I find this whole thing rather amusing. On the one hand, you have the Hellcat enthusiasts arguing about how great their favorite fighter is, and how it takes a great pilot to use it properly.
Of course, everyone slams them for it.
But what surprises me is that no one has pointed out that the Epee is much better suited for those so-called "great piloting" skills that are supposed to show up when successfully using a Hellcat. The Epee is highly maneuverable, which allows a good pilot to show off his piloting skills. It's overgunned, which encourages true marksmenship. It's got paper thin armor and shields, which, of course, is no deterrent to a GOOD pilot, since they simply don't get hit in the first place.