Couple of tips no one has mentioned yet:
If you have a Joystick and have views set on it. Set your 12 o'clock button to the "look forward" view. Then once in the cockpit, press and hold the button, then hit "page up" as far as it will go" on your keyboard then hit F10 to save view. Now, when you go to shoot and lead, you can look a little higher above the gunsite to see the plane your shooting better. Some planes are better than others for it. The F4u can look very far forward while the 109, not soo much. Its always been very helpful to me for the most part.
Also, for many turn style planes and single cannon shooters, when you are coming around on a plane, you'll want to fly to where the enemy is going to be, time it, and then shoot as they are crossing infront. This takes lots of practice and understanding, but if you work on it, it's very effective. The best place is to practice in Match play against the drones. MnM is great too. Just be careful if you are already slow in a turn fight that turning in early trying to get a lead pursuit will burn more E, so you had better make sure to get the shot or make sure you have enough speed to extend away or able to use an angle with altitude to cut down and under creating more of an oval than a turn.
In lead shooting diving on a plane. Its all about maintaining 1.5 seconds of rounds in the shoot to ensure it's enough to take them down. With 50 cals, you want to hold down for 1 to 1.5 seconds, with cannons just about 1 second. You want to make sure they fly into the bullets. Use about 350-400 in your convergence. Further out convergence, you don't have to lead so far but your bullets shoot higher straight on. Lower convergence is great for realy close snap shots, but they shoot lower which means you'll have to lead even further. Convergence is a practice and you have set it where you normally feel comfortable. In AH, it seems like you can aim a little easier further out compared to other sims, so 300-400 is a good spot for me.
American 50 cals - Best for lead shooting coming down on a plane with speed. Quick snap shots are not ideal as you need atleast 50 rounds hitting at the same time to really be effective. Never HO with 50s only.
Cannons - best for crossing snap shot, getting planes to overshoot for quick devastating shots. Best for forcing a plane to maneuver and then putting your nose where they will be and firing as they cross. Best for HO shooting tho not recommended at any time. Planes like the 190D are flown more like the P51 American planes so lead shooting is necessary but is harder in a row 190D due to the long nose. 109s are generally always crossing shots unless you bring goodies and have more flexibility with more ammo. I always bring gondolaz because it's better to kill them quickly than to chase a plane thinking you are cool for being lighter only to get jumped chasing the guy for too long when he should well dead already.
