Although the aircraft was obsolete and slow, the pilots took advantage of its exceptional maneuverability; it also had a maximum speed that was lower than the stalling speed of both the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, which made it very difficult for German pilots to shoot down, with the exception of fighter ace Josef Kociok, who grounded the regiment for an entire night by shooting down three or four of their planes on the night of 31 July  1 August 1943.
The aircraft's unique combination of outdated design and exceptional agility made it a challenging target for German pilots; its lower top speed than that of other fighter planes also rendered it difficult to engage in dogfights, with the notable exception of ace Josef Kociok, who successfully shot down three or four enemy planes on the night of July 31-August 1, 1943.