I had considerable stick time in the D11 in AH1. The gunnery model doesn't seem to favor the american 50s as much in AH2, which is what really hurts the Jugs defensive capabilitys.
When you're high E the D11 may be a little weaker then the D25 or D40 on account of less mass (Less mass = less momentum). You'll have to work harder in the older model to keep your advantage, but all Jugs are beasts when diving so it's not really too bad. Just remember to climb back up to some pre-set vulching altitude every once in a while.
Defensively the D11 has a significant advantage over its newer counterparts. The stability this thing offeres in a stall fight is nearly rediculous. Walking the flaps a lot while playing overshoot games is the general strategy. Nobody is going to have a better turn radius then you at speed, and even when slow it's only the real turners like the zeke and the spitV that can get inside your insane turn radius. When things get really bad you want to get flaps out, get low, and do a lot of scissoring and reversing to take advantage of the radius. You won't win at all on turn rate, but if you do a lot of well timed barrel rolls, and low radius full flap split-s's on the deck to force people off your 6, your survivability will be pretty decent.
All in all this fighter is well suited to an experienced competent stick, but terrible for the new to average pilot.
-pellik