F4u Convergence

[Slade]

For you die hard F4u pilots, where do you like to set your convergence and why?

Thanks,

Slade 

[SmokinLoon]

2 weeks. Er... I mean 300 yards. For all of your knife fighter needs, 300 yards. Dont forget when you set convergence you also have trajectory to contend with. Where are most engagements in AH?

If you are pounding dirt or hunting bombers then maybe 400 yards. But otherwise you cant go wrong at 300 yards.

This goes for all calibers, all fighters, regardless of where the guns are mounted.  Some will argue "this" for nose mounted guns, other will are "that" for wing mounted guns, and others will argue "stagger" because of the kind of beer they drank the night before.

KISS.  300 yards.  For all knife fighters.

[Saxman]

200 yards. .50cal are buzzsaws at close range. And I can't hit worth crap at distance.

[glzsqd]

300 works for me. Even at long ranges it gives a Good "shoot gun" effect to scare the enemy into maneuvering.

[Randy1]

Here is a Wiki quote that they got from "Hammell, Eric (2010). Aces Against Japan. Pacifica Military History. p. 132."

In the Pacific War in mid-1943, American Marine Fighting Squadron 213 harmonised the six .50 inch wing guns of their Mk I Vought F4U Corsairs to converge to a point 300 ft (90 m) ahead. The squadron's usual tactic was to dive upon an enemy from the front and slightly to one side (a high-side attack using full deflection) and fire when at the convergence distance.[

[Saxman]

100yds? That is REALLY close.

[bustr]

Against some Japanese fighters with little to no armor or self sealing fuel tanks. Consider the spread on the lead with an AP(I) round. They may have had to change it later for Ki61, N1K2, and Ki84. But, for A6m and Ki43, good tactic with F4u.

[Slade]

I thought I remember some folks set it out a bit because of the F4u barrel nose kinda thing.  Easier to aim maybe.  I am no F4u expert thats why I am asking here.

[Wiley]

I thought I remember some folks set it out a bit because of the F4u barrel nose kinda thing.  Easier to aim maybe.  I am no F4u expert thats why I am asking here.

Basically, put your convergence where you do most of your shooting.  I set everything to 300 with the exception of the P38, which I set to 650 to keep the grouping as tight as it can be for the longest.  300 gives you enough versatility to be able to put a decent volume of fire onto someone out to 600 or so, and you can still make people turn past that, and in closer it's going to be 2 streams anyways unless you move your convergence in.  I don't like shorter than 300 because it widens the pattern once it gets past the zero point too quickly.

Wiley.

[Serenity]

Here is a Wiki quote that they got from "Hammell, Eric (2010). Aces Against Japan. Pacifica Military History. p. 132."

I'm currently reading "Corsair: The F4U in WWII and Korea" by Barrett Tillman, and he said that the normal convergence for the F4U was 300yards.

[The Fugitive]

Basically, put your convergence where you do most of your shooting.  I set everything to 300 with the exception of the P38, which I set to 650 to keep the grouping as tight as it can be for the longest.  300 gives you enough versatility to be able to put a decent volume of fire onto someone out to 600 or so, and you can still make people turn past that, and in closer it's going to be 2 streams anyways unless you move your convergence in.  I don't like shorter than 300 because it widens the pattern once it gets past the zero point too quickly.

Wiley.

This^^^

Also, you have to take into account the wings angle too. I know I like to have my 50 on the pony set at 275. I hit in the 5% range with it like that. When I jump in the hog I am no where near that percentage set at the same range. I think Im going to have to try staggering them a bit and see if I can find the sweet spot for the hog and my style.

[Arlo]

Was gonna make a case for 'cross convergence' (being that I've been a supporter/practitioner of such for years)
but as I made more pics the more ambivalent I became. (Please forgive my misspelling of 'convergence.')

[Slade]

Arlo thanks for posting.  Those are amazingly detailed and useful images.  Facts always seem to speak loudest to me. 

[bustr]

Your rounds out to 500yds never really get out of a 20ft diameter circle. While at 500yds the target makes the target picture dispersion look deceptively dense, the smallest deflection allowance, and where the con will be in 1 second becomes your enemy. Your max effective range is 1200ft in 1\3sec with a drop of 4ft for the AN\M2. By 1sec your drop is 16ft. Then add G forces to that and your drop at 1000ft can be up to 20ft. From WW2, this is the reason you keep finding in your research today, 300yds as a common convergence for the AN\M2. But, then this is a game and every one of us is an expert at cartoon fighting and the digital requirements of the hit counter.

500yd, 300yd and 200yd with the F4u-1A convergence at 275, 300, 325. I chose these three numbers as closest to WW2 across many US rides. Note everything stays inside of that 20ft circle for the most part. You won't see much of a difference in other US wing mounted AN\M2. For the most part it comes down to your ability to judge aiming. I can hit runners in my spit8 out to 800 with the cannons set to 300 because I know to aim 6Mil left or right of the con to focus one gun on him. And this where most of you put your fingers in your ears and your eyes cross when I start talking about actually using WW2 gunsight reticles the way pilots were taught to bet their lives on them.

In the 500yd picture below, if you aim at a 500yd-600yd runner using the center of the open space between the dot and the horizontal line. Your rounds from one wing will all be on him. You will need a bit of elevation to account for time to target.

500yds



300yds



200yds

[Biggamer]

i think it is more a self preference thing 650 is what i use in all birds except spit 1 hurri 1 and a few others and i use 400 on those