How do you Keep your nose below the target?

[Noah17]

One of the difficulties I've had in gunnery is losing the target below the nose of my plane in my pass and then having to guess when and where to fire.....Not good for the gunnery score if you're counting....For me the important thing is killing, not scoring. I fly the F4U-1A mostly and after a few passes if you don't get a quick kill you'll have lost your E and may soon be dead.

On some targets if I'm diving I'll push way down on the stick and reduce throttle a little bit to be able to then pull the nose back up to the target; but this isn't always effective and it certainly can kill your E quicker.

I think this is a problem a lot of guys have; not just Hog drivers like myself.
 

[Traveler]

Film you engagements.  Then review the film.  What is the distance at which you are firing.  If you are in a tail chase and your windscreen is full of aircraft, your’ going to hit your target.  If your attempting to hit a target at 800k or 600k in any kind of a turning fight, your’ going to lose sight of them behind that huge nose, unless once again , your windscreen is full of airplane.

[The Fugitive]

What you want to do is to set up more crossing shots than following shots. As a simple example.... your following a guy, and he breaks hard right, you break hard right also, to almost black out to get as much lead as you can, then ease off, roll left to put your wings in line of his flight path. Now you have a crossing shot that you can see him in most of the way.

Of course if your close in during the break turn you may not have the time to pull the lead you need to get the shot, but you could high yo right back on to his tail. A higher yo will give you more separation to pull the lead on the next break.

[Noah17]

Thanks Fugitive.

Yes my path to get the con in my gunsite on first contact is a little smooth maybe that puts me off at too much of an angle when I need to be straight and almost ready to fire.
 

[TonyJoey]

A bit gamey, but utilizing the "page up" key is an essential part of aiming, for me atleast. I have it mapped on my throttle right where my middle finger lies. I've used it so much that even a plane well above my nose I'll use it just out of habit. It works very well for spotting your opponent that split second before, allowing you to either make a slight adjustment for the kill or, if that's out of the equation, gives you more time to decide what to do next.

[Saxman]

....high yo right back on to his tail. A higher yo will give you more separation to pull the lead on the next break.

IMO, a High-Yo almost to the point that you're rolling over the top of your opponent than turning with him, should be one of your principle maneuvers in the Hog, anyway. But that's for another thread.

[boomerlu]

A bit gamey, but utilizing the "page up" key is an essential part of aiming, for me atleast.

Not gamey at all. A pilot would do this naturally... it's called sitting up taller. An AHer with TrackIR would also do this naturally.

[Agent360]

One of the difficulties I've had in gunnery is losing the target below the nose of my plane in my pass and then having to guess when and where to fire.....Not good for the gunnery score if you're counting....For me the important thing is killing, not scoring. I fly the F4U-1A mostly and after a few passes if you don't get a quick kill you'll have lost your E and may soon be dead.

On some targets if I'm diving I'll push way down on the stick and reduce throttle a little bit to be able to then pull the nose back up to the target; but this isn't always effective and it certainly can kill your E quicker.

I think this is a problem a lot of guys have; not just Hog drivers like myself.
 

If you follow in lead pursuit you will end up with a blind under nose shot.

If you take a different angle EARLY and simply low yoyo or barrel roll into the turn you will delay your angle enough to drop your nose and then pull nose up into a crossing shot. You have to think about this early on and make the move soon enough. If you can not create enough seperation on the low yoyo or barrel roll your target will just zip past under your nose.

You can do the high yoyo and get a nose high shot inverted but this forces you to zoom down into an overshoot. If you have the E to get away this is ok but it is better to be in a nose up position so you can rudder turn at the top and come in for a second shot or lag out for another set up.

[Plazus]

Not gamey at all. A pilot would do this naturally... it's called sitting up taller. An AHer with TrackIR would also do this naturally.

Quoted for truth. I do this also, with TrackIR. Especially when flying the 38 and Mosquito.

[Noah17]

Thanks Agent360,

I think the biggest problem I have with the "under the nose shot" is with planes that turn really well. If I'm BnZ'ing a plane like a Spit as I'm pointed down diving on them for the shot they almost always try to pull straight up and over. If I lead them maybe (big maybe) I'm able to at least have them pass through my "spray and pray." I'm not sure if I lag them that I'll be able to pull the gunsite for the right lead at the time I'm supposed to fire.

[RTHolmes]

grizz's excellent topic on setting up crossing shots is what you're after:

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,280043.0.html

[Noah17]

Printing out now, thanks RT!

[Silat]

Quoted for truth. I do this also, with TrackIR. Especially when flying the 38 and Mosquito.

Plazus what you do with the 38 is not what we call flying

[Plazus]

Uh....

[Agent360]

Thanks Agent360,

I think the biggest problem I have with the "under the nose shot" is with planes that turn really well. If I'm BnZ'ing a plane like a Spit as I'm pointed down diving on them for the shot they almost always try to pull straight up and over. If I lead them maybe (big maybe) I'm able to at least have them pass through my "spray and pray." I'm not sure if I lag them that I'll be able to pull the gunsite for the right lead at the time I'm supposed to fire.

This is true but you want to avoid this because turns into a head on low angle off shot...not good...puts you into a nose low over shoot situation. Its better to pull off, avoid the head on attempt, get seperation and re set.

When you pull lead pursuit in hopes of closing before he can translate to aft canopy (move across your lift vector from nose to tail and out of the shot envolope) you close at a low angle...meaning into the front quarter. This is what you want to avoid.

If you go to pure pursuit and close the distance enough to then go to lag pursuit then push nose low into a dipping roll and pointing your wing at the bandit you can cut him off and get inside that pull up you describe...then puts you at a high angle off meaning more perpindicular with with your nose strait at the flight path and your plane unloaded ( no G's ). The bandit passes faster by your nose but at an angle that gives him no guns on you and a bigger target for you....plus you can immediatly convert this to rolling scissors or extend for alt.

Pulling lead as you describe puts you into a head on position and set you up for a lead turn overshoot.

Lead pursuit has it uses but in creating a canopy up profile snap shot on the bandit pure pursuit and lag pursuit works better. Lead in this situation will normally result in a blind shot under your nose when the bandit breaks and lose of sight at some point.