Dive bomber fuse settings

[stugumby]

Greetings, im a bit confused on the new fuse settings, if im in a dive bomber, against ships will i need instant or low level? if selecting low level how much free fall time to arm? Dauntless and val should be dropping at 500-600 meters? Stuka will have electric fuse so against ships elec sea sounds right, against land targets back to instant, my plane will be well clear above ground, delay maybe to drop infront of moving armor/truck columns. Any suggestions welcomed.

[Treetop64]

It's a good question. Ideally, as a dive bomber you want the bomb to penetrate a couple decks or more so that it detonates inside the ship instead of on the ship. I don't know if this is modeled in the sim, though.

[KG26_Alpha]

The v4.11 manual has most of the info you need.

See the blue section at the bottom regarding shipping and penetration.

Bomb fuzes

Bomb fuze feature is made in such a way that if the new "Bomb Fuzes"difficulty option is
turned off, bombs behave like in 4.09 (zero arming time). When diff. option is on, the arming
UI has extra fuze type selection box and available detonation delay values are limited to the
values available for the selected fuze.
Several historic fuzes are modelled and bombs now store a list of different fuzes that they can
use. Complexity is hidden from the user by grouping the fuzes to few different groups so user
doesn't need to learn several dozen of fuze names. Availability of fuzes even change by
mission date. User only needs to select type of the fuze needed for the bombing task he is
going to perform.

Instant

Required longer arming time/distance, but allows instant detonation (no long delays) or very
very short delay of 0.1-0.5 seconds. Typical fuze for med/high-alt level bombing.

Low level

These fuzes are armed very quickly but the safety comes from delay. Usually doesn't allow
delays below 4 seconds or so. Like the name says, these fuzes are suitable for low level
attacks, but don't allow instant detonation for pilot's safety.

Delay

Generic fuzes that allow longer delays and have medium arming times. Something between
types 1 & 2.

Long delay

Fuzes that allow very long delays like 90 seconds etc.
When player selects a loadout which has bomb, the fuze type selection box is populated with
the fuze types that are available for the selected bombs. Not all bombs have all different types
available. When the fuze selection is made, the fuze detonation delay selection box is
populated with the available values that the fuze supports. The actual fuze selection is made
automatically when the mission starts or user spawns in dogfight mission.
German electric fuzes are exception to this. These fuzes do not provide delay selection at all.

Fuze has three different modes that can be changed during flight. This requires a new mapping
at the controls menu. Available modes are "instant", "short delay" and "long delay".

Detonation delay & arming time depend of the actual fuze type that is selected automatically.

Electric fuze circuits work so that if the fuze fails to arm on instant or short delay mode, it
automatically reverts to long delay mode which needs lower arming time.

Generic fuze changes

In all previous IL-2 version, the selected detonation delay time was not propagated over the
network. So other players that were not the "owners" of the bomb would always see visual
effect of bomb exploding instantly when it hit ground. Actual invisible explosion (with killing
effect) could happen even ten seconds after. In 4.11 the delay and everything else related to
the bomb is propagated over network, so clients should see the effects in sync with the actual
explosion.

4.11 introduces some changes to the bomb's penetrating effect which is related to the
detonation delay. Bomb with instant detonation (zero delay) doesn't penetrate into ground or
into target that it might hit and therefore its explosion is little different than if it would dig into
ground/house/ship.
Bomb digging into ground before exploding has slightly reduced "daisy cutter" effect, so its power against ground units is slightly reduced.
In general you want to attack ground troops with zero delay or drop the bomb in so shallow angle that it doesn't dig
into ground.
Against houses and ships the penetration is desired effect.
Bomb explosion makes more damage to confined space when it explodes inside it.
Small bomb dropped on roof of a house might do only superficial damage to the roof if it explodes immediately and house it not
destroyed. If the same bomb would penetrate the roof and explode inside the house, destruction is much more probable.

[Treetop64]

Well, how 'bout that.

RTFM there, Treetop...

[stugumby]

hence my minor befuddlement, how is time of drop to arm the fuze factored in by fuze setting panel, example i drop my 500lb from a duantless set to low level from 800 feet, should have more than enough time for fuze to spin in and arm, impact will activte the delayed fuze. Hit ship and i got no kaboom just water spout from midships, 4 sec delay in water is how deep under ship?? on land id be a quarter mile away at whatever altitude but now is my bomb plunging into the depths?? Or better to have instant since im still safely above blast radius as i pull out from dive??

[GF_Mastiff]

im wondering the same thing it doesnt answer the question. how much time from drp like 1.5 seconds then it arms? I want to say hit a tank on the side by skipping the bomb into it
can that be done.

[IvanK]

Hint ... press Tab key in game

[stugumby]

I had a hud display on a mission carrying fab 250 has a symbol and 193m then my fuse of instant so i guess its that bombs data. im thinking it meant fab 250 needs 193 meters to arm. My drop height was 2000m.

[KG26_Alpha]

If the mission is set to use the new fusing methods then the tab button reveals the fusing menu.

Set a key to toggle the options.

The rest is down to good old testing.

[stugumby]

it shows but only allows changing the settings on the german planes with electric fuzes. i have set joy 6 on my logitech 3d pro as the toggle fuse setter. Nice to know now that fab 250 needs 193 meters to arm, 600 feet no more low level with the pe-2. Thre are loads of goodies in this patch, im quite happy so far, just the usual mission conversion upgrades headaches coming back from hsfx to stock etc.