How to deal with over the nose visibility???

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

I'm having a lot of difficulty with hitting opposing aircraft. Trying to fight from above, I dive down on them, align my lift vector with their direction of travel, and then find that I lose them under my nose unless I pull a lag pursuit.

 

Unfortunately, in pulling the lag, I often end up in a situation where as I close, my aircraft can't physically pull lead when I want to shoot.

 

How should I be making these passes? Should I stop aligning my lift vector with the target's travel and try to keep them to the side, firing as they "cross"?

 

I fly BnZ in rise of flight, but don't seem to have this problem there. I'd like to know what I can do to adapt to this sim. It seems right now that I can only put shots on target by latching onto their tail, which doesn't seem to work well in the 109 vs real people.

 

Edit: Also, is there a reason that the G-series 109's feel so much more fidgety than the F4, or is it just me?

Edited June 7, 2017 by hrafnkolbrandr

[Barnacles]

Trim your aircraft to be slightly nose up before the dive. You'll have to experiment with what works for you as to how much. Also be aware at what speeds your aircraft's controls start to become markedly less responsive. Consider cutting the throttle to decrease your turn radius.

[unreasonable]

I'm having a lot of difficulty with hitting opposing aircraft. Trying to fight from above, I dive down on them, align my lift vector with their direction of travel, and then find that I lose them under my nose unless I pull a lag pursuit.

 

Unfortunately, in pulling the lag, I often end up in a situation where as I close, my aircraft can't physically pull lead when I want to shoot.

How should I be making these passes? Should I stop aligning my lift vector with the target's travel and try to keep them to the side, firing as they "cross"?

 

Essentially "yes" - you have answered your own question. Obviously this makes aiming harder, since you you have to judge your lead well in advance and cannot adjust much, but it works fine if you can get shells into the cockpit and engine area even with a 109's armament.  Fire a long burst: 2-3 seconds.   Resist the temptation to turn with the target and either pull up or keep diving away.  (P-40 )  This is particularly the best way to deal with bombers whose defense to the sides is weaker than to the rear, and with Il-2s which are much more vulnerable if hit in the cockpit area compared to hits from the rear.

 

If you insist on getting into a turning fight the target will almost always be below your nose.

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

Guh. I'm just not getting the hang of it. Even vs AI.

 

It's almost as if I need to fly in this game exclusively. Everytime I come back after flying something else I am even worse than before.

Edited June 11, 2017 by hrafnkolbrandr

[=EXPEND=Tripwire]

Keep at it. When you finally make that breakthrough the feeling is so rewarding.

 

With planes under the nose you need to attempt to visualise where they are going to cross your gunsight. It's something you get better at with practice. Otherwise as you have already identified, you need to keep the target to the side and fire as they cross.

 

Probability of hits in such an attack is not high other than for very experienced pilots.

[JG13_opcode]

I'm having a lot of difficulty with hitting opposing aircraft. Trying to fight from above, I dive down on them, align my lift vector with their direction of travel, and then find that I lose them under my nose unless I pull a lag pursuit.

 

Unfortunately, in pulling the lag, I often end up in a situation where as I close, my aircraft can't physically pull lead when I want to shoot.

 

How should I be making these passes? Should I stop aligning my lift vector with the target's travel and try to keep them to the side, firing as they "cross"?

 

I fly BnZ in rise of flight, but don't seem to have this problem there. I'd like to know what I can do to adapt to this sim. It seems right now that I can only put shots on target by latching onto their tail, which doesn't seem to work well in the 109 vs real people.

 

Edit: Also, is there a reason that the G-series 109's feel so much more fidgety than the F4, or is it just me?

 

Two ways:

 

1)  Try flying a parallel path to your target, but don't fly right at them.  Imagine you're on a highway and they're ahead of you in the next lane over, going the same way.  Keep the nose off to the side a bit, so that you can see them over the side of the nose.  When it's time to shoot, use the rudder to correct for the offset.

 

2)  Don't go for the "tracking shot" from behind, and instead set up a high-angle snapshot.  Often the visibility is better because you can track the guy outside your side window.

Edited June 12, 2017 by JG13_opcode