Locking up an air target with the Shkval, setting the proper air-to-air mode, and using the laser range finder to get an accurate range measurement is the most accurate way to place rounds on these kinds of targets. It is a bugger, but, again, proper ingress planning and keeping an eagle eye out for bandits helps keeps things out of hand. If you're at the point where you're trying to snapshot on an aerial enemy, you're in deep doo doo. It can be done, though: here's a vid of me snapshooting Vikhrs on a Su-25 and then a Hind.

OK, that said, if you're out of time and need to gun a close-in target, select the cannon without locking up a target and you'll get a fixed reticule on your HUD that you can use WW2-style to aim. It's not as sexy as a gyro- or radar-predictive gunsight, but, again, the Ka-50 wasn't designed for an air-to-air role so it doesn't have the specific equipment required for this role. The fact that we have two air-to-air targeting modes is a bonus.

I find the best way to gun down an enemy helo is to eject....

.... At least i am guaranteed a soft landing.

Wow..awesome video Erik... Of course..they were coming right at you...when they have little relative motion it isn't too bad. I can almost never find and lock them when they are moving across the windscreen..

Nice shooting!

I've had some success with the HMS and air targets, but it's 50/50. It either works well or I wind up chasing the target all over...



The Jedi Master