Best way to learn energy in flight in IL-2 is to either fly the slower plane (which forces you to learn to conserve energy to catch up to faster opponents) or fly in air races until the concept sinks in.
The thing that amazed me in my first few air races was how much faster some pilots were than me just in how they were flying. Trim and stick inputs are much more significant than you'd think.
I enjoy flying a Ki-43 Oscar against P-40s or Corsairs, for example, because you know they are much faster than you but if you play it right then you can have more energy and be in a position to score your kills. If you play it right... It's not usually a winning proposition but it is educational.
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