Bring the Barrage balloon to AH2!

[Jester]

Originally posted by Dux
Anyone have any dimensions for these things? Even rough dimensions?

The Average Barrage Balloon was around 67 ft Long x 25 ft. in diameter.

You can see the size comparison to a man in the pic below:

[Dux]

Thanks, Jester.

Also... huge "duh" moment on my part; I just re-read Tilt's original quote.

Duh.

[Flyboy]

where they effective?

[Tilt]

Originally posted by Flyboy
where they effective?

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj89/hillson.html

http://www.westallswar.org.uk/new_barrage.html

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/defair/        


In summary when deployed in sufficient concentration the answer seems to be ...yes

Google searches will show that the LW would not fly low thru barrage wire forests................


and so their effectiveness is in forcing the LW above 5000 feet over London and other key targets.

We see that on DDay larger landing craft each carried a barrage balloon to offer some protection  enroute but more specifically to offer the LW a hazard on and over the beaches when the craft were lined up.

They obviously accounted for aircraft losses directly and inparticular later V1's.

I note even now they are considerd over US nuclear sites for anti terrorist purposes.

My opinion is that in AH they would work similarly................. whether they would be usefull over airfields is questionable but considering ports, vehicle fields, HQ's and strat facilities then I believe they would be use full in forcing bombers / attackers higher or in providing target oppurtunuity for AI guns whilst fighters attempt to shoot them down.

All of which counter the proliferation of low level stuff by an exact method historically used.


At airfields

They could be used over airfields but I fear that it places a dicipline on defending  pilots that they would not appreciate.

AC take off and land on air fields using "corridors" defined by the run ways. These would have to be clear of Balloon wires.

Attackers do not use these Corridors (even when Vulching) attackers criss cross the airfield weaving to avoid AA or targetting various objects not sited in the corridors. Hence attackers would be impeded by balloon deployment.

However I fear that players would complain about freindly kills by balloon wires at airfields as it stops them hiding in their own AA immediately post take off.

[Wotan]

great idea tilt! i cant belive no one thought of it before.

bring barrage baloons to AH!

They have  

Limiting the impact of suicide jabos

[MOSQ]

I like the idea.

I wonder if I fly through them if the puffy ack from it's own field will blow them up for me.

[Bodhi]

awesome idea.

[jthemenway]

awesome idea.

limits vulching - Manned ack and ground vehicles can concentrate on runway approaches.

limits NOE bombing raids - place balloons in front and behind the "bomb all the hangers in one pass" vector

Attackers can take them out, but need to fly into flak zones to do it - very cool if flack is made a bit more accurate for low level.

[Red Tail 444]

Give it an ENY of about 750:lol

[afool]

Just a simple thought from a simple mind...
Couldn't a barrage ballon simply be created in the terrian editor? Build it the same as a building, a very tall building. The cable would run to the ground (tall skinny tower) with the balloon at the top (building).

afool

[Tilt]

Originally posted by afool
Just a simple thought from a simple mind...
Couldn't a barrage ballon simply be created in the terrian editor? Build it the same as a building, a very tall building. The cable would run to the ground (tall skinny tower) with the balloon at the top (building).

afool

Yes it could. It could be designated as a structure or a void.............it could be created as a new 3d object and added as a big object which sat over a facility with part of it being a solid wire dropping to the ground.


Unfortunately it would then be fixed. Such that when it was shot down it would after a period of time re appear................ I think this is the only limitation to using simple objects as barrage balloons................imagi ne you are diving over a cleared facility and a barrage balloon with wire simply pops into existance........and you hit it.

To animate a barrage balloon the would ascend from just below ground level to approx 5000ft at 400 ft/min. After which they would be fixed untill destroyed.

[Urchin]

Damn, that is a great idea.  

I love that idea.




No, really.. I LOVE that idea.  


It'd definately take care of the NoE suicide dip****s, provided there were enough balloons.  

I'd even like to have them at airfields, although I can see why people wouldn't want them there.

[Angus]

Maybe one could buy a barrage of ballons for some unused perks?

[afool]

Originally posted by Tilt
Yes it could. It could be designated as a structure or a void.............it could be created as a new 3d object and added as a big object which sat over a facility with part of it being a solid wire dropping to the ground.


Unfortunately it would then be fixed. Such that when it was shot down it would after a period of time re appear................ I think this is the only limitation to using simple objects as barrage balloons................imagi ne you are diving over a cleared facility and a barrage balloon with wire simply pops into existance........and you hit it.

To animate a barrage balloon the would ascend from just below ground level to approx 5000ft at 400 ft/min. After which they would be fixed untill destroyed.

I do see your point about respawining and understand it. I would love to see it coded correctly. They are a lot of things I'd like to see....

The town is down and starts to respawn, troops are on the way, You start low level straffing runs, when all of a sudden, up pops a building, You swear, pull-up, but, you don't clear the roof ridge.... sometimes it's a full face plant, other you just catch the prop and you wallow around looking for a safe place to ditch....

Rather than waitng until their coded ( if they are coded )
I'd would settle for them being building objects and take my chances on the respawn. It would not differ much from what's in the game now.

afool

[Skilless]

Aren't there three stages of a downded hanger?  When it's first knocked out, it flames with smoke, then it flames without smoke, then no flame, then it pops.

You could code the barage balloons the same way.  When they are first destroyed, they should disapear.  Then they should reappear close to the ground, then they should spawn a little higher, then spawn again at full hieght.  Of course they should be indestructable until they are completely respawned, or not, I haven't decided yet.

You could concider this a punt if you wanted, but I feel that barage balloon are a historic necessity for AH and I want to keep this topic current.