I came across this while reading Wikipedia:
Quote:
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VVS pilots usually flew the P-40 at War Emergency Power settings while in combat, this would bring the acceleration and speed performance closer to that of their German rivals, but could burn out engines in a matter of weeks. They also had difficulty with the more demanding requirements for fuel quality and oil purity of the Allison engines. A fair number of burnt out P-40s were re-engined with Soviet Klimov engines but these performed relatively poorly and were relegated to rear area use
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-40
This made me think about realistic wear and tear on your aircraft over a series of missions.
Even with the best mechanics and the best parts, real aircraft in war time conditions eventually are negatively impacted by what's happening to them.
You don't have to get shot at to have the performance of an aircraft drop, though MG or cannon rounds into your engine certainly don't help. Chronic problems could arise in specific aircraft within your squadron. And this could add a new level of realism and squadron maintenance. Plus, a few "holy sh.." moments while flying as well.