Heavy guns on ships are the best! I now how to use an M60 (TANK) as a artil gun(Only when i control the turret!). I can hit targets that are over hills! Its hard but it works! The AI already uses an artilary like targeting (If the targets to far away to be hit by just pointing the gun in their direction they aim up a little so the shell is fired up nd slowly comes down and hits its target!)
All you need to do is make guns that can hit targets k-meters away and and the computer will do a fine job!
And remember you can move around tanks with the 'move to drivers seat' comand, so moving around a ship will not be hard:
move to front gunners seat
move to rear gunner seat
move to captains seat (StarTrek fans will rejoice!)
move to drivers seat (I don't know the real name!)
Move to cargo/back seats
Move to look outs seat (A highly plased person, on the mast maby! LOL)
If you are good you can land on the list with a cobra, but i think you just fall through the ship if your get out o the Cobra!