Heinkels of steel?

[mazex]

Because of the performance issues before I mostly flew cross country. Now a new world is opening up after the patch with fps most of the time above 30... Even the "Intercept bombers over London" mission

Therefore I'm not sure if it's since the patch - but shooting down a He 111 in a Spitfire (have not tried the Hurri but I guess it's the same) just feels way too hard?

On realistic gunnery I set the convergence to 150 yards and to shot down a He 111 I have to spend like 60+ seconds of perfectly aimed bursts at optimum distance before downing them (having unlimited ammo as it is impossible otherwise). Sure the .303 was not that effective against the bombers but when placing four 15 second bursts in a row right in the left engine and it keeps on running one starts to wonder how exaggerated the kill claims where if this is realistic

Is it only me or does anyone else have the problem? There are hit animations all over those He 111:s and there is debris flying around but they just keep going...

[1.JaVA_Platypus]

When shooting at engines, it is best to use armor piercing ammo, and not the standard lead-slugs that Il-2 COD puts in the spitfire.

[Koyan]

I agree with Mazex. Endlessly pounding the Heinkels with almost no effect (with armor piercing). Same for the Stuka's. And i'm shure i must have hit the gunner massively, but he just keeps shooting.

[Letum]

They did prefer to attack from 12 oc...

[winny]

In reality even AP bullets were pretty ineffective against Bombers.

The LW realised this and eventually phased them out. They understood before the RAF that the best way to bring down bombers was explosions within the superstructure. High explosive and stressed aluminium don't mix well.

[KOM.Nausicaa]

The HE 111 was very tough to bring down with early RAF ammo. There are dozens of stories about RAF pilots lining up behind the same bomber and emptying ammo belts, and they would keep going.

[Letum]

Big glass cockpit up front.
Attack from their 12 OC and see how ineffective your bullets are.

I think it is all right to have it difficult to bring down. It was so in real life me thinks.

[Blakduk]

From accounts i've read it seems accurate- the RAF was desperate to get reliable cannons to equip their fighters as they realised relatively small calibre machine guns were inadequate.
The RAF trained squadrons to attack bombers in sequence- that's why prewar films of RAF planes show formations of fighters 'peeling off' and then forming a long chain, one behind the other. The rapid defeat of France that allowed the Luftwaffe to have airfields close enough for their single engined fighters to provide bomber escort was something the RAF wasn't really prepared for (it was probably at the bottom of their tactical files marked 'Worst case scenario!').
When the RAF got to use these tactics against unescorted bombers they were very effective, as demonstrated when the Luftwaffe sent bombers to attack north England beyond fighter escort.
It takes a lot of .303's to shoot down a fast all-metal bomber, but only one to kill a pilot. As they say in 'Shawn of the dead'- AIM FOR THE HEAD

[Ploughman]

This is the best thing for me. Sitting on the arse of a Heinkel and filling it full of lead and it still keeps going despite the damage. Just like the history books say. Having said that fill the wing between the engine and the fuselage with incendary bullets and that fuel tank'll blow like Guy Fawkes. I can't wait for a butcher bird in this sim.