The 17lbr is a horribly effective gun against GV if you can see them. The reticle structure is easy to learn how to range in a few rounds. And you can sniper tanks the moment they expose themselves just a tiny part killing many in a single shot once ranged.
All of this may be along the lines of not giving the 88 the higher traverse speed gear. It would be too easy to almost shoot as well as being in a 5incher pulling snap shots on low fighters running down the runway. Back when the 17lb still had F3 mode, it was too easy to be waiting for tanks that you could see past berms from your elevated position before they exposed themselves.
Similar in simplicity to how you can use F3 mode in an A20 to force fighters to collide with you, which awards the kill to the A20. After all, it was the fighter's fault it was too close to avoid the A20 when it suddenly pulled up. Essentially you still chose to fly your fighter into the A20 regardless of the A20's actions. Same thing used to happen with the IL2 before it lost F3.
