Kieran, thats if you in a 190 or a 109g10 or p51 or la7...aka, planes in which you can RRRUUUNN from it.
Face it in anything else, the n1k will eat you alive if you're not extremely careful (or if the n1k's pilot is new to the game). The n1k's ability to turn, dive & accelerate plus 4 cannons puts it a notch higher than the spitIX in the threat list. It also retains good maneouverability at speeds over 350 (beating the spit from my experience).
Comparing it to a spitV is insulting to the spitV. Its more like a spitIX with the accel of a 205 on wep and the e-retention of an la7.