. If I were missing shots as I'm diving in and one of the planes was getting close to leveling out the E-advantage I had I would switch my focus to him to kill him/bleed his E.