Strike / Armed Recoinnasance / CAS mission profile

[Ironbostik 6]

Hi guys,

 

I am playing the SF2 with Desert Storm Mod and would like to ask something...

 

I usually fly Attack Airplanes so main missions  as you know are Strike, Armed Recon and CAS and what I would like to know, which is the usual mission profile you prefer?

 

I am Italian so sorry if I use the wrong words, but what I mean is, usually after take off, I take my squad up to 15000 - 20000 ft @ 300 kn, then once close to enemy territory border or at first RWR SAM tracking (wichever comes first) I go straight down, hit the deck and keep low at 400 kn. Once on the attack leg, full throttle, pull the plane up to 5000 - 10000 ft (depending on the target and weapon to be used), make necessary manouvers for target spotting / alignement, dive down, perform the attack (maybe more runs) and again back to 100-200 ft until egress from the danger area and finally up again to Cruise altitude of 20000 ft back to base.

 

Problem by doing this is fuel, because mainly with the Harrier as soon as I bring the plane down, even at 300 kn it consumes an hell of a lot and even with ext thanks I always run out of fuel on the way back, and if I want to keep high altitude till I reach the target...all the enemy SAM will make target practice on me...since the plane is very limited in Chaff/Flare inventory (30 each) and no ECM.

 

With the Tornado I may have similar problems if I play too much time around the target at full military power (never in AB except escaping from very bad situations!) and delay the egress, while with the A-10 usually mission range is always within reasonable limits.

 

You have any better suggestion on fuel/speed/altitude (and safety !) flight plan profile for these missions?

 

Thanks

[Piglet_7 106]

F-15E Strike Eagle with 6 x AGM-65 and 4 x LGBs with Center Tank.  

[+baffmeister 1,205]

I like to fly missions within the fuel constraints as well so for longer missions I fly the Hi-Low-Hi profiles also. [ I use accellerated time and the wing leveler autopilot during the cruise portion, switching to real time approaching the IP.] I have managed to get back to base a number of times when I thought it was going to be impossible. The only trick I can advise is to fly high and throttle back a lot. Some aircraft gain very little speed and burn much more fuel at high cruise power settings. By reducing power a lot you may only lose 30-40kts of cruise speed but get much lower fuel consumption. On one F-105 mission I flew I burned a huge amount of fuel during the climb and cruise portion with a heavy load out and thought there was no way I could get back but after dropping bombs and a climb to about 34000ft at max non AB power I throttled down and was surprised that I got back to base. That's the only advice I can offer.

 

Edit: When things don't work out with the fuel I just give the squadron the "return to base" command and land at the nearest friendly airport, assuming that the squadron actually followed me in.

Edited December 10, 2014 by baffmeister

[Stick 773]

Limit the range of the aircraft. That way you shouldn't be assigned extreme range missions. 

Your parameters for the AV-8B must be; 

 

NormalMissionRadius=370

MaxMissionRadius=670

 

Adjust these to your taste.

[+Jarhead1 27]

I wish TK hadn't disabled the old IFR mod, because that was awesome to use when u flew aggressively and burned a lot of gas.