Training Arena Bombing Zone

[Condor]

I just discovered the TA bombing zone.  It's great to be able to spawn 20K above a base with a full load of bombs and rockets.  Up until now all of my bombing practice has required a lot of time just flying to the target.  The bombing zone allows a lot of bombing practice in a short period of time.  I'm having one problem, however.   I have little indication of how close I come to the target.  No damage is displayed on the target and I don't even see craters consistently.

I am practicing dive bombing in a P-51D using 6 rockets and two 1,000 lb. bombs.  I dive in at 45 degrees with my view zoomed and release my ordinance on a fighter hangar or VH when it fills the pipper.  At best I see just the first two or four rockets hit.  I am already level and extending before the bombs hit.  I do hear the explosions.  

Because the hagars in the TA can't be destroyed there is no text message.  When I fly back to look for the craters there often are none or just 1 or 2 rocket craters.  Sometimes I see a bomb crater.  On one run I saw 4 rockets hit the hangar and explode before pulling out of my dive.  When I flew back there was no sign of damage.   The inconsistency seems strange and leads me to believe I must be missing some feature.

Is there a way I'm not aware of to know whether or not I hit the target or by how much I miss it when dive bombing in the TA?

[Blooz]

The Dueling Arena (DA) has a bombing range too.

It's not as elaborate as the TA's range but everything there is destructible.

[Condor]

Does the DA bombing arena allow you to spawn in the air near the target or is it necessary to fly to it?

[BaldEagl]

In the MA's if you score a direct hit without taking down the target you won't see damage or craters.  If you do see craters, those are misses.

Hope that helps.

[moneyguy]

i usually release when the target is just below the "pipper". i also use weasle's sight. kinda got a triangle on the bottom of it.

[Condor]

BaldEagl,

Thanks for the tip.  I ran a liitle experiment.  I did a very careful dive bomb run in the TA and saw only two small rocket craters just barely short of the hangars.   I then did a bomb run at too shallow an angle and deliberately aimed at the big pad well away from the hangars.  When I flew back I saw 3 pair of rocket craters and the bomb craters.  I did the same thing again with the same results so in the TA no craters or damage = hits (assuming thre ordinance was actually dropped).   Since the hagnars in the TA can't be destroyed, hits with two 1,000lb bombs and several rockets don't show.

moneyguy,

I'll have to try that and see if my hits increase.  I've found the angle of the dive is fairly critical.  If I'm a little shallow I always drop when the target is below the pipper.

[Ghosth]

Tip, in offline or 8 player h2h , load up the TA terrain.

Now damage will be the same as main. And you can bomb till your tired of it.
TA is not idea for bombing practice with the damage turned off. But having the damage turned on makes the TA pretty much useless for anything else.

BTW if you start your own 8 player host, you then have all the controls at your fingertips. This is IMO the best/only way to practice torpedo runs.

I could be wrong, but I suspect the terrain you want is the AHTA06

[HomeBoy]

Actually, I kinda like bombing in the TA.  If you keep the map nice and clean that means you're hitting right on target.  You can keep on bombing the same target over and over without having to move to different targets and fields while you wait for the respawn.

I didn't realize for a while that the TA worked this way until Condor pointed out to me how bad my bombing skills are.  I kept telling him "I always see my craters,  what's wrong with you?"  

[moneyguy]

also, most of the time i find my self pulling back slightly just prior to release.  once you get it, you wont have to think about it anymore. it'll just happen.

[Scca]

Can't you also turn damage on in the offline arena.  I have been practicing jabo there and blow up stuff all the time.

[Condor]

I used offline also until I discovered the bombing zone in the TA.  The disadvantage of offline is all the time spent flying to the target.  In the TA if you go to the NE runway you spawn in the air at about 30,000 ft near the target.  You can get in a lot of practice in a short time.  You just need to remember to raise your gear fast and start the engine.