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They have a higher ceiling than most Japanese fighters in '42.

If the flak suppression thing doesn't work I have a genuinely good use for Nicks and other Japanese night fighters and fighter bombers (and even those awful Rufes!).  Train them up to about 75-80 experience rating, give each squadron an "aggressive" bomber specialized or patrol specialized commander with a high leadership rating (the Rufes you can give a lowish leadership rating fighter commander and those guys are always "aggressive") and park them on CAP at bases that are outside Allied fighter escort range but are important 4E bomber targets.   Key ports, airfields and industrial centers come to mind.  Fighter bombers are cannon fodder against Allied fighters, but given the right leadership and training they will ruin a B-29s day!! 
 
Also these types of aircraft tend to have longer ranges than most Japanese fighters, so they are good for providing long range CAP over transport and other TFs that might otherwise get attacked by long range 4E naval strikes.
 
The Japanese player doesn't get most of these aircraft until 1944, when the B-29s become a threat. This is a good way to reduce that threat, not feed the Allied fighters free kills and VPs, free up your actual fighter units for use against Allied fighters and you can still switch these guys from CAP duty to naval strikes if you want.