Five further quirks of AI.
When the player aircraft is set to AI settings the pilot/crew doesn't automatically bail out if the plane is fatally damaged. By contrast, crew in "native" AI planes bails out normally.
In some cases, even Ace AI is a bit too eager to bail out. For example, crew will often bail out of a plane with just ailerons or rudder out, or with just a missing vertical stabilizer rather than trying to get home, ditch or crash land. In other cases, AI fighter pilots will bail out of a plane which has severe damage but which isn't on fire and is still flyable - usually due to severe cockpit area damage.
In a few cases, Ace AI will briefly shoot when there is no target to hit. Typically, AI will shoot a very short (0.5-1 second) burst when they are passing high above an enemy in a 1-to-1 fight.
Ace AI will sometimes give up far too much positional advantage when engaging an enemy 1-to-1 starting head-to-head. That is, the plane will "corkscrew" out of the way of the enemy's guns, but then turn at least 60 degrees away from their original course, allowing the enemy to do a high-speed yo-yo/candelle turn right onto their tail.
Ace AI is very aggressive about making head-on shots against fighters. I've reported this before, but on closer inspection, it's really obvious that AI is ignoring factors which would make such a move a losing proposition - like going against a heavily-armed opponent or if flying a more fragile (e.g., inline vs. radial engine) plane. Furthermore, when Ace AI they do take head-on shots they shoot very long bursts and don't break off soon enough. This usually results in at least one mortally-wounded plane/pilot followed by a head-on collision.
While a head-on attack is valid if you've got a less maneuverable and slower plane, if you've got longer ranged guns (e.g., 0.50 caliber MG) it would make sense to make a quick (1-2 second at most) shot at extreme range (300-500 meters out) and then do a quick barrel roll or diving turn to get yourself out of your enemy's line of fire.
The exception might be if you're over home territory and are flying for an air force which was noted for "taran" style kills - VVS, IJN, IJA or some Luftwaffe.
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