I agree with Hazmatt and Tumor that rudder input is more important outside of AH.
Now that you mention it, I remember coming back to Warbirds after a few months of AH and was shocked how "on the rails" Warbirds felt. I think the same difference exists between DCS and AH. It has been a couple years since I have flown AH. I will have to get my Crystal setup for AH and give it a go offline to see how it compares now.
Installed AH after flying DCS for over two years to compare.
For those interested, the Pimax Crystal runs AH very well using SteamVR. I could have run OpenComposite to eliminate SteamVR and get better performance, but it was not necessary. Coming from a G2 in AH to the Crystal is a great step up. Nice having edge to edge clarity instead of a sweet spot.
When I took my first flights in AH (only in the P-51D, P-47, 109K, 190a8, I-16, Spit9, and Mossie) it felt like I was stuck in mud with regards to control response. Then I remembered about the deadzone and damper settings. Adjusting those settings all the way down on all axis made a noticeable difference, though it still feels a little sluggish in all the birds, especially roll rate. Flying DCS has trained me in a lighter touch on my controllers due to the responsiveness of the flight model.
The "bones" of the different flight models are all there in AH (left wing dropout in the P-51, 190a8 dropping out on either wing, etc.). What I found surprising was the amount of warning AH gives you compared to DCS. The stall horn and buffet really hit you over the head before the aircraft departs controlled flight. There is little chance of an accelerated stall surprising you.
The nose bounce issues came rushing back to me. Kinda like sitting on a big rubber ball while taking aim. I remember having to stick scale to tone down the bounce in AH. All in all the gun platform is more stable in DCS than AH.
Tracers are also more of an aiming distraction in AH compared to DCS. That is why I always played AH with tracers off.
The AH flight models blow Warbirds and WarThunder out of the water as far as responsive feel. The DCS flight models are more responsive than AH, but the difference is not as great, with the exception of ground handling, taxi, and takeoff.
On a side note, another surprise for me was how the size of the cockpits in AH are very close to each other in VR. When you get into a DCS Spit9 in VR you feel like you have to suck in your gut to fit and a 190a8 feels palatial.
