Lucky BUFFs?

[SandyC]

I have made a mission in KMD involving an attack by B52Gs on Hanoi. The SAM and AAA environment is pretty deadly, but a strange thing happens. The escorting F-4s get shot out of the sky like fish in a barrel, including me as the player, despite jinking and weaving like a weasel, to switch similes. I have not survived a mission and it is the SAMs who blow me and the other F4s away. I expected then to see bits of B52 raining from the skies, but not a bit of it. All of them lumber on through the sky untouched while Phantoms fall around them. Is this just luck, or are the B52s modded to be indestructible? I am not complaining as the selfless sacrifice of those of us in the F4s means they get to lumber on and wreak revenge on Hanoi, but I would quite like to survive one mission! When I read the logs afterwards, the number of SAMs flung at the two F4 flights is staggering. I wondered if anyone else has had the same experience? Thanks.

[Silverbolt]

I have made a mission in KMD involving an attack by B52Gs on Hanoi. The SAM and AAA environment is pretty deadly, but a strange thing happens. The escorting F-4s get shot out of the sky like fish in a barrel, including me as the player, despite jinking and weaving like a weasel, to switch similes. I have not survived a mission and it is the SAMs who blow me and the other F4s away. I expected then to see bits of B52 raining from the skies, but not a bit of it. All of them lumber on through the sky untouched while Phantoms fall around them. Is this just luck, or are the B52s modded to be indestructible? I am not complaining as the selfless sacrifice of those of us in the F4s means they get to lumber on and wreak revenge on Hanoi, but I would quite like to survive one mission! When I read the logs afterwards, the number of SAMs flung at the two F4 flights is staggering. I wondered if anyone else has had the same experience? Thanks.

 

 

i've experienced that too it is barely impossible to shot down a BUFF, i've tried to make em flying direct over SAM sites and i've tried myself a couple of times downing them with a Fishbed or a Fulcrum but its a little bit hard...

i think it is over ECMed....try to remove some ECM from the data.

[+ST0RM]

You've got 3 large aircraft with a strong ECM suite on each. With them in formation, it could be an electronic shield that kept the SAMs from guiding to the bombers.

 

-S

Edited June 10, 2011 by ST0RM

[ezlead]

BUFFs travel in packs. The combination ECM from all of them gives them pretty good protection. Your F-4's don't have much if any ECM ,so you are vulnerable.

In 1972(Linebacker I and II) they even had us(VMCJ/EA-6's) fly escort for them,jamming all the way in and out.

[+MigBuster]

fly close to the B-52s :)

 

another option for you is to increase the jamming pod power.

 

 

One Buff crew member counted about 30 SAMs launch in one mission I have read - in LBII they were mostly launched unguided due to jamming and SEAD AFAIK - otherwise if they were like the WOV (SA-2Fs) I dont think they could have flown over it at high level!

[SandyC]

Thanks for the responses, guys. That makes sense as I have the BUFFs flying in historically correct formations, and the F4-Ds escorting have no ECM. Great ECM bubble for the B52s though. Just got blown away in another hailstorm of SAMs after posting. Some good advice from Migbuster. Next time I shall fly/hide amongst the big fellas and see what happens.

[+MigBuster]

change your F-4 USAF loadout.inis to accurate loadouts - you may need to change the data.ini to put single pods in the front sparrow bay.

 

WOV only has the old QRC-160-2 (ALQ-71) from what I remember - that was obsolete in about 1967.

 

There is an ECM Vietnam pack of high quality that has 3 ALQ-71 versions, 4 ALQ-87 versions and a couple of ALQ-101 versions.

 

Even a noise jamming level of about 65 - you get hit but its 20% instead of 90% - at high level with the RHAW scope flashing like mad from all around and a total loss of SA you are dead without support. The MiGs show up you have to get them - but the SAMs dont stop!

 

In SF2V TK has put in extra ECM pods and correct loadouts by default, and also made the SAM performance more survivable.

Edited June 10, 2011 by MigBuster

[SandyC]

Thanks, MigBuster: will try out the various suggestions you kindly offered tonight after work.

[+MigBuster]

BUFFs travel in packs. The combination ECM from all of them gives them pretty good protection. Your F-4's don't have much if any ECM ,so you are vulnerable.

In 1972(Linebacker I and II) they even had us(VMCJ/EA-6's) fly escort for them,jamming all the way in and out.

 

 

Actually Sandy I should have said that WOV does not take into account the Jamming support that would have been available by such fine aviators as Ezlead, let alone the pods carried by the F-4s!

[+Gepard]

Try anti SAM pilot stuff. Not curving alone makes you survive, you must curve at the right distance to the missile. Try vertical moves, hold speed high and make sudden sharp climbs if a missiles comes direct top your nose. Etc. pp. And not forget chaffs, lot of chaffs.

[Lt. James Cater]

To be brutally honest,

 

If i know for a fact that is no MIG threat forget about historical realism. I'll escort them right to the edge of the SAM belt then head to the rendevous point and circle until they show up.