Devastating false hits

[machtu]

It is a common occurrence where I am in a dogfight and my opponent is close, but out of position to hit me.  Then whammo, I take a devastating blows.  I go back and look at the flight record and I am not ever in the stream of bullets.

 

What gives?   

 

I would share a flight record but cannot attach it here.

[69th_Mobile_BBQ]

If you're talking about multiplayer, it's possible there's server de-sync.  The difference of a few milliseconds can make the enemy appear out of position but, to them you are in position.  Unfortunately, until the entire non-satellite (cables and wires) internet is 100% fiber optic, lag will always be possible.  

 

Then again.... There could be other factors.   If you have good evidence, it might be best to contact the development team privately.

[KevPBur]

I had very similar a few nights ago in Single Player. Me in 190 opponent passing in Spit IX. I'm looking directly up through the canopy at him as he was (presumably) doing the same as we made an initial pass with about 300 m seperation. Bam, I receive an devistating hit. I use the little map and there was no other planes in view. We were over his terratory so at the time I assumed I was got but an AA snipper as there hadn't been an other puffs around? Maybe I am seeing the same as you or perhaps you were got by AA too?

[IckyATLAS]

One thing also to take into account is bullet dispersion and the fact that the tracer bullets are one in four to five rounds makes for some imprecision when looking in slow motion. The tracer appears above the wing (not hitting) but you have nearly 10 bullets (5 before and 5 after) flying for one tracer bullet.

Now dispersion (or repeatability all things being equal) that is distance of the bullets from the ideal line of fire will depend on distance, the higher the distance the larger the dispersion. And this is if you fire straight on I mean the plane flying straight and firing. At short distance there should be excellent coherence between tracers and hits on the plane.

Now if you do deflection shooting then things get worse. Your plane is turning as you shoot. Depending on the rate of fire of your gun the ten bullets and the tracer may well be many meters apart hence. Cannons have slower rate of fire and the larger the caliber the slower the rate and even the speed. 

So the coherence between tracer and effective hit and miss becomes very low and creates visual contradictions where you see the tracer missing but the plane is hit.

[CountZero]

its usealy net lag and on top replays are not that accurate when you look at your online DF in high ping enviroments or when planty of stuff is happening around the area your in, so i would not count that what you see in them realy happend online.