Dogfight

[BadAim]

Sometimes the individual aircraft might also make a difference. For instance, if I'm flying a plane like the early Zero, or an Emil, I'll set my nose guns out to .300 and the wing cannons to .200. This allows me to 'nibble' on longer range targets with my machine guns but still have my cannons zeroed at a more effective range for them (and the nose guns will still be close anyway). If I'm running a Friedrich or later with all the guns in the nose I'll just run them all at .300 or for instance a Spitfire which has cannons that can "reach out and touch someone" I'll also set the convergence out more.

I guess what I'm saying is that part of the fun of this gig is learning more about the different plane types and where their weapons work best.

Beyond that the best advice I can give you is to stick with just a few types at first that really suit your temperament and really get good with them, then slowly add new types and adjust your style to suit.

For instance if you enjoy a good "knife fight in a phone-booth" you're going to want to fly planes like the Zero or the Hurricane. If you like to cruise around in the stratosphere and pick out your target and pounce like an eagle an FW190 or a P51 is for you.

Different fighting styles will also dictate how you set your control curves; if you like to 'Boom 'n Zoom' your going to want a "softer curve", where as you will want that stick as tight as you can get it for 'knife fights'.

[Erkki]

I prefer using linear curves for all axis, ie. all-100 in the in-game settings, no filtering, no dead band. This has the advantage of always having the same reponse per stick move, regardless of trim settings.

It might feel tricky first, though, as its more sensitive than default settings in the middle area.

[MaxGunz]

I see two ways to line up a target.

#1 you can try to push your nose around to follow the target until you have the right sight picture with lead

or

#2 you can set your path to smoothly point ahead of where the target is moving and let the target move into the desired sight picture then wait to shoot when he will cross the sight at the same time your shots do.

The thing about #1 way is that aiming by stick correction involves not only your prop gyro precession (yaw movement results in some pitch movement and vice versa, if you lower your prop rpms the strength lessens) but slip/roll coupling to make your plane want to bank when you yaw. And then when the pilot corrects for the effects, quite often the pilot ends up making it worse. All that jiggling slows you down and then if you were too busy 'aiming' to keep up with the trim, you stick movements will be a ways off center and not so precise, depending on your stick sliders.

I don't much like method #1. I like method #2.

I have noticed before when trying to shoot #1 way that the nose would bob and weave just as I was getting decently on target. Okay, that was long ago but it still works the same basic way still. And I thought then that the nose didn't bob and weave as I was just flying along and -not trying to aim-, nose come around nice, sweet and steady. So that's when I worked on the #2 method above. It's good in all crossing attacks, yoyos and like as well as pure Hartmann BnZ.

If you can fly smooth, without the nose wobbling then you should be able to make the #2 method work.

Watch on BnZ if you're closing at 50+ m/s (180+ kph faster), shots will go high with relation to the target and do more of that the longer the shot is.

It's because in that gunsight view, the target appears to approach you. By the time the bullet reaches the point you aimed for the target has gotten maybe 10-50m closer, the shot will appear to have gone high or wide viewed in relation to the target.

Zooming in fast lets you shoot longer as if it isn't. When closing really fast, aim as if the target is closer, use less lead, because he will be closer when the shots get to him or pass him by. Shoot from a little early to a little late and it might be 1/2 second burst. All the bullets don't have to hit, only enough do.

[IceFire]

Interesting breakdown of gunnery. Very informative. I've found that although I have a basic grasp of the theory that when I'm doing shooting it's mostly by intuition and experience.

In fact I find it's best for me not to think when shooting... sounds weird but I find that the best way for me to hit the target is to prepare for the shot and then I wait just a little bit longer and then fire.

The wait time gives my brain a chance to work through the details and line up the shot. If I try and do it too quickly my estimation is more likely to be off.