Suggestion to cure dive-bombing Lancs

[Pepe]

Originally posted by Seeker
Limiting the heavies to level bombing sounds fine, but...

1) If we ever get the He 177; it was a dive bomber (dumb, but true).

2) Lancs "dive bombed" (bombardier's words) the third of the dams in the "dambusters" raid (Sorbel?)

3) Do a google on "toss" or "loft" bombing.



(That's a B-47 starting it's bomb run, that is...)

With regards to Grief, I'm talking by heart, so bear with me , they never were able to dive bomb properly, althought the RLM requirements asked for that.

With regards to dambusters raid, it seems strange, because the bombs were designed to rebound on the dam surface, and needed to be dropped at a certain speed, certain alt (definitely not diving).

Cheers,

[Seeker]

Originally posted by Pepe

With regards to dambusters raid, it seems strange, because the bombs were designed to rebound on the dam surface, and needed to be dropped at a certain speed, certain alt (definitely not diving).

Cheers,

That's true of the first two concrete and brick built dams; which were the classic bouncing bomb attacks.

The third dam was an earthwork dam; which wasn't suitable for the same attack profile.

The Lancs flew along the line of the dam; having to dive into the valley from the sides; and dropped (as far as I know) conventional iron bombs directly onto the dam's parapet.

The phrase "dive bombing" in this context may be stretching the mark (I'm sure they didn't pull up to stall; drop flaps; roll over and dive onto the target like I do in the MA in a P38); but non the less that's how it's been described by some of the aircrew. It is certain that the run in to target was a very steep descent, with a very hard pull up after drop: Dive bombing similar to the Grief, as it were.

Could the Grief really not dive bomb? I know the specs called for it to be able to do so...

[Rolex]

by dedalos

You are right, from now I will be flying in circles at 20K over the fleet just in case some diving LANCs show up and hope that I can dive with them. I bet you if I did that, some idiot would show up at 30K. How about a sudgestion for you? Why don't you learn how to level bomb. You know, the way it is suposed to be done? Is that too hard for you?

I have never dive-bombed a cv in a level bomber. I'm one of the best in the game at taking out a cv from 11k - 14k in B-26's, B-17's or Lancs. I rarely get shot down sinking a cv and have a cv kill percentage of 90% because no one anticipates and challenges me at the lofty height of 12k.

It's still a matter of anticipating the threat and that is a huge part of the game. You anticipate your target's position when B&Z-ing in a fighter and bombers dive-bombing (from 6k-10k - no one dive bombs from 20k...) are big targets.

Three fully loaded P-47's can sink a cv and how do they do it? They dive bomb. Should we alter P-47's so they can't dive bomb?

Dive bombing is how ships were sunk (among other ways). SBD's and TBM's dive bombed ships. JU-88's dive bombed during sorties all the time.

I think out-thinking the opposition is fun. I like that part of AH.

[dedalos]

Originally posted by Rolex
by dedalos


I have never dive-bombed a cv in a level bomber. I'm one of the best in the game at taking out a cv from 11k - 14k in B-26's, B-17's or Lancs. I rarely get shot down sinking a cv and have a cv kill percentage of 90% because no one anticipates and challenges me at the lofty height of 12k.

It's still a matter of anticipating the threat and that is a huge part of the game. You anticipate your target's position when B&Z-ing in a fighter and bombers dive-bombing (from 6k-10k - no one dive bombs from 20k...) are big targets.

Three fully loaded P-47's can sink a cv and how do they do it? They dive bomb. Should we alter P-47's so they can't dive bomb?

Dive bombing is how ships were sunk (among other ways). SBD's and TBM's dive bombed ships. JU-88's dive bombed during sorties all the time.

I think out-thinking the opposition is fun. I like that part of AH.

If read my other posts you would see that I have no problems with dive bombers doing what they are supposed to do.  Dive bomb.

You are also right about CVs getting killed by dive bobmers.  Thats how is should also be here.  I also don;t have a problem with level bombin the CV.

I just hate the fact that everytime there is a good fight going on involvin a CV some one decides that it needs to be sunck and instead of doing what you do, (use p47s, 88s, torps, etc) at high alt, the bring in lanc after lanc after b17 and suaside trying to kill it.

Its pointless.
Sorry if I implied that you did do that

[Halo]

Some really good posts here, lots of information to mull over.

But after the dust settles, since this is essentially a gameplay issue and most players SEEM (fingers crossed) to want relatively realistic play as opposed to arcade or what might have been possible --

why not just limit bomb release in heavy and most medium bombers to level only, within something like plus or minus 5 degrees as others have suggested?

Exceptions would be multi-engine aircraft designed to include dive bombing, e.g., Ju-88.  

Even though there were issues with some planes, I assume most people would not object to allowing dive bombing from all single engine aircraft.  

This fix seems relatively easy to do.  Isn't it time to do it now, at least with debut of Aces High II?