0.50 cal convergance

[SmokinLoon]

Convergence is really more of a factor the further out on the wings the guns are mounted and how far apart teh guns are mounted, too.

The closer to the axis the guns are the larger the "sweet spot" is.  I cant think of a worse plane when it comes to convergence than the Spitfire Mk I.  Some of that has to do with the caliber (.30cal), but most of it has to do with the extreme spread the MG's have between each other.

[CAP1]

You Yank set specialists I was wondering what do you set convergance for with the 0.50s cals? What would be the best convergance for snap shots?

Thank you.

i had mine at 350 in my hellkitty, but when i came upon buffs, i had a bit of trouble.

i tried a little experiment last night. i set them inner@400, middle@425, outter@450. i had a fair amooount of success, against a zeke, a hurri2c, and 3 b17's.

[Ack-Ack]

Never have touched the convergence, don't really need to in the plane I fly.


ack-ack

[VansCrew1]

Anything from 250 to 350-375 area is good. They converge in one spot for the most part.

[Tony Williams]

If you set your cannons and mg's to the same convergence point, they will hit at the same point. 

They will hit at the same point, but if their ballistics are very different they won't all reach that point at the same time. Which means that if shooting at a moving target (especially in deflection), by the time the slower shells arrive, the target may no longer be at the aiming point.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website

[Anaxogoras]

They will hit at the same point, but if their ballistics are very different they won't all reach that point at the same time. Which means that if shooting at a moving target (especially in deflection), by the time the slower shells arrive, the target may no longer be at the aiming point.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website

Undoubtedly.

[Wingnutt]

in the jug I stagger mine at 275, 300, 325, 350. for fighters
throws up a wall of ugly, dont get the instant death you get from point convergence, but insted a nice shotgun effect, which is easier to hit with at longer distances and difficult angles, wond kill instantly, but anything that passes through the "spray" will be coming out the other end lighter and rather poor shape.



all guns set at 400 for buffs/GVs
point convergence in a jug will deal pretty much instant catastropic damage, so setting them all to 400 is pretty ideal for attacking buffs.

this is just my opinion on on my plane btw.

[Jag34]

The Ballistics of a .50cal is the fastest and flatest shooting round of the WWII a/c guns. A .50cal can fly straight and flat out to 650 yards that I have seen. Being a tanker on M1A1's, We have a M2HB .50cal for the TC (tank commander). I know I can hit targets dead center with my M2 out to 650 yards using the top cross hair without adding any elevation. That is using ball, Tracer and API, and yes the tracer will drop about 2 inches at about 650 yards. So I set my guns at 600. I like it when a plane is running and he thinks when he is 600 yards out he is safe. That's when I lay my sights dead center of him and pull the trigger.
In my opinion the M2HB .50cal or any .50cal is a great around caliber to be mounted on a/c, GV's or ground use.

Jag34T, The Fighting Tiger Squadron


 

[Jag34]

.50cal is a great around caliber to be mounted on a/c, GV's or ground use.

I meant to say," .50cal is a great all around caliber to be mounted on a/c, GV's or ground use".



Jag34T

[Wolfala]

The JUG N and the 38 are my primary rides, with the A20 being a tie for 2nd. I have a compromise setup with my guns. The inside guns are out to 475 - and the outside guns are in to 400. Like many, that gives a nice shotgun pattern. Seems to work most of the time - don't have trouble landing 8+ kills in a 30 min hop on 50% gas.

BTW, never use tracers. Why advertise you are trying to kill the guy? By the time he knows whats up, he's dead anyway without them.

[BoilerDown]

My theory is that the more 50cals I have, the further out I set the convergence (for wing-mounted guns).  So in the Jug I set em to 400, in the 6 gun US rides I set em to 325, in the 4 gun rides I set em to 250.  Its worked a lot better since I did that.

[uberslet]

i set mine at 400.




NOT

same here, i tend to boom and zoom for the most part, get a convergance out thewre a few feet so i have a firing window, and in a fight it allows me to pull lead, i find 400 to be a good all around .50 convergance. 

[whiteman]

I fly mainly the F4U's and F6F.

Fighter V Fighter - 325

Attacking ground targets - 350-375

Buff hunting - 375-400

[uptown]

I set mine at 300 and don't fire until that close. The closer in the better in turn fights and snap-shots. That's my experience anyway.

[Rebel]

Thanks fellas. Its nice to see highly respected sticks answer. Im going to settle on 400 for the Yank set and see how it goes.

If ya don't mind my saying, you're *really* limiting yourself by sticking to one range for all American iron. 

Keep in mind what you wanna do that mission- if you're de-acking in a Jug, you'll want that convergence out as far as possible.  But if you're going furballing in a Hellkitty, you'll want 'em somewhere between 200 and 300- that's where you're shots are gonna be (if you're patient enough). 

If you're in a Mustang, however, you're going to be doing a lot of high speed passes, so you'll want your .50's extended quite a bit- more distance means easier to pull out before trimming the bad guy's rudder with your prop   I set mine at 400 on the 'stang.  Same with Normal fighter op sorties in the Jug. 

For the *REAL* close in work of the wildcats, I set mine to just about 200 even.  THAT'S a lot of fun.  You don't even need to lead all that much when you're that close.

Of course, P-38's are exempt, so just follow the Hartmann mantra of getting in close and tear 'em up.   

With the .50 cal planes, convergence is just as important as your fuel load, IMHO.  It affects their performance more then any other set.  Make sure you do it right. 

Just remember where it's set when you take off   More then once I've lined up on a bad guy at d400 for a tracking shot, only to lose him because I forgot to reset the conv of my Jug's .50's from the de-ack run 1/2 an hour earlier.