Landing Bomber Formations

[stephen waldron]

      Does anyone know how to keep bomber drones from blowing up and crashing into the ground on landings ?  I have experienced a GREAT deal of difficulty landing Lancaster and B-17 drones safely.  Most of the time, i lose both drones.
      I've tried a number of different landing techniques.  Slow level landings with full flaps only dropping a couple of hundred feet to the runway by slowing cutting back the throttle,(didn't work).  Tried firing off all the onboard ammo to lighten the planes,(didn't work).   Tried landing with no flaps, quarter flaps and half flaps, (didn't seem to make any difference).  Again the drones either blew up instantly when the landing gear was lowered, or crashed into the ground and exploded as the lead plane touched down.
      Another player suggested lowering the landing gear, but not touching down on the runway immediately.  Because the drones don't recognize you are landing until the gear goes down.. and they need a few seconds to "adjust" or "line up" on the runway.  I was skeptical, but tried it and I've had some limited success with this technique. 
      My question is, "Should the gear on heavy bombers be lowered before they get anywhere close to the runway" ?   And if this is the solution, "How long does the gear have to be down before the formation can safely land" ?   Also If you have an alternative technique that works every time, i'd like to hear it.

[Rolex]

It's unusual your drones are exploding on landing. They explode if you maneuver too hard and separate from your plane, or separate if you're too fast during descent, then maneuver.

Reduce power during your descent and plan ahead. Your goal is to be lined up on final approach at 1,000' above ground level (AGL) at 150 mph about 1 minute from landing. Power controls your rate of descent. Add power to reduce rate of descent, reduce power to increase rate of descent. Attitude controls airspeed. Lift the nose to reduce airspeed, lower nose to increase airspeed.

You can use full flaps and extend gear as you reduce speed to under 150 mph. Set up a glide with about 300-500 foot-per-minute (fpm) rate of descent and just over 100 mph as you cross the end of the runway.

[The Fugitive]

....I also wait untill Im close to the ground and only a few seconds away from touching down to lower my landing gear.

[stephen waldron]

    I wish i could say a safe landings with heavy bombers has everything to do with a correct rate of decent, flaps, speed and a smooth touch down on the runway.  That would be a MORE realistic flight simulation.  But apparently the drones landing SAFELY has everything to do with NOT waiting to lower the landing gear OVER the runway. 
     I conducted numerous landings using different approaches, and what i found was deploying the landing gear BEFORE reaching the airfield brought the drones down safely EVERY TIME.  The manner of the approach seemed irrelevant.  So if you're a newbie, i suggest lowering the gear before you reach the airbase.   Works for me.
     Of course i'm not saying it's IMPOSSIBLE to land drones lowering the landing gear OVER the runway... I've done so on occassion.  But the odds are far greater you are going to LOSE your drones.  In addition, i see no advantage to leaving the gear UP until your plane is over the runway.  The drag from the lowered gear is negligable without flaps.

[fuzeman]

I lower my gear when I just overfly the end of the runway and usually my drones end on the runway, but then agian I've only been playing for 7 1/2 years.

[MachNum]

I believe that the drones use the lowering of your gear as a signal to go into landing mode. As such, follow Rolex's advice and set up a nice, stable, straight-in approach to the runway. That stabilized approach is the key. You want to be on a nice glide path, rather than dragging yourself in with power, and you don't want to have to manuever once the gear goes down. Get your gear down well before the runway, and your drones will land neatly (although they always land impossibly quickly).

[CAP1]

....I also wait untill Im close to the ground and only a few seconds away from touching down to lower my landing gear.

i've noticed that if i lower my gear when i'm below 1,000 ft AGL, my drones go boom. above that, the survive

[shotgunneeley]

When I go into a landing, I'll usually stay at my target altitude (around 12-16k) until I can just barely see my airbase in the distance. Then I cut the throttles and go into a glide. I'll aileron roll the plane to the right and twist my rudder to the left, or vice-versa. This greatly reduces your airspeed while descending and lets you drop like a rock over a short distance.

Once I get to an altitude of somwhere between 1-2k and lined up on the runway I'll drop my gears and try to lower my flaps as soon as possible. As soon as you lower your gears, your drones are going to start acting crazy; they'll start doing nose dives and shooting back up in the air. But if you deploy your gears far enough from the runway, they'll eventually level out and come to a gentle landing once you've touched the ground.

I've had on occasion once I land my drones will nose dive into the ground quite roughly but not explode and continue on as if it were a perfect 3-point landing.

[Rich46yo]

If your going to do any radical turns make sure you do them far enough from the pavement so's your drones can stabalize before you begin your final.

I go to 100% zoom in the cockpit to find the strip. After awhiles you wont even need to see the pavement cause you'll know how the airbase lays out when you see the buildings. Then, once Ive done that, I will turn in such a way setting up a final turn which will HO the pavement. Normally Ill use a landmark to aim the bombers during my "setup" maneuver and will use my F3 left/right views to keep an eye on the runway in order to time my final turn correctly.

Now mediums like B-26s, my specialty, you can do far more violent maneuvers in and get away with it. The 26, and one of the things I love about them, you can fly like a fighter. But the heavies you have to be more patient with.

If you have blown an approach, are not being threatened, and have the gas "all 3 you should have", then pull up and maneuver for a new landing approach. I like to stabalize me speed at 200, Alt at 1,500, go to front gun/F3 and use my rudders to setup a new landing approach. Just remember to leave yourself enough room from the runway to line up properly on the strip before dropping flaps for the final descent.

When I was having the same problem as you I went into the TA with 1 bomber and would practice all this, touching down on the runway and then pulling back up to setup a new landing maneuver.

[uptown]

approach the runway with wide slow turns. 200 mph or so and 1000' alt is fine. when you're line up drop speed to 150, lower gear, no flaps,apply brakes and land.Go to F3 mode, look back and wait for drones to stop on runway and .EF or end sortie.If you make sharp turns in buffs they'll explode. drive em like a truck.

[shiv]

You might be just seeing the drones dive to the ground when you lower the gear - they're not necessarily crashing.  I land bombers any way I can, and unless I'm making a lot of turns the drones always make it.

[Serenity]

IIRC, as long as you dont get a "you were killed by ______" message, even if your drones pop, you still get credit for the safe landing. As far as the act of landing, I like to be as realistic as possible, (I even fly a full pattern most of the time), and I ALWAYS get my gear down on my downwing leg, or if theres no downwind, on base or long final. I've never had problems with drones popping, but I'm certain you need to get the gear down at least a little while before landing.

[APDrone]

The only time my drones explode on landing is if I lower gear at or near the halfway point of the runway.

Anytime before that they land just fine.

[uptown]

The only time my drones explode on landing is if I lower gear at or near the halfway point of the runway.

Anytime before that they land just fine.

Yep, if you lower gear too far away the drones will blow up