HP Precision!

[+peter01 2]

Just trialling out bombing with a sight (p10ppy's gunsight) in FE2. Works well, maybe there is a better one around for bombing though. But the sight with the stem is useful for both leading and lining up a target - you would increase the lead at higher altitudes.

 

 

 

The plane and the target.

 

 

Lining up the plane using rudder and auto wing leveller, throttle reduced to maintain reasonably steady altitude.

 

 

 

 

 

Into the virtual cockpit with the bombardier .

 

 

 

 

Target lined up, bombs released ... internal view.

 

 

 

 

Target lined up, bombs released ... external view.

 

 

 

 

 

Precision or what! Direct hits .

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2010 by peter01

[OlPaint01 0]

Hello Peter01

 

Your must have special pull with P10ppy. I want to play with the Beta Bombsight too - really I do! How can I get it? You know you might add vernier graduation tic marks on your Gunsight Tail to get altitude versus release point setting estimates.

 

Sinbad is trying to get his Gotha/Staaken Bombsight to work in FE2. He is sorting out his Heavys Campaign Project files now.

 

Tailspin told me about DFang's WWII and Korean War bombsights over at SFP1 downloads.

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 2, 2010 by OlPaint01

[+peter01 2]

Hello Peter01

 

Your must have special pull with P10ppy. I want to play with the Beta Bombsight too - really I do! How can I get it?

OlPaint01

 

It's here OlPaint: gunsight

 

Not a beta and not designed as a bombsight, but available to everyone.

Edited April 2, 2010 by peter01

[Guest]

Where is the Handley Page from? The one at A-Team Skunkworks - isn't that AI only? From screenshots, it looks like the bomber is player controlled so just wondering...

Edited April 3, 2010 by Guest

[+peter01 2]

Where is the Handley Page from? The one at A-Team Skunkworks - isn't that AI only? From screenshots, it looks like the bomber is player controlled so just wondering...

 

Yes it is from the A-Team, but made flyable.

 

With a cockpit and a new FM among this lot here: 108 FE1 and/or FE2 FMs March 2010 .

 

But if you want to fly this (and the other big bombers) without problems, there are things you would need to do:

 

- install a formation.ini (so formations are not too tight) and a WWI_AIRFIELD1 (so the planes won't collide with one another on takeoff - they are quite big). Both files are in the section "3 - FE Optional Game Files" in the above download. See readme for instructions.

 

- the guns are done differently. If you don't install all the game files, you will need to manually change the HP400_data.ini in the plane folder, change for 3 guns

 

GunTypeName=303CAL_LEWIS_MK2_HGunner ... to .... GunTypeName=303CAL_LEWIS_MK2

 

If you do install the game files in that download you don't need to this manual change.

 

If you have any problems or queries, just ask.

Edited April 3, 2010 by peter01

[OlPaint01 0]

Hello Peter01

 

The Gunsight mod that you referenced does not have your Bombsight .TGA file (cross-hair and tail). I just need to edit the targa graphic to add the tail below the pipper, correct?

 

What are the values you used to edit the Aircraft_DATA.INI to place the offset of the sight to pickle the target?

 

OlPaint01

[Guest]

Yes it is from the A-Team, but made flyable.

 

With a cockpit and a new FM among this lot here: 108 FE1 and/or FE2 FMs March 2010 .

 

But if you want to fly this (and the other big bombers) without problems, there are things you would need to do:

 

- install a formation.ini (so formations are not too tight) and a WWI_AIRFIELD1 (so the planes won't collide with one another on takeoff - they are quite big). Both files are in the section "3 - FE Optional Game Files" in the above download. See readme for instructions.

 

- the guns are done differently. If you don't install all the game files, you will need to manually change the HP400_data.ini in the plane folder, change for 3 guns

 

GunTypeName=303CAL_LEWIS_MK2_HGunner ... to .... GunTypeName=303CAL_LEWIS_MK2

 

If you do install the game files in that download you don't need to this manual change.

 

If you have any problems or queries, just ask.

 

Thanks for the detailed info...will be looking into it.

[+peter01 2]

Hello Peter01

 

The Gunsight mod that you referenced does not have your Bombsight .TGA file (cross-hair and tail). I just need to edit the targa graphic to add the tail below the pipper, correct?

 

What are the values you used to edit the Aircraft_DATA.INI to place the offset of the sight to pickle the target?

 

OlPaint01

 

 

That is the one I used OlPaint. It's not a bombsight. BUT, the stem on the sight is extremely useful on the approach run - these planes yaw and torque, and if you make last minute approach changes you start going all over the place. This sight allows you to approach and line up the target slowly, steadily and accurately.

 

Are you going to do this for FE2? I ask because if so, the gunsight is already included in the Weaponsdata.ini in my FE2 game files. If FE1, you will need to add it - just follow p10ppy's instructions.

 

To get the sight working the way I have (which is optimised for 3000ft, you would need to place the gunsight further forward or backwards to optimise for other altitudes), you need to do 3 things after you add the gunsight to the Weaponsdata file.

 

1) Add SystemName[003]=Gunsight01 to nose section

 

2) Mod Loadout to include gunsight, this is mine:

 

[8 x 230lb Bombs]

DefaultFor=STRIKE

Loadout[01].WeaponType=RFC230

Loadout[01].Quantity=1

Loadout[02].WeaponType=RFC230

Loadout[02].Quantity=1

Loadout[03].WeaponType=RFC230

Loadout[03].Quantity=1

Loadout[04].WeaponType=RFC230

Loadout[04].Quantity=1

Loadout[05].WeaponType=RFC230

Loadout[05].Quantity=1

Loadout[06].WeaponType=RFC230

Loadout[06].Quantity=1

Loadout[07].WeaponType=RFC230

Loadout[07].Quantity=1

Loadout[08].WeaponType=RFC230

Loadout[08].Quantity=1

Loadout[09].WeaponType=Gunsight01

Loadout[09].Quantity=1

 

3) The fidily bit, first add this to the end of your // Weapon Stations ---------------

 

 

[Gunsight01]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=9

StationGroupID=1

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=0.20,3.50,-0.50

AttachmentAngles=0.0,-90.0,0.0

LoadLimit=5

AllowedWeaponClass=FT

AttachmentType=NATO

ModelNodeName=

PylonMass=0.0001

PylonDragArea=0.00

NoJettisionTank=TRUE

FuelTankName=Gunsight01

 

 

The AttachmentAngles=0.0,-90.0,0.0 where -90 rotates the gunsight to the horizontal for bombing purposes :) (0 is standard, ie, vertical).

 

AttachmentPosition=0.20,3.50,-0.50 needs to be fiddled with - these are x,y,z (left/right, forwards/backwards, up/down).

 

Mine are optimised for 3000ft so that you hit the target with the target centred in the sight AND the your view (by panning) has the end of the stem on the gunsight aligned with the bottom edge of your screen. If you are at a different altitude, eg say 6,000 ft, you would release bombs with target at outer circle of the sight.

 

I'll be interested in what you come up with .... I'm doing the Staaken and Gotha too and the AttachmentPosition's need to be different.

 

It is very accurate with some practise, almost pinpoint accuracy. But those bridges are very tough!! This is in the Gotha with two 300 kg bombs and the accuracy is pretty consistent - this time one bomb a few metres in front the bridge, one a few metres after (I pressed the release twice almost immediately). The previous mission I scored a direct hit, but no pics ....

 

Edited April 3, 2010 by peter01

[+peter01 2]

Not sure what others experience is with bombing in the big planes, but I just tried a flight of 4 HP400s attacking an airfield. We approached slowly in perfect formation at 3500ft, I released bombs, and commanded the others to attack the ground target (an airfield), which they did immediately. We scored 31 hits (of 32 bombs available and all released), and maintained almost perfect formation and altitude of around 3500ft before, during and after, and then flew home.

[OlPaint01 0]

Peter01

 

This is absolutely fabulous!!! It opens a whole new facit of flying for us. In fact, I just requested a transfer to Bombardier School.

 

How do you keep your flight in formation after the initial point? My AI pilots always split off to go after targets of opportunity in the vacinity after I press TAB+2 keystroke - while I am making my bomb run on the primary.

 

I plan to test out the "bombsight" in both FEG and FE2. Sinbad says he is having difficulty adjusting his settings for FE2.

 

OlPaint01

[+quack74 329]

Man, I got to get those Gotha's out soon I guess. And maybe a HP400

 

This will be a very cool addition. Just what we need for bombers. Now we need some good bomber campaigns.

 

...Anyone?........anyone?

 

 

[+peter01 2]

OK, so that mission I described isn't typical for many?

 

I have made a few changes to things, but I think it is also how I set up the bombing run that makes it work. I have now tried about 10 missions, more than half went perfectly, a couple of times a bomber or two made a second pass to bomb (with great accurracy I might add), but fairly quickly rejoined me as they stayed at the same altitude and I stayed at 75mph. One time we were attacked by fighters, and everyone scattered - but I may be able to improve this with the AI parameters (for the heavy bombers only). Another time I was hit by flak on approach.

 

BTW OlPaint, in terms of accurracy, I forgot to mention that the speed is critical far more so than the altitude. The sight placing is optimised for 70-75 mph. 10mph over that will mean bombs overshoot considerably, probably by the length of the gunsight ring outer circle.

 

I'll do another mission and post screenshots. On a new thread, too many pics on this one.

Edited April 3, 2010 by peter01

[+quack74 329]

I've been caught up doing skins for the Gothas and DH-2, so I fell behind with the bombsight mod. Peter01, could you make up a step by step to how you got your bombsight working? Or even add it into your Flight Models pack somewhere? I tried it out but I couldnt get it 100%. I was spending too much time trying to figure it out on my own. Maybe I was being lazy . But a "how to" in one readme would be great.

Edited April 6, 2010 by quack74

[OlPaint01 0]

Hello Quack

 

I have made up a combo readme.txt with all the various instructions that Peter01 has give us inside the various Bomber threads. I can PM it to you as an attachment if it is OK with Peter01. I got P10ppy's Gunsight converted over to Peter01's Bombsight. It is installed and working on my FEG HP400. What a great feature. I am now working on adding the bombsight to my AEG.G4, Gotha.G4 and Staaken bombers in FEG.

 

I still need to add and test the Bomber Sight in FE2...

 

OT: Have you spent any time learning how to convert the FEG aircraft to FE2? I am having many issues trying to get the old aircraft crew member skins to show in FE2. The issue is again that the crew members appear all white! The pointer to the crewmen .BMP must need to be changed. The pilot skins appear to be OK in the ported aircraft. Now then, TK's AEG_G4 aircraft that I have made flyable by adding a _Cockpit.INI, seem OK as the crew member skins are all showing. So it must be an issue in the way the _DATA.INI code is written - how the crew members are called out.

 

OT: Have you spoken with Sinbad about your new Gotha skins? You might offer your work to be added to his new Bomber Campaign Mod. He told me he is not very satified with his own Gotha skining attempts.

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 6, 2010 by OlPaint01

[+peter01 2]

I've been caught up doing skins for the Gothas and DH-2, so I fell behind with the bombsight mod. Peter01, could you make up a step by step to how you got your bombsight working? Or even add it into your Flight Models pack somewhere? I tried it out but I couldnt get it 100%. I was spending too much time trying to figure it out on my own. Maybe I was being lazy . But a "how to" in one readme would be great.

 

Okay, I will quack. It is only a 3-step or 4-step process, including adding p10ppy's gunsight to the weapons data pack. Very useful, and I'll post the numbers that I have and use.

 

- positions I use for gunsights (can be tricky, takes some testing) for the AEG G4, Staaken, Ca3, Gotha, HP400 heavy bombers.

 

- AI data level bombing data. It is the same for all these planes.

 

But, I'm not posting anything anymore for FE1 (with one exception). I've moved on to FE2 exclusively, and retrofitting various things to FE1 can be troublesome because ini's sometimes are not recognised, and various other things. The exception is the Caproni 3, which I have done. It is a nice plane too. I'll post the data.ini in that thread.

 

In a few days.

Edited April 6, 2010 by peter01

[+peter01 2]

OT: Have you spent any time learning how to convert the FEG aircraft to FE2? I am having many issues trying to get the old aircraft crew member skins to show in FE2. The issue is again that the crew members appear all white! The pointer to the crewmen .BMP must need to be changed. The pilot skins appear to be OK in the ported aircraft. Now then, TK's AEG_G4 aircraft that I have made flyable by adding a _Cockpit.INI, seem OK as the crew member skins are all showing. So it must be an issue in the way the _DATA.INI code is written - how the crew members are called out.

OlPaint01

 

 

You need to place the gunner bmps in the specific plane folder into EACH skin folder. In fact you need to place several files for many planes into each skin folder (some modellers already did this, many did not - it was unnecessary in FE1)- clrglass/glass (they are named differently by various modellers), both the slow and fast props tgas too (otherwise no prop, also named differently).

 

LOL, fun and games.

[OlPaint01 0]

Peter01

 

That is just what we all need - an FAQ for setting up and converting old FE1 Aircraft and Mods for FE2. I myself want to port everything, both mods and aircraft, to FE2 and never look back...

 

I learned something I did not realize before from TK the other day on the ThirdWire FE2 Forum. We no longer need the WeaponData.ini or GunData.ini files anymore in FE2. The new Weapons and Guns Editors for FE2 do not generate the WeaponData.DAT or the GunData.DAT as before in FE1. The editors build dedicated folders inside Objects/Weapons and Objects/Guns directories for each item in the Saved Game (Mods) directory. FE2 reads the weapons and guns details from these new folders directly. The other thing is that the after editing the .INI files, we need to save them formatted in UNICODE out of the text editor - Not in ANSI.

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 6, 2010 by OlPaint01