Anyone who drives a motor should know that running close to redline no matter what gear is going to heat up the engine fast.

Back RPM off to 90% and see how long it takes for the engine to begin to cool. Then try 80% and 70%.

edit: Joystick tip: in the stick settings, add FILTER to pitch/elevator/Y-axis. Try 50% just QM test flying with no other planes to see how it feels and if it improves your acceleration and speed. It makes you smoother but a liitle slower, move your joystick the red and green blocks show the actual vs filtered (what IL-2 sees) control move. It isn't much delay even on fast full deflection which is "jerking the joystick" in classic flight sim fashion, it only goes a short way to lessen the damage. Hmmm, I never tried 100%. Repeat: it makes you fly smoother.

When two opponents meet, a good energy fighter pilot can run less power and still move faster than pilots who fly without as much regard for energy use, budget, and the vertical, often making speed-wasting hard flat turns instead. The energy fighter can be running cool with heat reserve to run or climb hard if need be while the turn fighter runs all-out and won't be turning so hard in a while.
The energy fighter doesn't like to pull more than 2 G's for more than short times and spaces those out. The energy fighter changes direction by rolling while flying up or down then pulling out in the new direction, can "turn" 180 in a few seconds.
The energy fighter employs lag pursuit to chase an enemy. If the enemy changes direction much, the path of the target will become longer than the path of the hunter. You can run down a faster target if it is turning just because of that. Follow a point behind his tail and you will be on a lower energy path, then do lazy yoyo's until you get a sure shot. Repeat as necessary.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It was a bit on the surly side. But I regret nothing, I tell you! NOTHING!!!

Here... have a beer! :cool: :evil: :cool: