Flying and Skip Bombing the Blenheim on Cockpit Instruments

[DUI]

Thanks for the information on the Blenheim - quite enjoyable to fly this plane!
Basically, the first time that I have played on the red side on ATAG.

Level bombing will be my next challenge. So far I am already happy to keep the Blenheim in the air.

[Blackdog_kt]

Great job on the video tutorial and to be honest with you, it's better to see a tutorial with mistakes than a flawless one. It just makes it easier to visualize how things will go initially and know what kind of mistakes to expect.

That evasive roll over into the dive and ensuing high speed pull-out was great. I see the Blenheim appeals to you the same way it does to me. Just go in low and fast, drop and escape in a flimsy, almost unarmed aircraft, relying mostly on careful planning and evasive capabilities.

I used to mostly fly blue back in IL2 (almost exclusively 190As), but if we ever get a Mosquito in a future expansion and some kind of triggers to play out photo recon missions on a server, i'll probably end up spending 90% of my time playing bomb leader for rhubarb flights, pathfinder at night and recon in a glass nose Mossie.

Now that i think of it, the only reason i wouldn't fly a 190A back in IL2 46 modded was when a map came up in the rotation that had the Mk.XVI Mossie. I would go high, skirt around the furballs and by the time my bombs were exploding and blue noticed the flak bursts around me, i had already executed a split-S ending in a long,shallow, power dive from 25000 down to 10000 feet and was almost 10km away from the target. Great fun

It's a whole different kind of challenge, where you need to think less in terms of air combat maneuvering and more in terms of prior tactical planning, flight plans and navigation. And now with the extra CEM and navigation issues (magnetic deviation, knowing how to set and read a compass, etc) it's even better.

[jimbop]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

That evasive roll over into the dive and ensuing high speed pull-out was great. I see the Blenheim appeals to you the same way it does to me. Just go in low and fast, drop and escape in a flimsy, almost unarmed aircraft, relying mostly on careful planning and evasive capabilities.
...
It's a whole different kind of challenge, where you need to think less in terms of air combat maneuvering and more in terms of prior tactical planning, flight plans and navigation. And now with the extra CEM and navigation issues (magnetic deviation, knowing how to set and read a compass, etc) it's even better.

Spot on, Blackdog_kt, and I also look forward to the Mosquito. I enjoy dogfights but they do get tiresome after a while when there's no larger objective. And the satisfaction of successful evasion definitely adds another dimension!

In this instance I could have targeted the AA in the first pass. It would be nice and easy since they are clustered together on the server map. But the roll over does the job nicely. You definitely don't want to continue straight after dropping your bombs on ATAG #2...

[ElAurens]

I spent some time offline in the Blenheim tonight.

Owing to the fact that the one mission where it starts on the ground is bugged, I used it in the London sight seeing mission. Flew from London to Manston, then across to Calais, then down to Le Havre where I landed.

At least I had some flight time (1 hour 21 minutes) learning in flight engine management, etc...

Only issue is that the mission starts you with 100% fuel, and I could not lower it. Basically ran 2000rpm and 2 odd psi boost most of the time. Was indicating +/- 170mph most of the time between 8000 and 9000 ft. The flight reminded me of the time I flew second seat in a twin engined Piper on a trip to and from Chicago Midway from Toledo Express. (No, I'm not a real pilot, but my employer at that time had 2 US Air National Guard jet jocks on staff as salesmen, and they would fly me to location shoots... They knew I liked planes so I got to do a lot of the flying...).

It's a fairly docile bird. And I see that some of it's qualities as stated in the Pilot's Notes are actually modeled fairly well.

Now I just have to try to get it off the ground in a combat situation and drop some HE on Jerry.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Hi Jimbop,

Thanks for the new video, Level bombing here I come!

Just one question, I've been playing with my Kane Dead Reconing Computer (a very dangerous thing for a dyslexic person to do!) and was wondering how you came about geting your TAS? What temperature did you use?

Setting it up with a 200mph IAS and a 190 TAS I came to a Outside air temp of about -40 C

(By the way I'm not trolling here just trying to get my head around things )

In my calculations without a thermometer, taking OAT as 9C (15C - 6C due to temperature lapse) and a IAS of 200 I came to a TAS of ~208mph



Cheers and thanks for the video!

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

I spent some time offline in the Blenheim tonight.
It's a fairly docile bird. And I see that some of it's qualities as stated in the Pilot's Notes are actually modeled fairly well.

Now I just have to try to get it off the ground in a combat situation and drop some HE on Jerry.

Wait till you've got about 30% fuel and have dropped your load! She is capable of some fairly good break turns! So far I have about a 50-50 chance of evading lone 109's that have been chasing me from France back to Littlestone. (I have zero chance if I try to use the defensive gun!)

Cheers!

[Feathered_IV]

I'm yet to get the Blenheim up to take off speed without the engines making squeaky/screaming noises as I throttle up. I've been following the video tutorials to the letter, so perhaps the quick mission is indeed the problem. Can anybody describe the nature of the mission bug or tell me if there is a corrected mission file available? I pretty much bought the sim for the Blenheim and it would be nice to be able to use it.

[jimbop]

Originally Posted by Feathered_IV

I'm yet to get the Blenheim up to take off speed without the engines making squeaky/screaming noises as I throttle up. I've been following the video tutorials to the letter, so perhaps the quick mission is indeed the problem. Can anybody describe the nature of the mission bug or tell me if there is a corrected mission file available? I pretty much bought the sim for the Blenheim and it would be nice to be able to use it.

Feathered_IV, the noise is either due to under- or over-temp. If it disappears when you throttle back down you are under temperature for the boost you are tyring to reach. Close radiators a bit or just wait a while until the cylinder head temps (over right shoulder) are near 200 or the middle of the scale. I find ATAG #2 is really good to practice takeoff on. Some of the offline missions are difficult (crosswind, loadout weight etc) and ATAG #2 spawns you in a very good location - just turn left and hit the throttle.

[jimbop]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

I spent some time offline in the Blenheim tonight.

Owing to the fact that the one mission where it starts on the ground is bugged, I used it in the London sight seeing mission. Flew from London to Manston, then across to Calais, then down to Le Havre where I landed.

At least I had some flight time (1 hour 21 minutes) learning in flight engine management, etc...

Only issue is that the mission starts you with 100% fuel, and I could not lower it. Basically ran 2000rpm and 2 odd psi boost most of the time. Was indicating +/- 170mph most of the time between 8000 and 9000 ft. The flight reminded me of the time I flew second seat in a twin engined Piper on a trip to and from Chicago Midway from Toledo Express. (No, I'm not a real pilot, but my employer at that time had 2 US Air National Guard jet jocks on staff as salesmen, and they would fly me to location shoots... They knew I liked planes so I got to do a lot of the flying...).

It's a fairly docile bird. And I see that some of it's qualities as stated in the Pilot's Notes are actually modeled fairly well.

Now I just have to try to get it off the ground in a combat situation and drop some HE on Jerry.

Really pleased to hear that you managed to get going in it. Regarding the fuel load: you can't change it in single player unless you create your own mission and change it in the mission editor.

[jimbop]

Originally Posted by Skoshi Tiger

Wait till you've got about 30% fuel and have dropped your load! She is capable of some fairly good break turns! So far I have about a 50-50 chance of evading lone 109's that have been chasing me from France back to Littlestone. (I have zero chance if I try to use the defensive gun!)

Cheers!

Yeah well I just got shot down on ATAG #1 by a human 109. Pretty unfair, though, as he started shooting just as I had leant down on the bomb sight! These blue players have no sense of fair play...

Great fun although I find it very difficult to identify the correct target on the #1 server what with engine management, flak, fighters etc etc. I need to spend some time in a 109 and cruise around each field. #2 is easier since there is little activity at the moment. Basically if you get shot at you are near the target.