XP-50, while on raw engine-to-engine comparison, lacks the engine power of a Bf109F4…
You forget it has two.
Due to how propeller planes work, having two engines that add up in horsepower to one means more of that horsepower is actually transferred to thrust. Especially at low speeds - which is a pretty important trait for Bf109F4 style fighting.
The XP-50 has comparable thrust to weight with the Bf109F4, comparable specific energy generation.
The XP-50 is an american Bf109F4. If you use it like one, it’s very scary to fight.
I faced enough XP-50s in ASB where it doesn’t have airspawn to know it’s quite frightening as a fighter if you don’t deal with it appropriately.
You don’t even need an altitude advantage for the XP-50 to be truly scary. Being at same alt as the enemy but faster can make getting energy trapped quite easy.
It can also just… pop up from below you, UFO up to your altitude and shoot you.
Climbrate, power to weight & energy generation and especially low speed prop efficiency have a direct use in dogfighting.
Therein lies what you ought do:
Use it like the Bf109F4 using verticals to bleed your opponent’s speed before turning around to shoot them while they’re stationary.
It works like a charm against Spitfire II and Vb if they don’t realize what you’re doing and try to climb with you in the F4.
Edit:
In fact, with the Instructor the XP-50 has better turn rate than the Bf109F4. Without instructor, the F4 wins the rate fight. In RB tho, the XP-50 does.
Sorry, I’m just trying to explain that comparing a Me410 to the plane that’s highly comparable to the Bf109F4 is a moot point to deny its interceptor spawn.
Edit, for sake of visuals - not shown: twin-engine XP-50 has better prop efficiency due to twin engines improving its Power-to-Thrust conversion.
The two aircraft have entirely different realms of existence and purpose. Twin-engines don’t inherently mean a plane is not agile. Agile does not only mean horizontal either. XP-50 is as agile in the vertical as the Bf109 F4 while the Me 410 is… not.
Again, you should be using it like a Bf109F4. It’s very similar to it, with main differences being that the F4 handles much better at near-stall speeds due to its flaps.
