Weapon station Loading?

[Tantobot 0]

Sorry for the vague topic heading, but I was wondering if a Laser Designating pod is loaded on one side what would be loaded on the other to counterbalance the Pod or does it matter?

[Outlaw7 0]

Sorry for the vague topic heading, but I was wondering if a Laser Designating pod is loaded on one side what would be loaded on the other to counterbalance the Pod or does it matter?

You could put a ECM pod to help with the balance, but then again the F16 runs the lantern without anything opposite it. What kind of aircraft are you loading out?

[Tantobot 0]

A-7E

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

A-7E

 

Most stations are grouped in pairs, so if you allow one hardpoint to use a targeting pod, the other will be empty. I don't think there are any hassles with it. It's not like LOMAC where unbalanced loadouts affect your flight characteristics. You can change the hardpoint groupings to allow you to use pods and still use weapons too.

 

[CenterlineStation]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=5 <<----------------------This is the group number. Change this to make it a solo or paired HP.

StationGroupID=6

 

 

Just remember, you can only have up to 6 seperate weapons groupings. This makes aircraft like the phantom a bit tricky since it has something 8 underwing hardpoints (4xmain, 4xsidewinder) and 5 fuselage hardpoints (4xsparrow, 1xcenterline)

 

I usually have to choose between having a group of 3xSparrow and 1x Sparrow/ECM groups or alternatively having dual sidewinder/AMRAAM loads similar to the F-15 loadout.

[Wrench 9,865]

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=12099

 

Also, have a look as some of the Phantom loadouts in the Loadout Thread (Iranian F-4E comes to mind)

 

Should give you some ideas.

 

Wrench

Kevin Stein

[FastCargo 412]

Just remember, you can only have up to 6 seperate weapons groupings.

 

Actually, this is technically not true. I found out recently you can in fact have more than 6 groupings...however, only 6 will be accessible from the loadout screen. Which can make things interesting if you have entries in the loadout.ini for those points outside of the 6 accessible loadout groups. You can basically have the computer always load specific things for those points which aren't visible by the user...but only if those aircraft were in the original tasking.

 

An example:

 

Lets say for an F-4, I make the centerline station part of StationGroupID=7 (assuming there are already StationGroupIDs 1 through 6). BTW, the sim doesn't care how you number the StationGroupIDs...you could number them 4 to 9, and they would still show up in order as if they were numbered 1 to 6. Trust me, I've experimented with 0 and skipping numbers.

 

Then, in the loadout.ini, I make that particular station (not the stationgroup) always have the 600 gallon tank in all configurations.

 

Now, when you go to a mission, the loadout screen would show that centerline station as not accessible...doesn't even show up. If you flew that mission, all your flight would have centerline tanks, assuming the loadout.ini covered that specific type of mission (air to air, recon, strike, etc). With one exception, if you add to the crew roster. You know how when you add wingman in the crew roster screen, then go back to the loadout screen, the new wingman initially have no weapons at all? Guess what, they won't have centerline tanks either, and there will be no way you can add them in the loadout screen.

 

It makes for some interesting possibilities. Try it, see for yourself (make backups FIRST).

 

FastCargo

[Tantobot 0]

Interesting

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

I noticed something like that too FastCargo, only I found it by mistke. I have my JASDF F-4EJs configured with two AMRAAMS on the outer sidewinder rails and a pair of sidewinders on the inner ones. I used a pair a while ago to test some new modded missiles I built and didn't alter the siderwinder racks at all, so when the sortie started I had the dual AMRAAM/Siderwinder combo.

HOWEVER, what threw me was that in the loudout screen menus, it showed the racks having either 4x sidewinders, or as being empty (I get the empty load more often for fuel tanks on certain modded aircraft rather than weapons)

 

I'm just going by what FC said above and from what I've learned, I figure it should load whatever you have configured in your LOADOUTS.ini by default (if you don't change any of the weapons displayed when in the loadout menu) except for the individual pylons you choose to alter... does that sound about right?

[+Gocad 26]

I'm just going by what FC said above and from what I've learned, I figure it should load whatever you have configured in your LOADOUTS.ini by default (if you don't change any of the weapons displayed when in the loadout menu) except for the individual pylons you choose to alter... does that sound about right?

 

Yes. And, as you may have noticed, the Loadout.ini even allows you (to a certain extent) to mount weapons you couldn't add manually at all.

 

Come to think of it, you do not even need splitting up the weapon groups to have an asymetric loadout. Of course there remains the problem that certain weapons are not available all the time...

 

Modified loadout in 2009:

From left to right: IRIS-T, 2 GBU-12E on a BRU-57, 2 AIM-120C, another AIM-120C, ASQ-173, AIM-7P, 3 AGM-65 on a LAU-88, 2 GBU-38 on a BRU-57 and an AIM-9X

 

The same loadout in 1984:

From left to right: AIM-9M, 2 GBU-10 on a BRU-57, nothing, AIM-7M, ASQ-173, AIM-7M, nothing, 2 GBU-38 on a BRU-57, AIM-9X

 

Strange, I have no idea why the AIM-9X or the GBU-38s show up there...

Also, how do I get the BRU-57 smart rack to show up without any Loadout.ini modifcation?

Edited July 14, 2007 by Gocad