AIM-9B tactics

[Siddley 9]

Seeing as I have been using WO* for over 4 years you might think I would be familiar with the 9B by now, but I must have avoided it so far due to aircraft and time period choice.

 

Now I have the brilliant NATO fighters mod installed I'm flying the F104G in the 1968 campaign and it is equipped with the 9B.

 

Not the most reliable missile in the world, is it ?

 

How can I get the most out of the 9B ? I don't think I've had one guide yet, but it's difficult to tell....

 

On a similar note, is there a mod for the IR missile growl ? it's way too quiet and I'd like to turn it up if possible

[DEVIL11 31]

Yes thier is go to wings over europe vietnam go to sound mod then go to the very last page and ull find the sound ur lookin of

[+ChampionsVA56 27]

I have been using it exclusively with the F4D-1 Skyray mod for SF2. Best results seem to come from near gun range distance (1/2 mile-ish or so) and timing your launch JUST BEFORE the target makes a full course change(turn) in the other direction. THIS is just my technique. If the missile gets there close to the time his turn is parallel to your course.....he can't react fast enough to counter with a maneuver. It's timing and practice to over come the limitations of this "sluggish" missile. BTW.....Thisseems to work with the Falcon Missiles as well....but you even have to be more precise( and tweek their ini's a little cause the current settings seem pathetic). If you want a set of Falcons that have been tweeked.....let me know. (Kill accuracy about 50 percent). CHAMP

Edited January 9, 2011 by ChampionsVA56

[Siddley 9]

Devil - thanks, got the file

 

Champ - I'll give that a try

[+76.IAP-Blackbird 3,557]

I would sell the 9B and buy more bullets for my guns, better hitrate

[DEVIL11 31]

Ur welcome anytime siddley if u have anymore questions just messege me k

[Siddley 9]

I just flew an instant mission which turned out to be a 2V4 - me and a wingman versus four Fishbeds

 

Looking at the log afterwards there were a total of 8 AIM-9B's and 8 Atolls fired, all of which missed

 

We got the Fishbeds with guns in the end.

 

I'm not using Champs technique properly yet though, I didn't time the enemy aircrafts reversals very well.

[DEVIL11 31]

Are u usin the ir growl

[Siddley 9]

Yep, it's a big improvement over standard.....I think I need to get my reversals in better phase with the target aircraft to make Champs technique work.

 

It's difficult in the 104 because I'm not used to the very high roll rate, usually I drive a Thud or an F4.

[DEVIL11 31]

Try an F-14 Tomcat or F-16 or even the F-22 the F-22 Has the greatest missle the Aim-9X Sidwinder Better missle then the aim-9b

[Freiwillige 1]

I read somewhere on here that the 9B has a 70% fail to track rate! I can hit with them about 25% of the time but it takes allot of patience. Just stay close and wait till the sucker runs out of energy and levels out after a prolonged turning battle then fire one down his pipe.

[Guest rscsjsuso5]

if you run out of guns , get in very close , i mean very very close in range fire away the aim-9b and make sure ir growl is beeping like mad crazy in your cockpit . make sure you follow that enemy aircraft exhaust as it will line you up for perfect hit.

[Faust_ 1]

The AIM-9B is a anti-bomber weapon

 

that mean 3 things:

 

1st: the target isn't maneuvering when you fire the missile

 

2nd: you aren't maneuvering when you fire the missile

 

3rd: both have similar alttitude and mostly a high alttitude.

 

ok that's true that since as early as 1958 the AIM-9B has been used as air-air weapon against fighters by fighters (taiwanese F-86mod shooting down migs with AIM-9B)

 

but unless you haven't any gun aboard (like F-4B/C/D phantoms) the primary air-to-air weapon of a fighter is its internal guns prior the J or P version of sidewinders came out.

 

so, using AIM-9B in a internal gun equipped fighters like the F-104G, the AIM-9B is a secundary weapon which is used when the target is out of range of your guns (example, when the target is trying to escape or disengaging a dogfight).

 

thinks always that your primary weapon is your guns, and if there is a situatuon that meets the launching criteria (the target is too away for your guns, you and the target isn't maneuvering, and both have similiar altitude) try to use the sidewinders, but that isn't guarantee to hit the target, because of low reliabity of the missile of this era, to ensuring a hit with a AIM-9B you may need to shoot at least 2 missile and 4 shots isn't uncommon practice: shoot one, mantain distance and tracking, if the first shot miss, shoot again, an so on until your hit the target or run out of missiles!

[Stingray72 6]

I think Champion's tactic is about right for the period from what I have read. After reading about this tactic is "Scream of Eagles" I began employing it, waiting until inside of a mile and catching the bandit right before his reverse. I don't miss shots like I did before I employed this tactic, so it's worth something!!

 

~Stingray

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Good luck with the 9B if you are doing low level intercepts. I did a DiD campaign flying a MirageIII not too long ago and was surprised when i checked my notes and found that missles were responsible for only 2 of 24 kills. When flying a MIG 21, the Atolls were so bad that i would come in straight and fast to let fly from .8 of a mile.

 

Unfortunatly, in WOE doing the same with a formation of IL28s is not the way to live a long life.

Edited January 10, 2011 by Lt. James Cater

[Siddley 9]

 

Unfortunatly, in WOE doing the same with a formation of IL28s is not the way to live a long life.

 

Yeah, that's where I'm running into problems really, intercepts versus bombers.

 

I'm OK against the fighters, I can usually get a guns kill ( although I'm still using way too much time and fuel doing so, I'm not used to the 104 yet )

 

But those 4 and 8 ships of Beagles.....what a name - 'Beagle' - like that stupid cartoon dog, Snoopy. But just like Snoopy the IL28 isn't funny.

My current tactic is to use the map ( Hey, it's not cheating, it's GCI ) to get into a position where I can hit them head on with cannon fire and attempt to break the formation up, same as the WW2 Luftwaffe did against the US B-17's

Then I Immelman and try to get the trailing IL28 with a missile and sic the AI on the rest of the pack. It works OK some of the time, but I'm still having to go to guns mostly.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

The "Iron Beagle" is my pet peeve. Damn are they hard to kill in '62!

 

We had a thread some time ago that discussed attack methods against them. A few pilots here choose the head on method but i am a proponent of two different aproaches. One is to come in jinking wildly and timing the fire from the rear gunner. The second is more practical. It is very similar to the Luftwaffe von unten hinten attack. Come in low until you are virtually underneath the Beagle then pull the nose up and spray the IL28 as it passes through your gunsight. The higher they are the better as you can get a better angle for the pull up.

[+ST0RM 145]

Something that I've tried with success is to watch your radar screen. While the AIM-9B does not employ SEAM (Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mode), you can use the screens display to give you a higher chance of hitting your intended target. When you switch from SAHM to IRM, you'll notice that the acquisition ring gets much smaller. I've found that if I keep my target centered within that, I'm ensuring my AIM-9 has the best chance to see my target. He, or I, must not be turning and I've got a good solid tone, my hit percentage has improved.

 

I wish I could find the tutorial on using the radar screen, so I could use the correct terms. But I hope you've gotten my idea.

 

-S

 

P.S. I agree about the Il-28s. They'll take a beating and fly on.

[Siddley 9]

I do wonder who was right in the 50's and 60's - the designers and policy makers who said a bomber must have defensive armament or those who claimed high performance and ECM was enough protection.

 

I don't wonder about getting my ass kicked by a formation of Beagles though, there is no doubt about that

[Sheriff__001 0]

Keep it simple. Get behind, get close, wait until the IR growl becomes deafening, then fire.

[ezlead 42]

The for real Vietnam tactic was: close to less than a mile behind enemy ,be at lower altitude than enemy aircraft,1 to 2 g turn,get tone,make shot. Then:immediately get tone and fire another.

Most Vietnam Fighter jocks would fire 2 missiles(Sidewinders or Sparrows)at the same target. If(big if) the first one hit,then the second would add to the flaming debris.

Edited April 1, 2011 by ezlead

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Keep it simple. Get behind, get close, wait until the IR growl becomes deafening, then fire.

 

Depends on the target.

 

Going in close to a formation of Beagles is just asking to be shot down by their tailgunners.

[Jaman 5]

Depends on the target.

 

Going in close to a formation of Beagles is just asking to be shot down by their tailgunners.

Specially when some of them start sniping you between 0.8-1.0 miles and the damn missile wont give you a tone. I hate that.

[Sheriff__001 0]

If that happens, I get out of there fast, and go around again. If you're approaching a formation of gun-armed bombers, its best to keep the speed high. If you're keeping a similar speed to try to maneuver to get tone, you're asking for a load of cannon shells.

[JDSnypes 0]

hey guys, I am also having huge problem with the Il28 Beagles. They are easy kill but the problem is if they are in tight formation and I approach it becomes a certain death. I begin to wonder if the tail gunners have auto electronic aiming or something -.-.

 

 

The thing is in the campaign, 2 packs of Beagle consisting of 5 bombers each pack is in a low level fast approach to an airfield. I can't rely on my squadron because most of the time they just attack the mig17/mig19 escort and completely ignore the bombers. I try my best to shoot the bombers as fast as I could and I would get 2 to 3 kills. But escaping them bullets is damn hard. The usual result is one of my wings being shot off which eventually make me lose control of my Sabre.

 

I tried the on head approach but as soon as I past by them the tail gunners will shower me with bullets and leave me with a flaming jet engine.

There were some lucky times when I think the AI bomber lost a nerve ( more like AI behavior to avoid collision =P) and breaks of the formation. The flying days is over for that strayed Beagle as I pounce back without his comrades supporting him =).

 

 

LoL i think making it Campaign difficulty to Hard and Enemy AI skills to Hard really makes it...difficult.

 

I guess ill let the airfield be bombed and just pick them one by one after their bombing run as a payback. The ai bomber formation tends to break up as soon as they bombed the target.