One thing about you proposal, Steve. With your proposed "bubble", we would now have to not only avoid hitting other planes on our end but have to avoid them by some distance in order to not get a collision. If we avoid but are still within the average distance you propose we would still get damage due to a collision. Is this fair?
but what almost everyone seems to be missing is that there is nooooo need to be that close. i once dove a p40 at a set of buffs......i was anxious for the kill, and had never flown the p40 before(or since). i dove it like it was a spitfire or a p38. well, i got really close, waited waay too long to pull out....i rammed them and took my own wing off. i wnet down obvioulsy. wasn't anyones fault but my own.
that seems almost the case that started this thread. steve was diving on a tempest, probably thinking ""easy kill"", the temp saw him, and tried to force an overshoot. on the temps screen, he was probably a couple hundred yards behind........steve hit him on his screen, and went in, the temp pilot was probably goin nuts looking around the sky for him.
but what if steve hadn't gotten so over-anxious/? what if he had controlled his speed better? he'd have been able to pull out or roll to the side, and maintain the temps 6 easily.
no offense, but this is no ones fault but your own dude.......
in a 1-1 fight, maintain distance, and you're good to go....
BTW lusche.......great job on the films........