Can't Hit a Thing

[FrankieJ.Roberts]

When ever I fly a P-38 or ME-262 I am very good at shooting, I am also good at maneuvers too, but when ever I fly a plane such as a P-51 I cant hit anything
 

[Krusty]

I'll give a general suggestion that I tell all newer pilots learning to shoot.


You're not killing at 650 yards. You're not killing at 100 yards. Find what distance you actually are at (film your sorties!) and when you actually get kills while manuvering, note how far it is.

Chances are it's less than 350. Chances are most are pretty close.

Set your convergence to that average distance. Set them all for the same distance.

Also, DON'T FIRE unless you think you can hit him. No spraying. It's not about wasting bullets, it's just plain wasting your time. Look for the good shot. If you don't have it, keep trying to get it. Firing when you don't have it does nothing.


So part of it's your convergence, I'd wager. Another part is your mentality when you're looking for shots. In WW2 most kills were scored 150-250 yards or so.

[Delirium]

In the 262, set the 30mm convergence about 225-250. Otherwise, you'll have to compensate by pointing your nose under the bad guy at close range and will most likely miss.

In the 38, lateral convergence isn't an issue but the vertical convergence is still a factor. Set the convergence at 400 or so until you find you are comfortable, from then on you can alter it as you see fit.

In the Training Arena (or offline if you enabled it under 'Flightmodeflags' if memory serves) you can use the lead computing gun sight to give you an idea where your rounds will land. Use it for a few minutes to get a good feel for attack angles and then turn it off. Leaving it on too long is counterproductive, you'll find it turns into a crutch. Control tab enables the lock mode and hit tab again to track that target.

My other recommendation is to work offline on the drones that circle the fields. Get so comfortable you can attack them for any angle/AoT, practice until you can 'one pass' them. Keep in mind they take more damage than anything will in the Main Arena and remain flyable.

[wgmount]

I can attest to these things working. When I first started playing I could'nt hit any thing either. Now I get closer and shoot them then ram the debris and kill myself. Very frustrating game but fun.

P.S. I have .50 cals set to 275 convergence 20mm also. I have 109 machine guns set to 250 and the one cannon stuck threw the nose set to around 400. I don't know why but I seem to get hits better that way with the 109.

[WMLute]

I think Krusy is spot on.

Start paying attention to the distance you tend to land hits and shoot down the nme.

Then set you guns to that distance.

I for one almost never bother pulling the trigger at anything over D400 out.

[Ghosth]

Listen to Krusty and Lute,  wise in the ways of the force they are.

Especially with cannon, keep it up close and personal. At 200 yards even the Yak9U with its single 20mm cannon is a killer, only needing to land 6-8 good hits for a kill. At 600 yards you can put your whole clip into someone before he goes down.

If you haven't got a good shot, hang back in lag pursuit, sit on their 6 at 400 till they quit flopping. Then slip in and finish them quick and neat.

[Koendog]

sit on their 6 at 400 till they quit flopping

Yep, that's me alright...floppin around with everyone in the furrball callin' check 6 until its over. 

[bustr]

Question for the Trainers,

1. With 50cal do you mix your convergence or set all to a single point? I set mine between 275 and 300 on 51 and 47. I have a tick on my gunsight to hit bombers at 800d.
2. 20mm and MG in wings, single point or mixed?
3. 20mm and MG in the nose, single point or mixed?
4. La5-La7 and Yak9U 20mm, 400d or closer? I can't make the russian 20mm work other than 400d though I wont fire until 200d or closer.
5. Four 20mm in wings, single point or mixed?

Thanks,

[Lusche]

Not a trainer, but...

Years ago, I messed a lot with convergences. Staggered patterns or single point. Close convergence, far convergence. The I started to set convergence according to my usual "mission profile" for each plane, i.e. buff hunters long convergence, furballers close convergence. But as I fly many different planes in many different roles, that created more problems then it solved.

So after a long time of testing this and trying that, I finally came to this:

ALL guns in ALL planes: Convergence 350. ( I prefer to get close to kill, but I also shoot at medium to long ranges, if necessary. I found D350 to be a good allround solution)
Exceptions:
Hurricane I, Spitfire I, 109E: 250
Me 262: One pair 650, other pair 250 (I always shoot all guns for maximum "shotgun" effect)

When I look at my hit% and kill/assit ratio... well, I can't complain

YMMV - convergence is a quite "personal" setting, and depends on a lot of factors. Just don't make it too complicated. Follow the advice given to you by the others in this thread, and then stick to it. Get used to it. No kind of convergence setting is doing any magic.

[WMLute]

Not a trainer, but...

That is what I do as well.  Almost all rides are set to 400 except hurri 1 and spit 1 where I have them at 250.

I ALSO do that w/ the 262.

(too funny)

Great minds..... eh?

[mtnman]

So after a long time of testing this and trying that, I finally came to this:

Same here, but I set all my wing mounted guns to 275, and nose mounts (which I rarely use) at 350.

[FrankieJ.Roberts]

i have already set my convergence on all my favorite planes,its just i am 400 yards out and every bullet just misses by 2 or 3 feet,never hits unless i just go all out and hold the trigger,oh and i don't have a joystick

[RTHolmes]

Me 262: One pair 650, other pair 250 (I always shoot all guns for maximum "shotgun" effect)

the over/under "shotgun" convergence is a great trick for 262s

after trying different settings Ive settled on the same(ish) - 325 for everything except 8x.303s at 250

[Krusty]

oh and i don't have a joystick

No flight sim on the planet will ever perform as well with a mouse, as with a ratty old 2$ joystick.

They have decent Saitek ST290 sticks for about $15 new. Pick up something new or used (just avoid logitech if you can, they wear out fast).

I know sometimes folks say they can't afford a stick, but trust me. You can save up for one. No matter how dinky. I've got a 10-year-old analog MS Precision Pro Sidewinder (gameport, not even USB), and it's many light years ahead of flying with a mouse.

[crutch]

turning off traces is a painful way to learn to use the gunsight.

without tracers, it forces you to aim, shoot, observe, correct - repeat until the target goes boom.

it also gives you an advantage in shooting at someone with the tracers not giving you away

sneaky but it works