Interesting thread over at the banana forum, here’s an extract that might be of interest (thinking of you & me here WB)
From Buzzsaw
Salute
The question as to what is the best Red plane is a question of altitude.
Below 9000 ft, the point at which the engine cutout bug appears for the Spit IA 100 octane, it is the best Red plane. It climbs the best, turns the best, and is the fastest.
Over 9000 ft, the Spit IIA is the best option for the Reds. It does not on the surface have issues with the engine cutout bug, however, it is very prone to overheating at 15,000 ft +, and recently I have discovered that running max. boost at altitudes over approx. 16,000 can cause engine failure in a very short time, even if heat was correct when boost was applied. Since the boost levels at that altitude are below what was rated as within 30 minute allowance, the plane is obviously not modelled correctly.
The Hurricanes are a step below the Spitfires, although strange as it seems, and totally in defiance of the historical reality, the Hurricane I 100 octane is better than the Spit IA 100 octane at 15,000 ft… but not good enough to fight the 109’s up there on even terms.
Overall the Hurricanes are best used below 10,000 ft, not an acccurate representation of their real performance, historically they were capable up their Full throttle height, approx. 17,000 ft.
The Spit IA 87 octane is also better than the Spit IA 100 octane over 9000 ft, (also ahistorical) and in fact is the next best plane to the Spit IIA at those altitudes.
The Spit I is also better than the Spit 1A 100 octane at altitude, although I think it is not quite as good as the IA.
And of course, it all depends on the pilot, 109’s are shot down by Hurricanes, although the numbers of players flying the Hurricanes is again in decline.
What’s the best plane to shoot down bombers with? The Hurricane. It’s gun placement makes it more effective. I usually get 2-4 bombers with a Hurricane compared to 1-3 with a Spitfire, depending on the type. Of course compared to the 110, the Hurricane is pathetic, I got 7 Blenheims once with a 110, and would have had more if a Hurricane hadn’t appeared in the defence of the last one.