Thread: Bf109 - canon
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Old 06-03-2011, 11:38 PM
Blackdog_kt Blackdog_kt is offline
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There's no setting that keeps them all centered at all ranges, it's physically impossible actually.

If you use the same convergence values for MGs and cannons they should meet dead center, but only if you are firing at the exact convergence range. Even 20-30 meters off and the different ballistic characteristics of the shells will have them not "joining up".

I use the default setting for the MGs (i think it's a longish 330m or so) because they are cowl mounted and easy to use.
For the cannons i set it as low as i can. I experimented with 100m and got good results, but i routinely shoot from distances even closer than that. I don't know if i can actually set them to 50m or so, but i after a while i can estimate how off they will be, so i might place the crosshairs off center on purpose: one cannon misses completely but the other one strikes perfectly even though i'm way closer than convergence.

The trick for all this to work however is to refrain from keeping both triggers pressed on every attack. If it's a big bomber it's a different story because you're bound to hit something, but against fighters i use each gun separately: MGs to soften them up, get them to break and bleed some speed so i can close in, get them leaking coolant/fuel/oil, then when they are chewed up and slowing down i just close to point blank range and give them a half second burst of cannon to finish them off.

More often than not however, a good deflection shot with just the MGs results in a pilot kill.

Cannon ammo is not that much so i prefer not to rely on it exclusively and came up with this method. If and when we get a Fw190 in a future add-on i'll go back to what i did in IL2: longish convergence for long range snapshots with all guns (it's got a lot of ammo after all), firing with only the cowl MGs and inboard guns at close range (they are closer to centerline and they don't miss as much if you are outside convergence).

I believe i saw someone posting a wartime convergence diagram for the 109E here but i didn't save the file, so i can't link it back for you. I vaguely remember that setting the MGs to 400 and the cannons to something much closer (200 or so, can't exactly remember) gives you two points where all rounds intersect: one as the rounds are on the rising part of their trajectory, then another one as they are dropping.

It looked quite flexible but i generally shoot from way close up if i have the faster aircraft, so i went ahead and made up my own settings.
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