I'll be in a Yak-9U.
Maybe I'm an idiot but, I expect to hold my own against the N1K2. I've been flying the Yak-9U in the MA and have, of late, been getting a couple kill per sortie. Since I more or less suck, I've been attributing this to the Yak-9U.
The good things about the Yak-9U:
1) It's fast on the deck. Sure you won't run down a P51 or a LA7 but you will hang with them for a surprisingly long time.
2) It snap rolls in a most pleasing way. Not quite as fast as the 190 it seems to me, but faster than everything else.
3) Acceleration. Unload it and WEEEeeeee.....!
4) 1xShVAK 20mm cannon mounted in the nose. 33% fast rof than the Hispano MkII an only 20 m/s velocity. People wax poetic about the Hispano but this is simply the better gun.
5) 2xUBS 12.7 UBS in the cowl. (Can't find any data on the UBS 12.7... help!) These seem to be Browing 50's in all but name. I can and will use these only to down planes if a snap shot is not needed.
6) Visibility, just as good as a P51. Nuff said.
The bad things about the Yak-9U:
1) 150rpg for the 12.7's and 160rpg for the 20mm. In short, you are taking off pretty much out of ammo by the standards of U.S.A. planes. At best you will get 3 kills in a sortie, 2 is far more like it.
2) This is NOT the plane to hunt PT boats or buffs in. Doesn't have the hits or the hitting power.
3) 15k altitude is long way up for this ride. Don't go there.
My prediction is that this setup will be much like the early war PAC in terms of frustration for the Axis side. The N1K2 is fine plane no doubt, but the faster Russian planes are going to be able to pick their fights.
