Vodka, comrade?
Some luck, some skill, and a decent spec PC with a good 24" 120Hz screen don't go amiss either.
Also, taking out a fully upgraded BR 2.0 Russian lineup is the best "killing" lineup in the game as far as I can find, and I've got pilot vitality pretty much maxed, and good reload speeds across all my pilots as well. Crews are 'expert' but I don't think any are 'ace'.
Situational awareness helps a lot - I don't go in for reading loads of books or articles on aerial combat tactics, but you should always fly like your head is on a swivel! The 'c' key is your friend. Always know what's going on around you, don't get bounced unexpectedly and pick your fights to a certain degree. No point diving into a furball of 5 enemies and 1 friendly, you'll just end up dead. If you're reloading and alive, scan the skies around you and pick a fight. Join one where the enemy is already outnumbered, and you're more likely to win it
Learn how to perform 'snap' shots, especially when head to heading when you cant avoid it. Spray a load of bullets/shells at the enemy's nose, and then snap away ideally before they can return fire. Rockets work for this too!
*Convergence.* Against a plane with wing-mounted guns, the nose cannons of the early Russian stuff is devastating. Many pilots can't bring all their guns to bear on you even if they get the drop on you, so dodge, use scenery, other pilots, get them to change their mind about attacking you and go for someone else or get killed by your teammate.
Also, I'm aware it's cruel but biplanes don't stand up well to 20mm armour piercing high-explosive rounds. Quite why they still fly straight and level is beyond me, perhaps they're just admiring the graphics?
