Heinkels of steel?

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by 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.

Exactly my experience so far, i've had Heinkels blow up like that and i was even using the default ammo belt. I've also had the same happen when attacking Blenheims just with the machine guns on the 110 while my gunner was reloading my cannons.

In both of these cases, the way it happened is that i placed a good burst and started a fuel leak on the target, following it up with a second burst a few seconds later. This is so close to what we've been reading in the books, the damage model is insane in this sim: first you start the leak, give it a couple of seconds to vaporise and if you shoot at it again you can ignite the entire fuel tank.

Overall, the He111s did have a reputation of returning home with hundreds of .303 bullet holes so i would advise aiming for the cockpit from head-on, or at the very least come in slightly from the sides. This also yields much improved results against any type of target, as you stand a good chance of scoring hits in the cockpit and killing the crew...i've had sorties in the G.50 where i scored 3-4 kills, each with a burst so short that i didn't even get the chance to see tracers. You just come in from the side, hose them down and see them nose down and dive into the drink.

Finally, if you want to compare with or get an easier experience, go against some Dorniers. I routinely fly the low level intercept mission and i can easily get 3-4 kills by the time my magazine is empty without any fancy work at all, i just come in from dead six and blast them until point blank range, walk the tracers from engine to cockpit to other engine, loop over them and come back for the next one.