Author Topic: changing gunsights while inside a plane  (Read 833 times)

Offline lerxst

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changing gunsights while inside a plane
« on: August 10, 2014, 01:47:13 PM »
So the other night i was taking a plane up from a field that i dont normally fly,after a few minuts i relized i never switched the gunsight to the one i normally use.my question is would it be possible to set up a keyboard button to allow for maybe loading upto say 2 or 3 different gunsights for any given plane you might want to fly.instead of going into the clipboard to swap out the sights,just myself i know that i like a gunsight that has dots for rockets when i fly a pony,or f6f but if im just fighter mode i might want less clutter on the sight,so i might go with just a dot on the sight.any thought,might i be doing myself a disservice switching back and forth ?? thankyou :salute

Offline bustr

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2014, 06:28:50 PM »
In the real world changing the reticle(what we call the gunsight in AH) was performed on the ground after the optical device called the gunsight, was pulled out and dismanteled by your ground crewman. Then your fighter had to be hard standed at the gunnery range while he re-harmonized the gunsight\reticle back to your guns.

At best, wishing for Hitech to make the alpha slider a dimmable button toggle, which represents the rheostat for the internal lamp, an active cockpit component is realistic. Or simply an on\off toggle.

Switching between too many gunsights too frequently may not help your Hit%. Though, for my AAF rides I have them setup with the AAF reticle related to the primary job I fly them for. The Axis seem to not have used the concept of a fighter bomber specific reticle like the AAF and RAF. And to begin with the first bomb aid for AAF\RAF fighters was a tilting sight head. Germany had a tilt able base mount for the Revi16. Only the AAF by 1944 added a rocket\bomb aid structure to the N9 101Mil reticle and K14A fixed reticle. 
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Offline lerxst

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2014, 07:18:12 PM »
thank you Bustr you always have useful info for these sorts of questions! :D

Offline bustr

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2014, 08:06:57 PM »
Dear Hitech,

At a minimum, give us the ability to flip a switch for the bulb. ON\OFF.

There have been times with oil all over my wind screen or just very low light, getting rid of the reticle would have helped.
bustr - POTW 1st Wing


This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.

Offline Tinkles

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2014, 08:49:47 PM »
Dear Hitech,

At a minimum, give us the ability to flip a switch for the bulb. ON\OFF.

There have been times with oil all over my wind screen or just very low light, getting rid of the reticle would have helped.

Big +1 to that.
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Offline Someguy63

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2014, 09:02:50 PM »
Dear Hitech,

At a minimum, give us the ability to flip a switch for the bulb. ON\OFF.

There have been times with oil all over my wind screen or just very low light, getting rid of the reticle would have helped.

Love that idea. :aok :banana:
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Offline Saxman

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2014, 09:37:40 PM »
Dear Hitech,

At a minimum, give us the ability to flip a switch for the bulb. ON\OFF.

There have been times with oil all over my wind screen or just very low light, getting rid of the reticle would have helped.

Heh, reminds me of the first couple times I played CLoD, not realizing there was an on/off switch for the gunsight lamp. Flew the first couple times with my lamp off and wondering why my reticle kept disappearing in the sun, lol!

Personally, I've always felt that reticles should be fixed as the historical ones for each aircraft, maybe allowing a selection from a couple different reticles when multiple types were used in a given aircraft (IE some models of the P-47 might have options for the N9, Mk.VIII or K-14 if appropriate).
Ron White says you can't fix stupid. I beg to differ. Stupid will usually sort itself out, it's just a matter of making sure you're not close enough to become collateral damage.

Offline bustr

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2014, 09:57:40 PM »
The Mk8 used by P47 always had the 101Mil reticle we call N9. The AAF did not want structures since they taught the 100mph principle in fixed gunnery school state side using only a ring and dot. The AAF Mk8 in P47 was due to a delay in N9 production. Fighter pilots performing bombing refused to use the tilt dial on the adjustable head gunsights anyway.

The structures in the special N9 reticle to modify the Lynn L3 for the P38 came about with the advent of the 5in HVAR and a need to aim for them. A modified version of that was placed in K14A because the initial 70Mil rings in Mark 21\K14 were useless for air to air combat even with the rocket aid from the N9 added.

The Mk8 NAVY reticle are a completely different development inside the NAVY and it's contractors. The 5in HVAR aimpoint is at the top of the two 45 degree ray lines.
bustr - POTW 1st Wing


This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.

Offline GhostCDB

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2014, 11:35:09 PM »
If your gunsight is a dot you don't have to worry about that oil problem, or if you know how to aim that problem is non-existent.

Let's not make the game easier.  :rolleyes: Already hard to find combat as it is.


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Offline Saxman

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #9 on: August 10, 2014, 11:38:34 PM »
The Mk8 used by P47 always had the 101Mil reticle we call N9. The AAF did not want structures since they taught the 100mph principle in fixed gunnery school state side using only a ring and dot. The AAF Mk8 in P47 was due to a delay in N9 production. Fighter pilots performing bombing refused to use the tilt dial on the adjustable head gunsights anyway.

The structures in the special N9 reticle to modify the Lynn L3 for the P38 came about with the advent of the 5in HVAR and a need to aim for them. A modified version of that was placed in K14A because the initial 70Mil rings in Mark 21\K14 were useless for air to air combat even with the rocket aid from the N9 added.

The Mk8 NAVY reticle are a completely different development inside the NAVY and it's contractors. The 5in HVAR aimpoint is at the top of the two 45 degree ray lines.

Regardless, doesn't really change my opinion; reticles ought to be fixed to the historical types by each aircraft.
Ron White says you can't fix stupid. I beg to differ. Stupid will usually sort itself out, it's just a matter of making sure you're not close enough to become collateral damage.

Offline bustr

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Re: changing gunsights while inside a plane
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2014, 06:26:48 AM »
(IE some models of the P-47 might have options for the N9, Mk.VIII or K-14 if appropriate).

The P47 never used the N9 gunsight optical device. The AAF Mk8 optical device used the reticle designed for the N9, while the N9 optical device production was delayed in 1943 but, P47 never used the MkVIII NAVY reticle which was produced along with the MkVIII under contract only for the NAVY. The P47 never used the Mark21\K14. P47's received K14A starting in 1945.

To make matters worse, the Mk8 began being shipped with the P-47D 20 while the AAF was waiting for N9 production to ramp up. Before that, P-47 in the ETO were all retrofitted with Barr&Stroud MKII British gunsights like in our spitfires upon reaching staging centers in England. They were shipped with N-3 gunsights and 70Mil ring and dot reticle which was useless for air combat against the Bf109 and Fw190. AAF P-47 pilots used the British 101Mil ring and range bar as standard equipment since their first missions. The 100mph ring I always mention.

Calling the reticles in this game gunsights is one of the most confusing things Hitech could have ever done once someone went to the trouble to create all of the Historic reticle used in the optical devices called "GUNSIGHTS".........

And aiming with a dot. Your "eye" is substituting the edges of the reflector plate for the 101Mil main ring with a square or rectangular 140Mil by 160Mil or 140x200 edged sighting zone. You are not aiming any differently than a player using a 101Mil ring. The 300mph lead point doesn't change for a con at 1000ft whatever you use as your aiming references.
bustr - POTW 1st Wing


This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.