Basically flying anything slower than the N1K2/Spit 9 is an exercise in frustration anyway, since the La7s and P-51s will Bore and Zoom you with impunity, and you generally won't pack enough firepower to kill one in a snapshot. Plus as a general rule, the planes that are slower than the N1K2/Spit 9 don't turn better than they do anyway, nor do they climb or accelerate as well, so you'll be dogmeat in the inevitable 3-15 on 1. At least in a Spit/N1K you can take 1 or 2 with you.
For me its gotten to the point where I'll log in and not want to fly anything. The LW planes are generally fast enough to escape from the N1K/Spit part of the gangbang, but then an La-7 will run you down, and even if the pilot sucks so bad he can't kill a vastly inferior plane on his own... well that isn't his job anyway. His job is just to run you down so the pack can catch up. Spits can be fun to fly, I prefer them to the N1K, but it gets old watching the runstangs and La-7s run away. Don't fly the runstang much because it doesn't fit my fighting style, and the La-7 is complete easy mode, so that gets old fast.
Tried the Spit I out a little bit... you can earn perks really fast in it, if you manage to kill anything. First sortie I had a runstang bore and zoom me for about 20 minutes until a 262 came along and drilled me, second sortie ended up being 3 spit IXs and a spit 5 against me in a Spit 1. I think the Spit 5 actually turns better than the Spit 1, seems like it does anyway. Spit 1 kinda gets to the point where you are just kinda mushing along at 80 mph but not really going anywhere.
