B5N with a formation option

[daddog]

I always wondered why the B5N did not have a formation option.

I know the CM's would use it in events. As it is, when the Kate is used the pilots in special events get a 2nd life.  It would help to ease the pain of being assigned such an early war AC if their chances of survival were increased with a formation option. Even against F4F's they are toast.

Odds are (even slightly) that it might get used a tad more in the MA if they had a formation of 3.

Maybe on the next update?

[Sikboy]

The one problem with formation torp planes, is that having them will encourage poor tactics in events. The effective use of torpedo planes requires a lot of hard stick pulling and massive "E" dumping. Though having the drones for ingress as bullet sponges would be usefull. And pretty.


-Sik

[daddog]

Can't add to the problem with Ju-88's that have 2 in each drone.

[Iron_Cross]

Sikboy I think your using torpedo planes wrong.  I have sucessfuly ingressed and egressed a torpedo plane and survived in the MA without massive E dumping, or hard turning.  I've done it with Kates, TBMs, formations of KI-67s, and Ju-88 formations.

Torpedo tactics in the SA are franly non existant.  Absolutly no coordinated effort is even attempted.  It is all individual attempts to score a hit.  

I bet, if I could train 5 others in group torpedo tactics, the six of us could hand out a world of hurt to any fleet.  Two weeks of daily practice in formation flying,  estimating ships heading, proper attack aproach tecniques, and any seaborne target we put our sights to is toast.

[cav58d]

so basically you read my "wish" and stole it and figured because my it's not on page 1 anymore you could hijack my idea =)...HUH!

[Bogie603rd]

It's a nice idea, yet once again I have to say the coding isnt there right now. Try to make a hard turn with a formation of JU-88's or any other bomber that allows formations. The drones fly off. That means the drone coding wouldnt allow the B5N or even the D3A for that matter to have formations. The manouevers are too much to be copied by the current coding of the formation.

[Sikboy]

Originally posted by Iron_Cross
Sikboy I think your using torpedo planes wrong.  I have sucessfuly ingressed and egressed a torpedo plane and survived in the MA without massive E dumping, or hard turning.  I've done it with Kates, TBMs, formations of KI-67s, and Ju-88 formations.

Torpedo tactics in the SA are franly non existant.  Absolutly no coordinated effort is even attempted.  It is all individual attempts to score a hit.  

I bet, if I could train 5 others in group torpedo tactics, the six of us could hand out a world of hurt to any fleet.  Two weeks of daily practice in formation flying,  estimating ships heading, proper attack aproach tecniques, and any seaborne target we put our sights to is toast.

Yes, sneaking into a CV group in the MA is fairly easy at low alt. I was approaching it from the point of view of Events (since that's where Daddog and I used them last).  In events, where the ships are constantly manuevering, CAP is always vigilant, and guns are forever manned... I think I'm using torpedo planes correctly, and our result bear that out.

-Sik

[Ghosth]

Daddog none of the Carrier based bombers have formations.

TBM, Val, B5n, and yes your correct, they need them.

I think it was a takeoff/landing problem on the carriers that kept them excluded.
But I could be wrong, or that may have been solved.

I'm hopeing with the release of CT & better AI that this will get addressed.

[RAIDER14]

Originally posted by Ghosth
Daddog none of the Carrier based bombers have formations.

TBM, Val, B5n, and yes your correct, they need them.

I think it was a takeoff/landing problem on the carriers that kept them excluded.
But I could be wrong, or that may have been solved.

I'm hopeing with the release of CT & better AI that this will get addressed.

all bombers are carrier based if you can get em off the deck:D

[daddog]

Never saw your post Cav, but glad someone else requested the same thing. Rgr Sik, events is what I always have in my mind.

As far as the code Bogie, no one but those at HTC know if the code is there or not. I would not even try to guess at that.

Bogie I am well aware that you can't make hard turns with bomber drones.  I have put a few hours into this sim.  I would speculate they could put a code in for drones and apply it to any aircraft they wanted. I think you will see a LOT of that when the Combat Theatre comes out.

Ghosth, maybe it is the CV issue. Good point.

Still think it would be good to have drones for the B5N.

[Pooh21]

Originally posted by Bogie603rd
It's a nice idea, yet once again I have to say the coding isnt there right now. Try to make a hard turn with a formation of JU-88's or any other bomber that allows formations. The drones fly off. That means the drone coding wouldnt allow the B5N or even the D3A for that matter to have formations. The manouevers are too much to be copied by the current coding of the formation.

the coding is there it is just set up that way so we dont have an MA full of Bomber formations acting like the Thunderbirds

[Iron_Cross]

I was talking about the SA, and frankly special events is about one step above the MA mob. Yea there is a "plan" but it is more like a squad night than anything else.  I would bet if we got actual combat pilots, to man a fighter squadron and a boming squadron, they could shake all of us down for our lunch money.  The MA is a soccer mob full of hooligans bent on bashing the rival mob up, the SA is an organised bunch of hooligans bent on taking out the opposing team rather than bashing up the rival mob.  

I don't think that you are allowed to man the AAA guns in special events, most of them anyway, due to the 6k ACK snipers.  To unbalancing, or some such.  Frankly, IMHO, SA tactical planning of torpedo planes amounts to a Neandertal grunting,
 
     "Uh! Fly low. Fly slow. When think hit, throw spear.  Run away, UH!"

Most tactical implementation of torpedo planes is also gets the short end of the stick by the COs.  They are used to ineffective torpedo attacks.  They would rather have more bombers, but have to use these practcally useless planes, so we wind up with a scenario similar to Torpedo 8.  As BAIT to draw most of the enemy fighters down low.  Maybe one or two will get lucky and hit a target, but the CO's aren't counting on it.  What he wants is to get them out of his hair, so he can use the more efective bombers and dive bombers.

I have never lost a formation of Ju-88s after a torpedo attack due to turning to hard.  I've been shot up pretty bad, but I still have all three bombers when I get out of range of the AAA.  I owe it all to this site:

AH Torpedo Guide

[Sikboy]

Originally posted by Iron_Cross
I was talking about the SA, and frankly special events is about one step above the MA mob. Yea there is a "plan" but it is more like a squad night than anything else.

I'm not sure what events you've played, but I assure you that at least two of them (Scenarios and FSO) are very unlike what you have described. In Coral Sea our Teams torpedo pilots spent a combined hundreds of hours working on practical torpedo tactics that when implemented met with tremendous success. One of the major keys to this success was approaching the target from altitude. The other team tried to sneak them in under radar and were continually slaughtered on the deck.

Anyhow, you would do well to look into events a bit more before simply dismissing them as "more like a squad night than anything else." If you like to fly torps, the SEA offers a lot of good opportunities to do that.

And for my final trick.... can someone tell me what the hell the SA is? I've been out of the loop for a year.

-Sik

[Iron_Cross]

Originally posted by Sikboy
And for my final trick.... can someone tell me what the hell the SA is? I've been out of the loop for a year.

-Sik

SA=Scenario Arena,  TA-DAAA!!  

And now for my next trick, winged monkeys will fly out of Sik's butt!   JK