The perfect FOV in dogfight

[MaxGunz]

If you don't have the range and relative motion right then a real good look through the sight won't do you much good, and full zoom makes knowing those more difficult.

Then there's slip which is super-easy to get into even if just because you used rudder to move the sight sideways just before you shoot. The bullets will not go where the pipper is when you have slip but with luck the target will be moving to match or you be good enough to account for slip or the slip will be so slight and range so close it hardly matters.

Aerial gunnery is a problem is 3D and time. Poor shooters go for close in at the tail of a plane moving directly away to get hits that don't rely on luck. If the target doesn't cooperate then the fight becomes an energy dance and if the target has a rear gunner just see how well sitting off the tail at 200m or less works out for you.

See how steady the pipper and plane are when you try adjusting aim and speed quickly for a shot. Compare that to how it is when you are flying without horsing the nose around. I get better luck when flying the pipper out ahead of a target whose relative motion (to my pipper) is taking it towards the pipper. Knowing about how long my shots will take to reach the point that the target will be, I trigger just before then and give it a burst. Usually I get hits. Usually they're from one side into the target and because of that they are usually more effective than hits the tail. I go for the engine and pilot, IL2 tail wheel assemblies soak up loads of hits.

[EJGr.Ost_Caspar]

I use zoom-in only for an aimed shot on plane parts (i.e. wings), if I have the time to.
Mostly I fly in Normal FoV, as it gives me the best immersion of a cramped cockpit.

[horseback]

I may be a bit over equipped when it comes to controllers, but my current setup (CH Combatstick, Pro Pedals, Pro Throttle and Throttle Quad combined with the CH Manager software into two Controllers) allows me over forty buttons to play with, and I have one on the stick for Toggling FOV and one each on the Throttle for Wide and Gunsight Views. I use the stick button for leisurely moments when I'm scanning the area, and the immediate Wide to Gunsight view shift for shooting longer range shots.

A good HOTAS setup allows you enough buttons to react quickly in combat; control your engine & aircraft (throttle, props, mixture, trim), shoot or drop your ordnance, and maintain your awareness of things around you (ie, FOVs, toggling gunsight). All the other stuff can be done from the keyboard.

If you're getting serious about this sim, a good HOTAS, TrackIR and pedals are going to be very useful.

cheers

horseback

[Racetrack]

Originally Posted by EJGr.Ost_Caspar

I use zoom-in only for an aimed shot on plane parts (i.e. wings), if I have the time to.
Mostly I fly in Normal FoV, as it gives me the best immersion of a cramped cockpit.

And what's your Normal FoV?

Originally Posted by Mustang

He had 50-inch Monitor / TV.

Lol

[EJGr.Ost_Caspar]

Originally Posted by Racetrack

And what's your Normal FoV?

The middle one of the three default zoom levels (30/70/90). I think, 70 displays the true view without any stretching.