Where to start?

[Sectus]

I have been doing a little inventory of what I can actually do, and the good news is that it didn't take a lot of work. The bad news, however, is that I do not have a lot of moves in my bag of skills. Very basic ones, really, and that is more or less it. I can do VERY basic speed management by mashing the rudder and some hi and lo yoyo's in a turnfight to get my guns ahead in an FM2 (love that little bucket of bolts), but way too much of my turnfighting still consists of cranking back the stick in flat turns, hitting wep, and hoping for the best.

I can also generally avoid a few B and Z attacks by turning in to them, staying out of their cone of fire, and then watching them zoom away. Every now and again someone makes a mistake, and I get some hits off on them, but I have to do a LOT of spraying and praying don't seem to answer.

I try to B and Z in a fw190D every now and again, but my gunnery is not great and I end up putting a few rounds where I hope they will end up and then doing rather long extends. I just can't get it aggressive enough to put any real pressure on.

Had an awesome fight with a C2 the other day though - the guy drew me into a stallfight and he hovered just *inches* above my pip, filling a LOT of my screen, but he had timed it *just* right so I never got a shot... was really great to see, even though I don't think I won the fight.

My SA isn't great either - I spend a lot of time wondering where my opponent went.

So where to start? What would be a few good manoeuvres to start practicing for either style?

[Puma44]

Research the energy egg and lift (or flight path) vector and how they are used in BFM.  These are the basic building blocks of BFM.

[morfiend]

I know it’s just a wiki article but has great info.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_fighter_maneuvers


Practice the basics and use the view system to look around while doing so. Pay attention to the look up view as that’s the direction the plane will turn. Look up = lift vector which is important because the plane turns into the lift vector which is a fancy term for the direction of lift.

Also learn and understand the energy egg principle. Try to connect with a trainer,it’s amazing what you can learn in an hour with just a little help. I’d offer my services but I’m indisposed ATM.

Oh and ask as many question as you can,there’s an emence amount of knowledge from the players in game.

[morfiend]

Research the energy egg and lift (or flight path) vector and how they are used in BFM.  These are the basic building blocks of BFM.

Beat me to the punch,I’m down for the count….down goes Fraser,down goes Fraser.

[Arlo]

I know it’s just a wiki article but has great info.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_fighter_maneuvers

"Just a Wiki article" isn't what it seemed to infer anymore.  It's as valid a source as any and it cites additional sources when one wishes to explore past its convenience.

[Tig]

I have been doing a little inventory of what I can actually do, and the good news is that it didn't take a lot of work. The bad news, however, is that I do not have a lot of moves in my bag of skills. Very basic ones, really, and that is more or less it. I can do VERY basic speed management by mashing the rudder and some hi and lo yoyo's in a turnfight to get my guns ahead in an FM2 (love that little bucket of bolts), but way too much of my turnfighting still consists of cranking back the stick in flat turns, hitting wep, and hoping for the best.

I can also generally avoid a few B and Z attacks by turning in to them, staying out of their cone of fire, and then watching them zoom away. Every now and again someone makes a mistake, and I get some hits off on them, but I have to do a LOT of spraying and praying don't seem to answer.

I try to B and Z in a fw190D every now and again, but my gunnery is not great and I end up putting a few rounds where I hope they will end up and then doing rather long extends. I just can't get it aggressive enough to put any real pressure on.

Had an awesome fight with a C2 the other day though - the guy drew me into a stallfight and he hovered just *inches* above my pip, filling a LOT of my screen, but he had timed it *just* right so I never got a shot... was really great to see, even though I don't think I won the fight.

My SA isn't great either - I spend a lot of time wondering where my opponent went.

So where to start? What would be a few good manoeuvres to start practicing for either style?

Look up Requiem's tutorials on Youtube. He filmed them in IL-2, but the principles are completely applicable to Aces High.

Some key principles to get you started: Turning towards the ground makes you turn tighter, the farther forward your enemy is on your windscreen, the better.

A fun trick when someone's diving on your tail is a defensive barrel roll. If you do it right you can give yourself an open shot to drop in on their tail as they zoom by.

Oh- and don't forget to lead your deflection shots! 

[morfiend]

"Just a Wiki article" isn't what it seemed to infer anymore.  It's as valid a source as any and it cites additional sources when one wishes to explore past its convenience.

Oh I agree but others may not…. Then you hear comments like turn down makes you turn tighter which goes against the energy egg principle.

The just a wiki comment was mostly made because it’s reading and not actually a trainer showing the ropes. Then someone like Puma chimes in and what does he know…the guy has been there and done that even if it was only in jets……  

Puma posted pretty much what I was going for so it just confirms I was headed in the right direction.

[FLS]

This will explain a few things. Let me know if you have any questions.

http://trainers.hitechcreations.com/89-tactics/advanced-flight-concepts/1076-turning

Fly loops to practice vertical turns, note the min/max speed differences between a tilted loop and a pure vertical loop.

[FLS]

...

Some key principles to get you started: Turning towards the ground makes you turn tighter, the farther forward your enemy is on your windscreen, the better.

...

A couple of points here.

Corner speed is the speed that gives you the highest turn rate, if you go faster or slower your turn rate decreases. If you are above corner speed then turning nose down will decrease your turn rate and increase your turn radius. When you are below corner speed then turning nose down will help you turn tighter and faster. If you are above corner speed you'll want a climbing turn to increase turn performance.

Putting the target  forward in your view is the visual cue for lag pursuit. Lag pursuit maintains your speed and puts you on the target's flight path to the control position when you can pull lead pursuit for the shot.

Everybody reads about lag pursuit but it can take a while to appreciate it. 

[Sectus]

Look up Requiem's tutorials on Youtube. He filmed them in IL-2, but the principles are completely applicable to Aces High.

Some key principles to get you started: Turning towards the ground makes you turn tighter, the farther forward your enemy is on your windscreen, the better.

A fun trick when someone's diving on your tail is a defensive barrel roll. If you do it right you can give yourself an open shot to drop in on their tail as they zoom by.

Oh- and don't forget to lead your deflection shots! 

This was super helpful - appreciate it. Especially Requiem's tutorials.

Trying to bring some of it into practice is really exposing the main problem too - losing SA.

Well, one of the main problems. The most immediate one of a large list of them, if I am going to be properly accurate

Does anyone have any helpful tips about how to keep an opponent in sight? I don't have a VR option at this stage and am just using the hat switch on the stick, plus a button for looking back-high.

[The Fugitive]

You need both a front high and back high. If you can use 2 hand.s for views, set one button on the throttle or bas of the joystick to the up view. Then you use two buttons at the same time to get get your up/front and all other combos of up.

For practice with views, fly around a bas low and in-between the buildings, but nev r look at anything but the radar tower. Teaches you to use your hat switch views while also learning plane control.

[SIK1]

If you make one of your buttons straight up (5 on the numpad), then in combination with the hat views you'll have forward-up, left-up, back-up, etc. Straight-up is also helpful on it's own, because that is also your lift vector. If your joystick has a pinky button straight-up is a good assignment for it. Also some people use to make the forward hat view a better gunsite/over the nose view.

You do know that you can customize each view?

 

[FLS]

When you're practicing loops you can combine that with keeping something in view like a radar tower.  That will help you manage your attention.

[Tig]

This was super helpful - appreciate it. Especially Requiem's tutorials.

Trying to bring some of it into practice is really exposing the main problem too - losing SA.

Well, one of the main problems. The most immediate one of a large list of them, if I am going to be properly accurate

Does anyone have any helpful tips about how to keep an opponent in sight? I don't have a VR option at this stage and am just using the hat switch on the stick, plus a button for looking back-high.

I just use my number pad keys for my views, it's all I've ever needed.
VR would be nice though. 

[Max]

FLS do you fly in the MA? If so, under what name? Just curious.