Major Helmut Wick during the Battle of Britain alone shot down 25 Spitfires.
Luftwaffe records credit him with 31 kills during the BoB:
16 Spitfires
14 Hurricanes
1 Curtis
This, during a time when the Germans had high losses operating over enemy territory, and still no Spitfire pilot shot down what you can call a significant number of Bf 109 E.
The problem is, this is during a time when the Luftwaffe were overclaiming like mad. In particular, they were overclaiming Spitfires.
Note Wick's claims, more Spitfires than Hurricanes, despite the fact the Hurricane served in far greater numbers, and suffered far greater losses.
The German version of Jagdwaffe kills in the BoB:
14 Curtiss
23 Defiants
715 Hurricanes
7 Moranes
1239 Spitfires
Actual RAF losses were about 900 single engined fighters (no Moranes or Curtiss types were operated at all). Of that 900, about 60% were Hurricanes, 40% Spitfires. Despite that, the Jagdwaffe claimed far, far more Spitfires than Hurricanes, which some have called "Spitfire snoberry". Bear in mind the 900 figure is for all losses on operations, which includes bomber's defensive fire, collisions etc.
Wick's 17 Spitfires are actually probably closer to 5, if he overclaimed by the same amount as other Luftwaffe pilots at the time.
To make the long story short, you should have learned by now that if you claim the Spitfire to have been such a wonderfully flawless fighter -clearly superior to most German designs-, superior virtually throughout the entire war, such fact, by force, should have produced a vast number of British aces with numbers of kills that at least should scratch the records of the German aces.
Allied aces operated for restricted tours, in a target poor enviroment, and under a system that didn't reward kills as much as the German system, or structure squadrons so that a single pilot made most of the kills, and the rest were there to protect him.
Stephen Bungay, The Most Dangerous Enemy:
""This was part of the Luftwaffe's emphasis on individual stardom and it had some negative aspects. At the margin, some of the most successful gave the impression that they were after their own glory rather than the success of the unit, and the view became widespread that some of them were building their scores at the expense of their protecting wingmen, the poor old 'Katschmareks'. Ulrich Steinhilper reports on such discussions in JG52 which increased in frequency as the battle continued:
The debates nearly always came back to the subject of battle honours and decorations, mostly prompted by the NCOs who felt more aggrieved than the officers. Why was it, they would ask so often, that the decorations are, in the main, only handed out to those with the highest scores? Wasn't it clear that it was those who were flying ahead and insisting on strong formation discipline around them who were also running up the highest personal scores - almost exactly matched by the losses from their own formations - losing one Katschmarek after another for another white stripe on the tail of their aircraft? And who was it who was suffering the most, they would ask. Of course, it was the NCOs who generally flew at the rear or on the flanks.
Those known to be plagued by a chronic desire to have a Knight's Cross and its various accoutrements (Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds) dangling around their necks were said to be suffering from "Halsweh" (a sore throat). Adolf Galland was one well known sufferer, and he used his position first as Gruppenkomandeur of III/JG26 then as Kommodore of the whole Geschwader to hand pick his wingmen.""
Do you think the 1.8 ata K-4s would have had that much trouble dogfighting with any of the Mk XIVs?
Yes. The 1.8 ata K4 would climb worse, turn worse, and have a poor armament for combat against fighters. It's only advantage over the Spitfire XIV would be a marginal dive acceleration advantage.