What about the P-40?
 

If I'm going to buy into the game, how's it fly?

It is powered by liquid-cooled, supercharged Allison V-1710 V-12 engine which produces a maximum speed of 360mph and climb rate of 2100 ft/min.

Smartass ;)

Dawg, with the revised 3d and damage models, the P-40 series flies and fights like it should.

Fairly maneuverable at lower altitudes, but unhappy at high altitudes. OK speed for an early- to mid-war fighter, but not the fastest. Good firepower, as long as you understand the limitations of the M2 .50 caliber BMG. Rugged airframe, and engine and cooling systems are about as tough as an inline engine gets.

Most of the major variants of the P-40 series are modeled, with the only major omission being the P-40N series.

The P-40 requires some thought to fly, since it's neither the best turn-fighter, nor the best energy-fighter in the game, but if competently flown using appropriate tactics you can get results.

I don't know which flight sim franchise you're coming from, but be warned that IL2 uses fairly realistic flight and "engine management" models, especially as compared to MMO "air combat entertainment" like Warthunder.

You will need a joystick and some means of simulating rudder and throttle controls in order to get the most out of the game, and you might need to take a couple steps back and "learn to fly" a more forgiving aircraft like the Polikarpov R-5 or A6M2 Zero before you take on trickier aircraft.

That said, IL2, especially with mods added on, gives you one of the most diverse plane sets out there.

Graphics aren't all that great by modern standards, but then the sim is 16 years old, and emphasizes flight performance over pretty scenery.

Maybe it's nitpicking, but in my book the P-40 is a better energy fighter than most contemporaries, with the slight disadvantage that you need to bring your energy with you, but you can keep your E pretty well. Its max dive speed is high enough to dive onto your prey without losing parts. And its got roll rate, lots of it, top for offense and still useful for defense. Vs anything up to midwar Japanese it is always a contender, vs. Western axis its limited top speed makes it a little difficult by midwar

Good analysis. I was thinking of absolute turn-fighting and energy-fighting abilities vs. all the planes in the game, like turn-fighting vs. a Spitfire or Ki-43, or energy-fighting vs. a Bf-109G-10 or FW-190.

With the P-40 variants, you have to know your opposition's strong and weak points, and fly accordingly. Very roughly, energy-fight vs. the Japanese, turn-fight vs. the Germans, and don't try to take on the late-war planes unless you have a very favorable position. In all cases, try to keep the fight at middle to low altitudes.

Additionally, many new players are frustrated by the limits of the .50 caliber MG. They're good for killing fighters and unarmored vehicles, but not so good for killing bombers and hard targets. You have to understand deflection shooting so you can get good concentration of fire, and you have to be a good enough shot - or get close enough - that you can aim for vital parts of the target like cockpit, engines, and fuel tanks.

You also have to wear your opponent down in a dogfight. First try to get a few hits to the engine to neutralize his energy advantage and limit his maneuverability, then move in for the kill. Not "one hit, one kill" like if you were flying a plane equipped with 30mm cannons.