Drop Tanks.

[Hangtime]

Hey help me out here.... can anybody suggest why we should NOT have them capable of doing damage to ground objects?

I've read several accounts over the years of how they were used on ack emplacements; ground positions; trucks; trains; tanks; and airfield ramps in lieu of bombs or rockets. Invariably; they were 'desperate measures' when deployed this way against targets of opportunity... but quite effective nontheless. Poor mans napalm...)

Why NOT have them capable of doing damage?? Here in AH they seem rather single-purpose.

Hang

[Sn1p3r]

I have dropped a tank before right as I took off and I heard pings on my aircraft.  There were no other fighters in the area.  I assumed that it was the explosion from the tank???

-Sn1p3r

[Ripsnort]

What  sniper said, try dropping them as soon as your wheels up, you'll recieve some damage.

[Hangtime]

LOL...

Yah. drop one smack on a plane or an ack. No damage. They have the damage value on ONE bullet. Drop em UNDER yer plane while on the runway. One ping. Mebbe two if yah have two tanks. You SHOULD be in orbit after that; doin a BBQ with the rest of the saints.  

Now... on the subject, comments?

Hang



[This message has been edited by Hangtime (edited 04-05-2000).]

[Tern]

 

Originally posted by Hangtime:
LOL...

Yah. drop one smack on a plane or an ack. No damage... You SHOULD be in orbit after that; doin a BBQ with the rest of the saints.  

Now... on the subject, comments?

Hang

[This message has been edited by Hangtime (edited 04-05-2000).]

1) Sit on runway with DT's on and engine off.

2) Drop both tanks. (Same time or wait a few seconds in between.)

3) Let me know if you were returned to the tower.

4) Modify #1 to: Roll for take off and drop before wheels up.

5) Repeat 2 and 3.

Puts me in the tower every time.

Ran into one that RWY released at 28K and nothing happened to either of us.

Dropped them on enemy planes and objects with no noticeable eeffect other than a pretty greyish cloud.

Them's my observations, Hang.


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Tern
"Live to Fly!  Fly to Fight!  Fight to Live!"
========================
"There I was, inverted at 50 feet and 120 kts. and the only thing running was the radio."

[Pavel]

I routinely drop my tanks right on the runway if I realize I've accidently taken them and I don't want them.  Never been sent to tower.   Have no idea if that one ping ever made the differense later, but doubt it.

I think it would be nifty if drop tanks weren't so 'undermodelled'- but realistic drop tank damage still isn't very high on my wish list.

[Wanker]

Sorry Hang, I think they should be used for one purpose only--carrying fuel. A bunch of gas isn't going to do much to a hard target anyway. It won't stick to stuff the way napalm does.



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banana
308 (Polish) Squadron RAF "City of Cracow"
"On the whole, it is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them"

[bloom25]

Oh, I can see it now!  bloom25: "Rook spit on runway, you better ditch or I'll drop my tanks on you!" Spit: "Oh my gawd, NOOOOOO! (ditch)"
Yes, soon all fighter pilots will be doing jabo missions with DTs, because they have a punch bigger than a 250 lb bomb.

In all honesty, if you were to be hit with a drop tank, you would MOST CERTAINLY be killed.  If not by the explosion, the size and weight of the DT would be deadly with a direct hit.

I know that damage by DT must be implemented, as you can hear pings if you drop them on yourself.

bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[dotsie]

You just can't wait to burn their stupid ugly faces off can ya Hang.

Ya bleeding Bum!  

Dotsie.

[Hangtime]

LOL Dotsie..

Consider their value as a HO deterrent.  

Seriously... they are a functional component of the plane. Like the flaps. Part of the tools we have to work with; stategicly and tacticly.

And; not unlike the flaps; having only half their realisim modeled, is; well... only half as good as it could be, and should be.

It's easy enuff to implement... and IMHO it's not an unreasonable expectation that the damage component for what I lug about under my plane and pay weight and drag penalties for be enabled.. I mean it's not like I'm asking for accurate JABO bombs; or rockets that do damage or even 200 F4u1c's that magicly respawn 1,000 times a night...

ooops.. did I go to far???

Hang (runnin for the popcorn)

[Minotaur]

You think maybe this is want gave someone the idea of a napalm bomb?

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

[Rude]

Quit it Hang

We cant even aim the eggs or rockets effectively yet

You must be bored

Cyas Up!

Rude Out!

[Hangtime]

Rgr that Rude.. I'm bored to tears. Ain't flown yet this tour.  

I ain't tryin ta be nit-pickey... (comes natural-like) and I've asked HiTech about the tank damage implementation. His reaction was 'maybe'; so I assume he'd like to hear some discussion on the subject.

And; dammit, seems ta me we oughta have the realisim... I mean; the question is valid; why not????

Hang

[Rojo]

Well, Hang, exactly what mechanism for the damage are you wanting implemented? Kinetic damage or incindiary damage?  Drop tanks were (generally) not made of metal, but of plywood (German) or compressed paper (American).  Drop a cardboard container of gasoline, even from high up, and you'll likely get only a soggy spot on the ground.  Sure, if you dropped it from altitude onto an aircraft, or a gun crew without overhead cover, you'd do some damage to be sure.  The aircraft would most likely fireball (as it would if you dropped a big enough rock on it) and the gun crew and (maybe) the gun would be destroyed.  Drop it a few feet to the side and unless one of the gun crewman is smoking a stoggie, you'll only make em mad  .

If you did jettison a DT while sitting still, especially if the engine was off, there is little chance it would fireball.  IMNSHO, this isn't even worth wasting valuable coding time.  Besides, where are you going to find historical, statistically significant test data to base damage on?  No, the only thing you CAN model is the kinetic damage of a direct collision of a DT with an object, and it just isn't worth the time.  My two cents.

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Sabre, a.k.a. Rojo
(S-2, The Buccaneers)

[Hangtime]

It's kinda simple, really.

I drop one on yah; and *boom* ...yah die.

Coding and visuals are there. Just needs ta be 'turned up'.

Hang