Frustrated by level bombing. Please HELP!

[Megahurt]

Ill read the posts listed above and make sure i have the latest beta installed. I appreciate knowing the models that still have bugged instruments that dont work. Theres a bit of frustration avoided.

Redroach-- Im licenced for cessnas...single engine under 13000 lbs.. since 1992 and no ive never bombed anything with that. I only mentioned that to say that i do know a little about reading up on systems and general avaition. I didnt say it made me an Ace. As a matter of fact, i fly bombers because in all my combat flight sim experience I STINK AS A FIGHTER PILOT.
Id really like to fly a mission with a competant bombadier and have someone show me it can be done.

Megahurt on steam.

[Meusli]

Originally Posted by Megahurt

Ill read the posts listed above and make sure i have the latest beta installed. I appreciate knowing the models that still have bugged instruments that dont work. Theres a bit of frustration avoided.

Redroach-- Im licenced for cessnas...single engine under 13000 lbs.. since 1992 and no ive never bombed anything with that. I only mentioned that to say that i do know a little about reading up on systems and general avaition. I didnt say it made me an Ace. As a matter of fact, i fly bombers because in all my combat flight sim experience I STINK AS A FIGHTER PILOT.
Id really like to fly a mission with a competant bombadier and have someone show me it can be done.

Megahurt on steam.

See if you can get hold of Blackdog_kt and watch Jimbops video's. I have pretty much nailed the Blenheim thanks to his vids.

[Chromius]

Megahurt,

I am in EST time. I have been recently on and off ATAG practicing bombing atm. If you want we can use ATAG TS3 and can hop in Ju-88's and I can talk you through a few bomb runs. I have a couple set flightplans for 2 targets that give you plenty of time to align and trim. I use mostly the methods Blackdog describes, except I use normal course mode for low altitude >3000m

The flying is the easy part the juggling back and forth from bomber to pilot and last second course / bombsight corrections can be tough unless you have trimmed level and on target well before you use automation as even making corrections in automation only goes so far depending on how well you trimmed level and on target before hand. Also the Ju-88 incorrect cruise speed makes it harder with the r-22 than it should be.

Not sure on my play timing as i am random but regular but if you are interested I will add you on steam.

[Megahurt]

Well, i went on ATAG and enjoyed a very engrossing tutorial from ATAG Keller. He piloted the plane while directing me as to the function of the bombadier station.

Its possible to operate but very difficult to master. Im sure that will make it very satisfying when a target is hit successfully.

Here's what i learned.

We used the He111 H2

Before Takeoff

Firstly, as pilot its nessary to set your Giro compass in tune with your magnetic compass before take off and ofcoarse recalibrate it periodically during flight.

Then switch to the bombadier and set the salvo to drop the desired number of bombs (dial and lights)and then set the distance you want the bombs to spread(black knob at bottom you cant see without track ir..do it by looking left then down then right without it) to zero to make the cluster pound the target with as many bombs as possible.

Next-- Decide your bombing altitude and *speed you want to be at when dropping the bombs and input them into the bombadier sight. Its important to be at that height and speed in order to set the automated bomb drop and have it hit the target.
Heres the tricky part. The game shows you indicated airspeed but requires true airspeed to be input into the bombsight. Better have your own conversion chart handy to adjust the speed input to consider your altitude (1.25 x IAS @15000 FT) because thinner air at high altitude offsets your indicated airspeed. God help you if you have a headwind or tailwind because there no way to determine what that is as i can figure. (radios dont work so no ground station to tell weather)

After takeoff

Find a key point that will give you a good line to the target and set your autopilot course heading after you are allready on that course. If you do it before your there your coarse will be incorrect when you finally get on it. The course mode 22 (leveller) would be perfect if it worked but it doesn't.
Get on your target coarse as best you can. Get the target in your sights with course autopilot on and reinput your calculated true airspeed and altitude if it needs adjustment. When you feel its right, set the automated bombsight in action and watch from the bottom gunner.

Simple.

Take into account that almost every instrument in the plane is bugged and requires much compensation by trial and error and buildings are no longer rendered above two thousand meters and flack will kill you below five thousand.

In short, its probably easier when your very profficient at flying the bomber and using the bombsight to do it all yourself, but as in reality, its a two man operation.

It can be done.


Add me on steam... We try it together.

Megahurt

[Marmusman]

Megahurt,

VERY GLAD to hear you had a good experience!!!

Keep up the training!!

Hope to see you in the skies one day!

[Megahurt]

As for it being a good experience....

This is by far the most beautifully renderred flight sim ive ever flown. I know there's a few bugs and it does have a very steep learning curve, but so far ive spent over 400 hours flying it and thats 50 bucks well spent.

Excellant fun and touring the countryside at dawn has never been better.

[Meusli]

Sounds good, I am learning the Blenheim at the moment which I feel has an easier bombsight system.

To help with the IAS to TAS conversion I found this app for android phones on the internet, very handy to do on the fly.

[Megahurt]

Absolutely Chromius, lets fly.

I have also noticed that after the plane is properly trimmed and on a flight path toward target with velocity and height set in the sight, you can switch to "course mode 22" (with gyro properly set) and steer the plane from the bombsight by tweeking the gyro - + untill you are dead on. Cross hairs over the target, bombs armed and doors open, the automated release works well with the salvo set to full and the interval set to zero.

Could this be any easier???

Fun Wow.

Megahurt.

[Chromius]

Yeah, that is exactly what I have been doing instead of using the thumb lever on the yoke, I use the dg in 1 degree increments, and just adjust the bombsight speed till its steady. I have not had many issues with drift yet, but am unsure how it is handled in the sim vs real life. I just move sight right or left till sideslip stabilizes then move sight back to center and use dg to swing back till its stable.

I am curious if in real life the rudder trim was locked out in course and r-22 mode and elevator trim in r-22 mode. They move but do nothing.

Testing out different fuel/ bomb loads now for little drop in R-22 and cruise climb gains. Also checking if the 4x 250 vs 2x 500 have different drag.

Oh yeah cant add you in steam, your name is there, but it says profile is not set up.

[Untamo]

S!

Interesting thread, and got many good hints.

One problem still bothers me:
How do you get the course autopilot to fly straight? .. I set the gyro to compass heading, set the course to same and engage autopilot. The plane starts to weave right and left. It goes in the right direction, but keeps banking from side to side in a sidewinder manner. I've tried to force the plane to go straight with the stick and also with minor changes in the AP heading and it works for a while, but then again it starts to bank.

Is there any way to calm it down?

Oh, and another thing:
What loads can the He-111 P2 (or H2, which one is better btw? ) handle well? I tried the 8x250kg load with 60% fuel and I couldn't get past 2km with 1.2 ATA and fine pitch. I kept the speed steady at 200km/h with elevator trim. The climbing just stopped on the 2km line. Too much load I guess

Ok, a third thing:
The R22 autopilot thingie... this should be the "level stabilizer" we had in old IL-2? .. Well it just sends my He-111 to a spiral. What am I doing wrong?
EDIT: Tested it one more time, this time it put me into a 10+ m/s dive. Elev. trim didn't seem to have any effect on it.