Spit 16 - Fairly fast, just a bit slower than a pony D, good load outs, good for turn fighting, requires least skills to fly out of all spits.
Spit 14 - Very fast, can catch a pony D!, same gun load out as spit 16, worst turner of spit family, excellent acceleration, E fighter.
Spit 8, 9 - Best spits to learn how to fight in, good all around in speed, turn rate/radius, climb rate, my favorite spits.
Spit 5, 1 - Best slow speed turn fighters of spit family, 1 is best turner out of all spits, 303's pack a punch at close range, requires most skills to fly out of all spits.
That's my input on the Spitires. La-7's I never fly, Tempest and 262's I flew sometimes, but haven't really learned how to fly them yet.