I'm a lousy shot...

[The Jug Rules!]

I got a new copy of il2 sturmovik, and quickly realized I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with an autocannon. The only way I can get kills is to catch a fighter straight and level wit a 30mm armed 109, or a 109 with 20mm pods. And even then I have to be really close. Cfs has poisoned my aim badly. Any tips for a noob?
I have some tracks of my fights...if I could figure out how to post them.

Also, is there a padlock in this game? I keep hitting the padlock button, but it wont work. I have a hard time keeping track of the same enemy without it.

And where can I dowload planes...I really want to get the Lagg 7 and the D model fw 190...and some Thunderbolts of course

 

[Cyrano]

 

[Cyrano]

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Well, Sturmovik has limited ammo. That's good, because then you don't have to try shooting anymore after a few moments. It' bad, because then you do have to be careful with your aim and conserve bullets.

But still, it's easier to have unlimited ammo. I like it.

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

Hmm, don't know what to say, fire short bursts and aim a little ahead of your target. Other then that I don't know.

 

[Gnomey]

Practice practice practice....

 

[The Jug Rules!]

I probably wont be able to get the later il2 games, my computer can barely handle the first game...*sigh*

 

[Cyrano]

 

[comiso90]

Well it's still worth trying. All Il-2 games are made with the same graphics engine.

a great scenerio is to intercept 12 unarmed ME 323's with an ME-109Z with unlimited Ammo..

fun shooting gallery!

 

[Sgt. Pappy]

try going to www.mission4today.com or www.airwarfare.com for hints and tips on improving your accuracy, carrier take-offs, landing etc. Plus check out Dart's Page - IL-2 and PF fun and training videos! and download his videos or 'tracks' as they say in the IL-2 universe. There's a fancy vid showing how to use the gunsight properly... there's more to it than most people think.

Also, shooting past 0.3 indicated on the enemy (which is 300 m) is sniping/praying to God that your shot hits. Most players will shoot within a maximum of 250m (0.25 indicated over your enemy). I fly either the Spitfire LF IXc or the F4U-1D and my convergence is 220m for the cannon of the Spitfire and 170m for the MG's of the F4U. They haven't failed me yet. And don't forget to lead the target. If you want, look up a guide on using the gyro gunsight on the P-51D-20-NA. This gunsight tells you exactly where you're shooting based on the aircraft's movement, so when you move the plane around, the crosshair flies all over the gunsight to show you where your shots will land at that specific time in movement. There are a bunch of guides on www.airwarfare.com to insruct you on how to operate the sight.

Don't use padlock too much/long periods of time... very difficult to manage your aircraft.

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Shoot up close, that's easiest, if you can. Then you don't hardly need a gunsight. But don't crash into the burning wreckage.

 

[Bearcat]

This: Sniper's Corner
should help a bit.

Other than that practice... set your convergence to 175-250m.. and shoot when you are within that range.. give or take @5-15m.. F.Y.I. when the icon says .25.. thaT IS 250m.. , .50 is 500m, 1.0 is 1K.. etc.... so shoot within convergence..

You might also want to consider running a Quick Mission with unlimitted ammo and make yourself invulnerable... just do that solely for gunnery practice... load up the ops with rookies in inferior planes and have at it. The key to this procedure is

A- Shoot as if you have limited ammo... you don want to get in the habit of holding the trigger too long.

B- Keep in mind that you will be hit.. and still try to avoid it. The only reason you make yourself invulnerable is so that you don't have to keep wasting time hitting refly. NEVER fly like that outside of gunnery practice... You won't find that in the "real" world.. but it helps a great deal trying to find your way and learning the way the weps behave.

C- Dont use this for ground work, unless it is just straffing.

Do that for a while... and then tighten things up... give the enemy better AC... more experience... then the real practice comes when you put the limited ammo and vulnerability settings back to where they belong. That's when you get to see how you are progressing.

Don't use friendlies because they will only try to evade you but so much...

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

In pacific fighters, I get up close before hitting the enemy plane with a few seconds burst.

 

[Virtual_pilot]

I reccomend to start with something like P-51, put guns at 300 meters, and start target practicing on friendlies. Then switch to an enemy, but a slow one like Mosquito, then go further a bit and take on say a fw-190 etc.

Basicly deflection shooting is only possible with high-velocity weapons, like .50`s and 20mm cannons, if the aircraft has a 30mm cannon for example Bf-109 K4, then you need to get really close. All my kills with it (except for bombers) happen at less than 300 meters, preferrably 100, and it takes a lot of practice to master the wobbling you have while shooting, it takes also a lot of time to try deflection shoot with it efficiently. P-47 and F4U with 20mm cannons (or tempest) make the best practice, they spread well and have flat enough trajectory.

I think my craziest deflection shot was with an F4U-C or whatever its called, the one with cannons. Had a jap coming from the front and maybe 200m above. Pulled up, he dissapeard below my nose, short burst and hit. Was maybe 45 degrees deflection, and one lucky shot, and of cource hours upon hours in the same plane. But its fun!

 

[DKoor]

And where can I dowload planes...I really want to get the Lagg 7 and the D model fw 190...and some Thunderbolts of course

Thing is..... LaGG-3 is not really the competitive plane and you as a newbie must be aware that you'll have to deal with lesser plane as well as your inexperience. LA-5/F is almost on par with 109G2, but still a bit lesser plane IMO, while FN is really a 1944 model (incorrectly modeled all around, biggest joke being having that plane in 1943, while it didn't have some of that performance even in 1944).
LA-7 is whole another deal....... competitive with Luftwaffe as long as you like low alt combat.
If the fight goes at alt, you will probably be defeated especially if you fight vs 190D.

Thunderbolt is a fine plane you'll appreciate the good sides of that ride.......... sturdiness great armament and nice visibility in bubble canopy models.............. razorbacks are pretty bad considering visibility from canopy.
I suggest pit on servers from the start without externals, but that is really up to you.

190D... what's to say...... I consider it as probably the best fighter in game along with Mustang Mk.III............. perhaps it's tough to say something like that, but as most of the virtual fights are between deck and 5,000m........ pretty much nothing in game beats those two on those alts.

I don't know what do you prefer regarding diff settings but you will fly differently with pit on/off - difference is enormous in tactic and wh0le deal, really....... good luck.8)

 

[delcyros]

I am a mediocre shot, but can reasonably well handle my plane in dogfight.
I think the japanese J2M3 is the best all around plane in the game:
small, radial engined, rugged, 4 x 20mm firepower, excellent handling at all but very high speeds, faster than most in low altitudes (where most of the action takes place) and an impressive climber.

I used to load up 6 Ju-52 (large target size) as friendly planes and one unarmed enemy. Then start to practice on the Ju-52 (don´t care about the radio). The best results You may achieve when attacking from above or below, try to hit the wingroots, try not to make continous firings, rather well placed shots. The Ju-52 will keep a steady course.

 

[Pong]

A few tips

1. Dogfighting fighters

Fire ahead of your target so he can catch the bullets

Fuel tanks aren't needed so drop them, also drop other explosives such as bombs or rockets.

Set speed to 100%.

2. Intercepting

When it's a bomber without ball gunner (like the I-L2 or Stuka) strike it from below. It has chances to hit the bombs without the gunner shredding you to pieces.

If you get on its tail and not below, kill the gunner first, and take it out.

Hope these tips are helpful.

-Pong

 

[eddie_brunette]

or use the p40, very easy to fly, very, very stable gun platform. it is usually more difficult in the 109 to hit things(alltough i love the 109)

i must mention that most of my kills is in the vertical, not a big horizontal fighter.

but know your plane weak and good points. i'm busy playing "Shark Nose Squadron" (http://mission4today.com/index.php?name=Downloads&file=details&id=1998)
so far: 23 missions, 7planes lost, 13kills. also, try from the begin to play at full realism. for me it is actually easier to hit planes, than in "arcade" or easy settings and last....practice, practice, practice

 

[The Jug Rules!]

wow this thread is still alive.....cool....

yeah my shootin has gotten a little better.... a lot better...I wish i could show yall this one trak i had of me in a Yak k model i think...the one with the 45mm. made this one BEAUTIFUL long range deflection shot with the cannon. had to be about 350 to 400 meters out at about 47 degrees. First shell hit his wing root and the rest is history. Also i have the very first il2...I dint think my little rig could handle the later ones. So no mustangs or nothing...but those Russian bombers still give me hives. Im in those early German missions where there dive bombing ur field and u have to scramble. I can only get mabe 1 or 2 before my pilot gets killed or my engine is shot to hell from that squeak in the backseat.My aim isnt good enuf to snipe off the gunner himself. i usually aim for a wing and run a buzzsaw to knok her off, or clip the tail section controls so there out of the fight or crash.The fact that the f model is undergunned dont help either. it also seems that mgs do no appreciable damage in the first il2. I tested wit a ju 52 and WAILED on him with the mgs of a p39 and a me 109.
I understand there only 2 hmgs (+4 lights on '39)but man i at least gave hime about 8 -12 seconds before he finallly started smokin and (slowly) went down.


I really like the horizontal when i fight, but my main problem now in il2 is over running my target. MY aim has improved, but i still take a lot of passes to down my targets. I have a hard time in the vertical, and only fight there if im goin too fast to take a turn into a breakin enemy-i just drain off the speed and tightn my turn. Ive never really been gunned down by a fighters at all, only once when i foolishtly took a fw 190 a8 on head on in a lag 5 fn. I clipped his engine, but he drilled the living hell outta me *note to self quad mauzers hurt!!!!* He flew off for home and i went down in flames. Other then that 1 time ive never relly been shot down by fighters...and ive fought aginst aces...but this is a computer....ive seen some of yalls shootin at you tube....im scared crapless of goin online...

 

[eddie_brunette]

what rig do you use?
jip the fw190 is deadly in head-on attacks
please remember the AI physics is not the same as ours they kill you through clouds, wont red/blackout, dive all the way with you(i hate it!!!! there is no, but absolutly NO WAY a Zero can stay with a F4U in a dive) and then those damn bomber gunners, way to accurate for real life