HP400 Bombing Run

[+peter01 2]

A few pics to describe how I do bombing stikes with the large bombers, pretty successfully. Have also changed AI parameters and that makes a difference I think.

 

For bombing I have set the HP400 AI parameters so that they "prefer" level bombing at 1000 metres, both the first and second passes, and release all there bombs in about 1.6 secs.

 

These are in the FM, the // are TKs standard numbers.

 

 

[LevelBombAI]

PullOutRange=100.0

PullOutAlt=1000.0

ReleaseAlt=1000.0 <---- 1000 metres "preference". About 3000-4000ft is normal flight altitude in FE so fits well.

SecondPassRange=500.0

SecondPassAlt=1000.0 <---- 1000 metres if they need to do a second pass. Same as initial, so they don't start going all over the place.

ReleaseCount=8 <---- as the HP400 has 8 bombs. If a plane has 20 bombs, then 20.

ReleaseInterval=0.2 <---- release quickly, 8 bombs in 1.6 secs. If a plane has 20 bombs, then 0.1 or so.

// TKs Standard Values

//[LevelBombAI]

//PullOutRange=100.0

//PullOutAlt=100.0

//ReleaseAlt=1000.0

//SecondPassRange=500.0

//SecondPassAlt=800.0

//ReleaseCount=4

//ReleaseInterval=0.5

 

This could be changed. Eg, the release interval is fast, if slower you get a far bigger spread of bombs, but you would probably need to do ALT+2 a little before the target otherwise they won't release all their bombs, and go around for a second run. I haven't tried if that works or not.

 

 

Started at 4500ft, dropping down to just over 3000ft (AI prefer this now, and the sight is optimised for that alt). Throttle was reduced to slow the dive and hence allow AI to maintain formation.

 

 

 

Everyone's still in formation.

 

 

 

 

Adjust speed to around 70mph with throttle, use wing leveller to keep steady, and use rudder with stem on sight to line up target. You would normally have a couple of minutes to do this, so a gentle touch is best.

 

 

 

Last check before bombing that flight is still in formation.

 

 

 

Pressed TAB+2 (attack ground target) once the pip was just a fraction before the target, I'm in the lower plane, then started releasing bombs. You can see that one plane has immediately started dropping bombs on the command.

 

 

 

 

2nd AI plane drops bombs about 1-2 secs later.

 

 

 

3rd AI plane drops bombs about 1-2 secs later. So all released within 3-5 secs of being commanded to do that.

 

 

 

 

The Ist AI plane bombs hits and mine are almost perfect. The speed the AI starts dropping bombs could relate to the skill level, and if so, you could improve the overall skill level with AI parameters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 10-20 secs after all bombs released - everyone is still in formation. Best FE AI I have seen!

 

 

The mission debrief:

 

32 bombs of 32 available released. 32 hits. 12 kills (4 by me). Result "Outstanding Success".

Edited April 4, 2010 by peter01

[+peter01 2]

Tested a few variations on skill levels, release interval, number of bombers 6-8, and this is what I think ....

 

- Changing skill levels does not make a perceptable difference.

 

- Release interval is important. If too long (say more than 2 secs for all bombs) some AI won't drop the bombs and go for a second pass. I think this could be because they won't be able to drop all bombs on the target area, so they go round and try again. Hence smaller number of bigger bombs are better than a larger number of smaller bombs for AI purposes. I think.

 

- If you press TAB+2 too early, the flight will scatter. Do it just immediately before you release AND you as leader are on target.

 

- I tried flights of 6 and 8, and the more heavy bombers are involved, the more the chance of some not dropping bombs or going for a second pass. I think this may be how the game is programmed - on command some drop bombs immediately (if on target, led by you), then the next 1-2 secs later, then 1-2 secs the next, etc. So if they are no longer over the target area (or something), the last will go around for a second run. So, the best number of heavy bombers would be 4-6, no more than 8 (1-2 will not bomb or go around again). Any more isn't pretty. This is probably true of 2-seater bombers as well. This "on target area" thing means it is best to bomb at slower speeds, as you will stay over target area for your AI longer if you are going 70 mph instead of 90 mph or more.

 

- If you are bombing a smaller target area than a airfield, say a bridge, ony the bombers that immediately react will bomb (the first 1-2 AI). The rest will go around because the "on target area" is smaller, I think. Better to have smaller numbers of bombers in this case if you want neat bombing and/or formations.

 

- Keeping the second pass altitude the same as the first pass is important (in AI level bombing parameter). Even if all in the flight don't bomb the first time, they either don't bomb and stay in formation with you, or go around for a second pass at the same altitude, ie not all over the place, and can then catch up to you if keep your speed lower than maximum.

 

So ... bit more to bombing than meets the eye, me thinks. A lot depends on how you lead the formation.

 

-

Edited April 4, 2010 by peter01

[OlPaint01 0]

Hello Peter01

 

With P10ppy's Gunsight Mod and your instructions, I now have a squadron of HP400 strategic heavy bombers in my FEG installation. Outstanding!!! I finally get to see what a destroyed bridge with dropped spans looks like from the air.

 

I am still confussed as to why my flight of AI bomber pilots break formation to go after secondary targets. I have been practiciing your technique to give the TAB+2 keystroke immediately before 'bombs away'. BTW, where does the the [LevelBombAI] paragraph that you show above go - which .INI file? I placed it in HP400_DATA.INI, is that correct? Maybe that is why my squadron breaks formation.

 

Also, is there a way to ripple my bomb load to empty my entire bomb bay with one press of the RETURN keystroke?

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 6, 2010 by OlPaint01

[+peter01 2]

Hello Peter01

 

With P10ppy's Gunsight Mod and your instructions, I now have a squadron of HP400 strategic heavy bombers in my FEG installation. Outstanding!!! I finally get to see what a destroyed bridge with dropped spans looks like from the air.

 

I am still confussed as to why my flight of AI bomber pilots break formation to go after secondary targets. I have been practiciing your technique to give the TAB+2 keystroke immediately before 'bombs away'. BTW, where does the the [LevelBombAI] paragraph that you show above go - which .INI file? I placed it in HP400_DATA.INI, is that correct? Maybe that is why my squadron breaks formation.

 

Also, is there a way to ripple my bomb load to empty my entire bomb bay with one press of the RETURN keystroke?

 

OlPaint01

 

 

Its AI data, so anywhere between the [FlightControl] and [Aircraftdata] sections in data.ini, eg HP400_data.ini. I don't know whether it works or not placing it anywhere else.

 

I don't think you can unload all bombs in one key press. It would be useful I agree.

[+peter01 2]

I am still confussed as to why my flight of AI bomber pilots break formation to go after secondary targets. I have been practiciing your technique to give the TAB+2 keystroke immediately before 'bombs away'. BTW, where does the the [LevelBombAI] paragraph that you show above go - which .INI file? I placed it in HP400_DATA.INI, is that correct? Maybe that is why my squadron breaks formation.

OlPaint01

 

 

Are you using the formation.ini that I posted in the download? It probably makes a difference in that the bomber formation is spread out more so the AI bombers have room to make minor corrections in aim before bombing without rolling or changing course too wildly - once they do that they find it hard to get back into formation. I'm considering defining all two seater type bombers as "Bomber" instead of "Attack" in the data.ini after some more testing as I think that this spreqadout formation for bombers helps them in maintaining formation too. If defined as "bomber" they use the bomber formation defined in the formation.ini.

 

On the other hand OlPaint, if your bombers are having trouble staying in formation bombing a bridge or something small - that is diifferent, I wrote about that, I don't believe any more than one AI will stay in formation because the "target area" is smaller.

[OlPaint01 0]

Hello Peter01

 

My HP400, GothaGIV, and AEG_G4 bombers all have a working bombing pickle. But even after I followed your instructions very precisely, I failed to get P10ppy's Gunsight with your modifications to show in either the SP3 or Staaken bommbers no matter which direction I panned around. I use the Cockpit_Wide_View then Toggle_Cockpit (F2 then NUMPADPERIOD) keystrokes to get a clear view of the terrain passing below me. The gunsight with the trailing bottom tail clearly shows. After completing my calibration of the bomb-drop point, I can consistantly hit the target with my AutoLevel (SHIFT+A) set and gently applying rudder corrections for wind drift.

 

Here are the Gunsight01 settings that I have come up with.

 

Each need to be placed in the '// Weapon Stations -------------------' section below the end of the list of weapon stations in 'aircraft'_DATA.INI file.

 

--HP400 (following Peter01's settings, which are very good to start with)

 

[Gunsight01]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=9

StationGroupID=1

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=0.20,3.500,-0.50

//AttachmentPosition=0.20,3.50,-0.50 needs to be fiddled with - these are x,y,z (left/right,

//forwards/backwards, up/down)

AttachmentAngles=0.0,-90.0,0.0

//AttachmentAngles=0.0,-90.0,0.0 where -90 rotates the gunsight to the horizontal for bombing purposes :

//(0 is standard, ie, vertical).

LoadLimit=5

AllowedWeaponClass=FT

AttachmentType=NATO

ModelNodeName=

PylonMass=0.0001

PylondragArea=0.00

NoJettisionTank=TRUE

FuelTankName=Gunsight01

 

--GothaGIV

 

[Gunsight01]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=9

StationGroupID=1

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-0.22,2.138,-0.50

//AttachmentPosition=0.20,3.50,-0.50 needs to be fiddled with - these are x,y,z (left/right,

//forwards/backwards, up/down).

AttachmentAngles=0.0,-90.0,0.0

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

LoadLimit=5

AllowedWeaponClass=FT

AttachmentType=WP

ModelNodeName=

PylonMass=0.0001

PylondragArea=0.00

NoJettisionTank=TRUE

FuelTankName=Gunsight01

 

--AEG_G4

 

[Gunsight01]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=7

StationGroupID=3

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-0.32,0.858,-0.50

//AttachmentPosition=0.20,3.50,-0.50 needs to be fiddled with - these are x,y,z (left/right,

//forwards/backwards, up/down)

AttachmentAngles=0.0,-90.0,0.0

//AttachmentAngles=0.0,-90.0,0.0 where -90 rotates the gunsight to the horizontal for bombing purposes :

//(0.0 is standard, ie, vertical).

LoadLimit=5

AllowedWeaponClass=FT

AttachmentType=WP

ModelNodeName=

PylonMass=0.0001

PylondragArea=0.00

NoJettisionTank=TRUE

FuelTankName=Gunsight01

 

 

My method for calibration is as follows:

 

1) I decided to keep the z=-0.50 value setting. This value has a definite effect on changing the y value so I took it out of the adjustment process by anchoring it right up front.

2) I then adjusted the x value to get the bomb run ground-track to cross the center of the target. I corrected more negative to move the track to the left and more positive to move the track to the right. I had to continuously but gently ride the rudder pedals to adjust for wind drift.

3) Finally I adjusted the y value for the release point. If I dropped short, I corrected value more negative. If I over shot, I corrected more positive.

 

Just remember, as Peter10 observed, the aircraft speed is absolutely critical!!! I set my airspeed in the range of 70-75 mph or 112-120 kmph for these 'heavies.' In my case, I tweaked the throttle setting for exactly 75 mph or 120 kmph at 'bombs away'. The altitude, as Peter01 told us, does not seem to matter but I tryed fly at 3300 ft or 1000 m height...

 

I never got the bomb pipper to show at all for the SP3 or Staaken bombers. I don't know why...maybe the starting point AttachmentPosition (x,y,z), as is the settings case for HP400, is beyond the view that the screen drawing engine can show.

 

Well, have fun...

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 10, 2010 by OlPaint01