LOL I guess that means we better start perking the pilots instead!
My point is, folks will find something to whine about no matter what. If HTC had called it a Spit LFIXe instead of an LFXVIe, the whines wouldn't be what they are. Spit drivers tend to try and out turn everyone. I like that. They stick around and fight for the most part. And because it's newer, less experienced sticks flying it, they find some success in it, which means they might continue to stick around and fight. When the LA7 was the ride of choice for the newer guys trying to find success, all they did was run in, shoot and run out. I'd much rather have a guy try and learn to use the plane then one who just goes fast with cannons.
I have to agree with you about what I'd rather see new pilots flying. On the other hand, snailman says whines about perking the Spit IX used to be common.
I still have little doubt that the XVI is the best unperked fighter in the game by a significant margin. It's faster than the C-Hog as soon as you get above sea level, rolls like a 190A, and climbs with the 109K-4. Some of us forget that to beat a decent pilot in a XVI with a worse plane requires that your pilot skill be a magnitude greater. A lot of the complaints come from those who are getting shot down by XVIs when their pilot skill is greater than the new-ish guy in the XVI, but not enough to overcome the aircraft performance advantage.
So with a plane like the XVI running around the arena, I can't see any justification for not experimenting with unperking the XIV and C-Hog. I do understand that the C-Hog is the posterchild for perking, but that was when there was no XVI.