I-16 tactics against ME-109?

[Plippy]

I pretty much blazed through the first BoB campaign in Sim mode but I have absolutely had my ass handed to me, relatively speaking, in the first mission over Stalingrad.

I've played this mission a dozen times at least and, ironically, the only time I downed enough fighters to get the next mission objective is after I killed my engine. Since then, I had a couple of good runs with 3-4 kills before the mission ends with an out of time message or a out of tries message. This last message is weird because my plane was still flying perfectly fine when I got this message. While it sucks that the mission is ending for no particular reason that I can see, my only conclusion is that I suck at flying the I-16.

So what are you guys doing in Sim mode to take out those 109s? I seem to have a little more success at low altitude where the 109s have less room to dive and get away. When I see them turning, I try to cut them off and maintain altitude, even when they climb. This gets me on their 6 from time to time, but I can't get enough lead in them before they're specs on the horizon.

On a side note, I love flying the I-16 and it's hilarious to see 4 ME 109s with smoke trailing as half a dozen Russian clunkers doggedly follow after them. This game is too fun.