Spitfire zone of death range finder

[HagarTheHorrible]

Finkeren and I have different experiences when flying and shooting from the Spitfire, Finkeren sets them alight and I chop off wings, his convergence is set to 350, mine 170. Both of us, it would seem, are careful about shooting at, or close too convergence. Because both of us are just learning about the Spitfire I, and I expect Finkeren, are using icons, this gives us a very accurate range finder that gives us a whopping big advantage, or anyone else for that matter, over the real world and overcomes the one big disadvantage of the Spitfires weapon arrangement and possibly has a far more profound effect on hitting power than setting the range on aircraft with a more concentrated weapon layout.

 

With icons disabled, unless a pilot is good or practiced and preferably both I expect the potency of the Spitfire will be very much reduced, however pleasant the aircraft is to fly.

 

With considered shooting and by using the icons rangefinder the hitting power of the Spitfires guns are a concentrated zone of death.

[FTC_Etherlight]

My experience is completely different. I consider the range and the convergence mostly irrelevant due to the awe-inspiring performance of those Hispano cannons. Almost every burst that actually hits, no matter where, is a death sentence in my short time in the Spit.

[=EXPEND=CG_Justin]

My experience is completely different. I consider the range and the convergence mostly irrelevant due to the awe-inspiring performance of those Hispano cannons. Almost every burst that actually hits, no matter where, is a death sentence in my short time in the Spit.

 

This^

 

I have not flown the spit yet, but I have seen people flying it on WoL. The Hispano's hit like a sledgehammer and they shear off wings like a giant pair of scissors.

[CIA_Yankee_]

Finkeren and I have different experiences when flying and shooting from the Spitfire, Finkeren sets them alight and I chop off wings, his convergence is set to 350, mine 170. Both of us, it would seem, are careful about shooting at, or close too convergence. Because both of us are just learning about the Spitfire I, and I expect Finkeren, are using icons, this gives us a very accurate range finder that gives us a whopping big advantage, or anyone else for that matter, over the real world and overcomes the one big disadvantage of the Spitfires weapon arrangement and possibly has a far more profound effect on hitting power than setting the range on aircraft with a more concentrated weapon layout.

 

With icons disabled, unless a pilot is good or practiced and preferably both I expect the potency of the Spitfire will be very much reduced, however pleasant the aircraft is to fly.

 

With considered shooting and by using the icons rangefinder the hitting power of the Spitfires guns are a concentrated zone of death.

 

To be fair, this is why the adjustable gunsight is for. Set it to your desired range, and the most common wingspan (109's 34 feet, right?), then you can use the sight to easily tell when your target is at or close to convergence.

 

As for the hispanos, yup, they pack a punch, which is pretty accurate from the information we have. This is likely why we only have 60 shells per cannons, given how large they are.

[Tektolnes]

As for the hispanos, yup, they pack a punch, which is pretty accurate from the information we have. This is likely why we only have 60 shells per cannons, given how large they are.

 

We have 60rpg as the Spit VB used ammunition drums which took up space. Once the universal C wing was introduced in the Mk VC the cannon was belt fed from magazine boxes which enabled 120rpg to be loaded.

Edited July 10, 2017 by Tektolnes

[HagarTheHorrible]

It doesn't add much to what we all know but I do like this vid:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKJdVn2i8is

[Cybermat47]

Don't forget to convert metres to yards while setting up your sight

[Bullets]

I get a mixture of flamers and blowing off wings if that helps   

[Wulf]

Finkeren and I have different experiences when flying and shooting from the Spitfire, Finkeren sets them alight and I chop off wings, his convergence is set to 350, mine 170. Both of us, it would seem, are careful about shooting at, or close too convergence. Because both of us are just learning about the Spitfire I, and I expect Finkeren, are using icons, this gives us a very accurate range finder that gives us a whopping big advantage, or anyone else for that matter, over the real world and overcomes the one big disadvantage of the Spitfires weapon arrangement and possibly has a far more profound effect on hitting power than setting the range on aircraft with a more concentrated weapon layout.

 

With icons disabled, unless a pilot is good or practiced and preferably both I expect the potency of the Spitfire will be very much reduced, however pleasant the aircraft is to fly.

 

With considered shooting and by using the icons rangefinder the hitting power of the Spitfires guns are a concentrated zone of death.

 

 

In answer to your question, the only obvious explanation comes down to the difference in range harmonization being employed by the two of you.  At 170m/yards the velocity of the cannon rounds when striking the target would be greater that at 350, with consequently greater energy transfer.   If you are both shooting at your respective harmonization ranges the concentration of projectiles on the target should be approximately the same.

 

I wouldn't read too much into this notion that the widely spread arrangement of the Spitfire's weapons somehow makes them less effective than tightly clustered weapons.  Putting all your projectiles into a highly concentrated pattern at a given harmonization range can actually 'decrease' your change of hitting the target - unless you're an extremely good shot.  A broad pattern is far more likely to inflict damage of some sort  - which is why we use a shotgun to shoot  ducks on the wing rather than a rifle (okay, there are also safety considerations etc but I'm sure you get my point).

 

There is a 1940s British Air Ministry booklet entitled 'Estimation of range and angle-off - Bag the Hun', that can usually be found on the interweb.  At one point it was available as a download from 'Mission for the Day', assuming that still actually exists.  It's surprisingly useful although the in-game 'aim assist' function is probably better.

[Tag777]

I have set my guns convergence at 350 m and so far few of my targets have lit. I only have chopped wings or pilot dead 

[Livai]

I love my convergence I hit bombers both engine at the same from far range and at close range I rip them apart within 1 sec. Doesn't matter close or far range both range already destroy the plane in an effective way.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Been a while since I've posted Dart's convergence guide but I've never seen it explained better than this.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ghtpgXn5K-0

[Holtzauge]

At the risk of starting another of the infamous "Minengeshoss" discussions, the Hispanos are either a bit OP or the Minen UP: But I think this has already been covered yes? It seems that the IL-2 DM engine has problems modeling the effects of Minen correctly and until that is fixed (I certainly hope it will be!) a good interim solution IMHO would be to allow alternative belting on the German fighters so that more AP can be belted. Because, IRL, the Germans could belt with Minen, Panzer or Brand, and if they IRL would have gotten the same results as here I'm sure the recommendation would be to load up with AP and not Minen like they recommend in the Schiessfibel.....

 

So until the Minen/DM is adjusted, please allow us to load up with more AP in the German belting!

Edited July 10, 2017 by Holtzauge

[Tag777]

Mmm. Yesterday I was precisely thinking that will be nice if we could select the ammo type for our guns, like in CloD.

[Tag777]

By the way, the .303 machine guns are nearly useless. Yes, the convergence must be considered but, nonetheless, they seems a little underpowered.

[unreasonable]

The 303s nearly useless?   You should have told the Lufwaffe that during the BoB, they still managed to lose bucket loads of aircraft of all types to opposition that had 303s and nothing else (except for 1 squadron IIRC with 4 cannons which always jammed). 

 

Edit - I suppose you may mean "nearly useless in the game"?  In whcih case you may be right, I really have not had enough practice yet to form an opinion. 

Edited July 13, 2017 by unreasonable

[Tag777]

Of course I mean "in game" (I probably did not emphasize that, my mistake). At difference of the real thing, ours have apparently very few incendiary rounds, that together with the armor piercing bullets were that made the damage of those weapons so deadly in BoB.

[unreasonable]

No, I just miss-read it: long day, etc, time for bed....  

[-SF-Disarray]

I find the 303 rounds to be anything but useless. In my experience the majority of fires I set using the Spit are set using the MGs, not the cannon. Granted the cannon are better at killing the enemy in a hurry, but the MGs get the job done as well.

[54th_Glitter_]

By the way, the .303 machine guns are nearly useless. Yes, the convergence must be considered but, nonetheless, they seems a little underpowered.

 

I agree.

I find difficult to make significant damage with .303s. I use them to scare, or to induce a move in the enemy pilot, by the sound of the bullets hitting his plane. I think they are more like a sound/sonic weapon  . Thanks God the Hispanos make their job when hitting.

[HagarTheHorrible]

303's should be good at dampening the enthusiasm of the squishy bits. All that glass and comradely togetherness in the heavies. We just need some original Il2 raspberry jam smeared across the Perspex, yum yum.

[kvoria]

One thing that I think would be really useful us being able to set the gun sight range finder defaults in the menu. Jumping into the spitfire I always forget to set the wing span and range and I don't have enough axis on my hotas. Fumbling around on the keyboard while trying to manoeuvre is far from elegant.

[-SF-Disarray]

Is the gun sight adjustable like that on the Spitfire?

[Custard]

Is the gun sight adjustable like that on the Spitfire?

 

Yes