'Balloon Busting': Strategy Discussion

[Javito1986 14]

Background: My last pilot career came to an abrupt end on a balloon busting mission. These were pretty simple in Red Baron 3D but I find that if you approach the missions in OFF expecting more or less the same the 'Bosche' will have you for lunch. I attacked the balloon, was knocked off course by a near miss from flak, was riddled with MG fire promptly afterwards, tried quite desperately and valiantly to correct my course and line up on the balloon at which point the engine started on fire! It was not a pleasant way to go. Naturally this is more historical as IRL these assignments were dreaded by pilots.

 

Now I have a new career that I started in mid March 1917 and it's going quite well. Even though it's 'Bloody April' and I fly an outclassed Nieuport 17 I'm doing quite well in the 'surviving' department. I find that the 'trick' to surviving April '17 is to flee in terror from every Albatross D.III you see.

 

Unfortunately, as part of Command's effort to kill off every pilot in the RFC, they've assigned yet another balloon busting mission to support the start of the Arras offensive (in-game it's April 9). This is concerning because I'm only a few days away from the in-game month long anniversary of this pilot's survival and I'd like to get there! Fair and square, without skipping the mission! But I'm pretty sure this next mission is going to be the end of this pilot's career.

 

Consequentially I'm thinking ahead and planning the attack very, very carefully and considering all the possible contingencies. However I thought I'd come over here and consult with the 'veterans' about the best way to approach balloon busting. What's everybody's favorite method?

 

I fly with ground accuracy set to 'normal' by the way. This way I actually have to change heading/height every 20 - 30 seconds while flying over German lines to confuse the gunners. Find that to be more historically accurate. It also means I'm likely to get pulverized if I'm not fast enough getting at that balloon and have to attack it while it's low on the ground... *gulp*

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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I recommend using the historic approach. Come in with a lot of alt and facing back towards the friendly side of the mud; throttle back and dive down on the balloon; when you are about 200 to 150 yards out let fly all your rockets and start blasting away with your guns; continue firing until the sausage pops or you have run out of room and time: fly to the deck and hug the earth like it was your long lost dog all the way back across NML and hope for the best.

 

Good luck Javy!

 

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[itifonhom 6]

Hi Javito,

my method is really simple, although try it only in an Alb D.II and that is crossing the lines as high as I can and then dive to the balloon, well, not vertically of course, not too steep. Just enough to gain speed, bust the thing away on a single pass and then gain height again trying to avoid MGs and flak. Can't remember a single time going wrong this way but I found out that sometimes enemy fighters secure the area, so try to keep an eye open before diving!!!

 

Anastasios

[Bullethead 12]

The higher you can hit the balloon, the better, because the real danger (apart from defending fighters) is AAMG fire. Those things always maim you if they don't kill, but fortunately have limited range, so the goal is to stay above them. Never make more than 2 passes on the same balloon--after the 2nd, it will be down in AAMG range....

 

I agree that the best attack profile is diving from fairly high while already on your egress heading. The hard part is spotting the balloon against the background while you're still far away enough to make major adjustments. To help with this, I maneuver to a point several miles behind the balloon, so that the line from there through the balloon points toward the closest friendly lines. Then I turn 90^ to this line and dive steeply while looking off to the side towards the balloon. As soon as I see the balloon above the horizon, I roll toward it and level out for the firing pass.

 

I get to this starting point by taking an indirect approach. I cross the lines several miles away from the balloon then circle in behind it. I find this results in the balloon being higher when I attack than if I fly right over it on the way in. Also, sometimes I surprise the ground defenses and get away without being fired on at all.

 

Of course, the above only works under 2 conditions: My flight has to be the only one on the mission, and there can't be any defending fighters. If the ace flight is on the mission, too, they go straight for the balloon so you have to follow them, all surprise is lost, and if they don't get the balloon themselves, they scare it so low that it's suicide to go for it yourself. So all in all, I find the above approach is mostly only useful for busting balloons of opportunity when my real mission is something else.

 

One thing to keep in mind in all circumstances, however, is that ground fire often kills its own balloons. I find this extremely annoying because I go to all this risk AND technically succeed in the mission, but don't get to claim the balloon. It appears to me that the ground guns are all clustered very tightly around the balloon's base unit. Thus, the steeper your attack run, the more likely the balloon with get hit by ground fire. This is the main reason for my level approach.

 

 

[Hasse Wind 46]

Balloon busting is fairly simple when flying a plane with strong wings and good diving characteristics, such as the SPAD or Pfalz D.III. Then it's really the best method to attack the gasbag directly from above it and pull up quickly to avoid the flak and not lose all of your precious altitude.

[Javito1986 14]

Of course, the above only works under 2 conditions: My flight has to be the only one on the mission, and there can't be any defending fighters. If the ace flight is on the mission, too, they go straight for the balloon so you have to follow them, all surprise is lost, and if they don't get the balloon themselves, they scare it so low that it's suicide to go for it yourself. So all in all, I find the above approach is mostly only useful for busting balloons of opportunity when my real mission is something else.

 

 

Ah okay, here's a point of interest for me. Still new to the game so how can I tell if the ace flight is on the same mission as I am? Or are the always on the same mission? Sometimes I'm tempted just to follow them around since, depending on what RFC squadron I'm in, I feel safer having Mannock, Bishop, or McCudden around :-)

 

On a related note, I currently have region air activity set to heavy. I'm completely unsure as to whether or not this is the most historical setting? I wouldn't want to have it on a setting that makes my life harder for no reason at all... i.e. makes me 10x more likely to get intercepted by fighters en route. Wouldn't want it to be too 'gamey' if you follow me. I'm going for extreme accuracy in this pilot's career but some settings make things a bit harder than they were IRL... like if you switch the AI's gunnery skill to 'more accurate' or something.

[Bullethead 12]

Ah okay, here's a point of interest for me. Still new to the game so how can I tell if the ace flight is on the same mission as I am?

 

If the mission has 2 flights listed in the briefing, then both are on the mission. Sometimes this doesn't always work, especially if you warp. Then sometimes 1st flight is nowhere to be seen when you come out of warp. But usually they're right there.

 

On a related note, I currently have region air activity set to heavy. I'm completely unsure as to whether or not this is the most historical setting?

 

I think it's realistic. After all, the game doesn't include all the squadrons that were really at the front (especially 2-seaters). Thus, setting it to heavy makes up for the shortfall I think. But that's just MHO. I've never heard the devs say either way.

[Javito1986 14]

If the mission has 2 flights listed in the briefing, then both are on the mission. Sometimes this doesn't always work, especially if you warp. Then sometimes 1st flight is nowhere to be seen when you come out of warp. But usually they're right there.

 

 

 

Ah, that explains why I hardly ever seem to see them while on mission. I warp all the time... guess I should stop!

[Bullethead 12]

Ah, that explains why I hardly ever seem to see them while on mission. I warp all the time... guess I should stop!

 

They're supposed to be there and usually are for me.

[catch 81]

Well I reckon those hun gunners protecting the gasbags are just way too schnapp happy. I'll taunt them above 2000 feet with wing-overs, barrell-rolls and side-slip's incurring height and speed changes whilst cocking a snoot in their general direction until they shoot their own chaps down, the silly blighters . And not a shot fired from the fancy pants cove doing stunts.

 

I would hope the Allied gunners are a little more professional lol.

[Javito1986 14]

I would hope the Allied gunners are a little more professional lol.

 

 

 

Nah! The Frenchies just shoot at ANY plane, no matter what side it's on! At least they did IRL... that should be modeled in OFF, the RFC used to complain about that quite a bit :-p

[Bullethead 12]

Nah! The Frenchies just shoot at ANY plane, no matter what side it's on! At least they did IRL... that should be modeled in OFF, the RFC used to complain about that quite a bit :-p

 

I've noticed that the German gunners in the vicinity of Reims almost always shoot at German planes. I therefore now try to avoid flying there.

[Javito1986 14]

Figured I owe you all an update on how the mission went :-)

 

Good news and bad news!

 

Good news: I got the balloon!

 

Bad news: I was hospitalized for 13 days!

 

Long story: I went around the front and circled around from the east. The balloon was high in the sky by the time I found it. Wingmen went down to the deck and started suppressing the German defenses, I bored straight in on that sausage. Took a hit from something (no idea what) that knocked the Nieuport around like a kite. I had a look and my left bottom wing tip looked as though Superman had grabbed it and bent it upwards. It wasn't sheared off, it was just bent upwards. Very bad for the controls, I was sideslipping all over the sky and flak/mg fire all around. HOWEVER I was still able to flame the balloon and because I was already aiming west I was able to kind of make my plane coast towards friendly lines. The landing didn't go so well, I landed among the British troops in no man's land. "Landed" is overstating it since the plane crashed and sent me to the infirmary for 2 weeks.

 

ps. Seeing as how it's 'Bloody April', missing 2 weeks of it may not be a bad thing.

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Congratulations on your successful mission, Javito! I'll buy you a drink when you return from hospital.

[Olham 164]

For balloon attack, I approach the balloon at 2.000 - 3.000 feet, zizagging first,

and find out, how he is lined out, cause I always attack them along their full length axis,

and if possible, from the sun side.

From the right position, I dive on it in a 30° - 40° dive, stabilise my aim, and fire bursts

at it, when it appears big enough.

I mostly destroy it in the first approach. If that fails, I go back to 2.000 zigzagging, and

then dive down on it much steeper (45 - 50 °), blow it up, and then pull out and away

zig zagging, not climbing too hard, as that would reduce my escape speed.

(I stop firing at the balloon at about 400 feet distance, latest, and pull out.)

 

When out of reach of the balloon's Flak, I climb higher for crossing the line.

Edited January 27, 2010 by Olham

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Well done, Javy old boy! I'll ring over and put in a good word for you with nurse Yvette, she was the angel of mercy who watched over yours truly during my last stay at the infirmary.

 

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