Thanks to Pipz I give my advice on the A8, and comparison vs the A5
A5
It's faster - wrong, the A8 is faster at the deck ,spit16 have same speed as A5, A8 is faster
It's lighter - yes
It turns tighter -yes, its biggest advantage, also a more abrupt snap-roll in stall than the A8.
It climbs faster - yes, not by much though
It flies higher - both planes are dead ducks above 21k
It hits as hard (just not as long) -dead wrong
It dives as fast -correct
------------------------------------------------
It get's pilot wounds from front and rear - A8 don't get anything of those compared, much armor
It lose speed slower - A8 can use that to its advantage, curving inside with slower speed.
It's much worse buffkiller - not only does it take eons to down a b17, also very vulnerable to counter-fire
It has worse range, and with etc mounted a yak3/spit16 catches it, A8 not, A8 has aux tank for extra endurance in its airframe.
A5 best feature is it's sexy winter camouflage skin.
Kovel's and my way of flying differs mostly from gunnery range and arnament.
I shoot at range, Kovel close in and chew them up with 30mms, both use high closure rate.
fighter to fighter snapshots is easier with 4*20mm, buff-hunting is easy with the 30mm on board.
