A20 bombing

[sonar732]

Hello,

I was using the A20 to make a bombing run the other day and was wondering what is the best way to bomb with this beautiful plane?

[fuzeman]

It's not a level bomber so you have to get used to divebombing with it. I'd suggest going to the TA and getting a feel for where the bombs drop using the green + training sight available there.
[ Or you could set it up offline and practice there, posts are up on how to activate it, or you can ask. ]
You could also get a feel for somewhat low-level level bombing there to, but this would be pure guesswork on where to drop.

[seabat]

I find dive bombing the best practice when using the a20.

When practicing I would also experiment with the .salvo # key command.   With this you can set up how many bombs are released when you press your bomb button.

Set it up to release one bomb at a time and make dives at various angles and see where the craters are in relation to your aim point.

Dont forget that a full load of bombs places 4 on the wings and 4 in the bombbay.  You will have to open the bay doors before you can drop.

Last, remember the A20 has a good set of .50's up front.   Dont discount the value of acm.

[sonar732]

Originally posted by fuze
It's not a level bomber so you have to get used to divebombing with it. I'd suggest going to the TA and getting a feel for where the bombs drop using the green + training sight available there.
[ Or you could set it up offline and practice there, posts are up on how to activate it, or you can ask. ]
You could also get a feel for somewhat low-level level bombing there to, but this would be pure guesswork on where to drop.

I'll do some searching on the Netaces.org site for the site you are speaking of.  Thanks for the information everyone!

[Ghosth]

The A20 will also do very nice low level low angle attacks with some practise.

Just remember to stay high enough so that bombs are armed, & your out of the blast radius.

[Soulyss]

Keep your eye on your speed when divebombing with the A20, speed builds up quickly and it's easy to tear the wings off.  I've had some success diving at somewhat shallow angle and releasing as the target disappears under the nose.  But you'll have to try it out for yourself to get the feel of it, sorry I couldn't be of more help.  

[Drano]

Originally posted by sonar732
Hello,

I was using the A20 to make a bombing run the other day and was wondering what is the best way to bomb with this beautiful plane?

The A-20G is my attack plane of choice. I've developed a bombing technique that works very well for me. As these guys have said its not a level bomber. That's why it doesn't have a norden bombsight in it like some of the other bombers do. Its a fast low level attack plane. You need to have a slightly different approach to your target than with a level bomber.

I try to approach the target with only about 8K of alt. That's alt *above ground level*. Find that by adding 8K to the elevation of the base you're going to hit. The reason I'm that low is that I don't want to gain too much speed in my dive. The A-20 will start to shed its tail surfaces at over 400 mph with no input so you don't want to get near that speed. Your ideal drop speed I've found to be 325mph. Getting too high you'll gain too much speed in your dive and you won't drop accurately. Low level attack. That's the A-20's game.

OK the technique:

Close to the target until you're able to make a long, straight 40-60 degree dive. From level flight chop the throttle and nose over. Open your bay doors. Keep the speed as close to 325 as you can. Stand on the rudder if need be. In the center of your windshield you'll see the gun sight. Under that there's a little green post that sticks up ahead of the windscreen. Use the tip of that post as your bomb sight. In your dive keep your target steady on the tip of that post. Pickle your bomb at about 2K and pull out. If you get a little faster than 325 your impact point will drift down the post.

That works best for me. I'm usually able to kill a VH in one pass no problem with bombs left over for the town.

You can practice with this technique the same way I found it. Offline turn on the dive bomb sight. (clipboard/setup/arena settings/flight mode flags/check the dive bomb sight box). That'll bring up a little green cross that will show where your bombs will hit if you pickled them now. The dive bomb sight is turned on all the time online in the TA only.

     Good luck.

       Drano

[sonar732]

Originally posted by Drano
The A-20G is my attack plane of choice. I've developed a bombing technique that works very well for me. As these guys have said its not a level bomber. That's why it doesn't have a norden bombsight in it like some of the other bombers do. Its a fast low level attack plane. You need to have a slightly different approach to your target than with a level bomber.

I try to approach the target with only about 8K of alt. That's alt *above ground level*. Find that by adding 8K to the elevation of the base you're going to hit. The reason I'm that low is that I don't want to gain too much speed in my dive. The A-20 will start to shed its tail surfaces at over 400 mph with no input so you don't want to get near that speed. Your ideal drop speed I've found to be 325mph. Getting too high you'll gain too much speed in your dive and you won't drop accurately. Low level attack. That's the A-20's game.

OK the technique:

Close to the target until you're able to make a long, straight 40-60 degree dive. From level flight chop the throttle and nose over. Open your bay doors. Keep the speed as close to 325 as you can. Stand on the rudder if need be. In the center of your windshield you'll see the gun sight. Under that there's a little green post that sticks up ahead of the windscreen. Use the tip of that post as your bomb sight. In your dive keep your target steady on the tip of that post. Pickle your bomb at about 2K and pull out. If you get a little faster than 325 your impact point will drift down the post.

That works best for me. I'm usually able to kill a VH in one pass no problem with bombs left over for the town.

You can practice with this technique the same way I found it. Offline turn on the dive bomb sight. (clipboard/setup/arena settings/flight mode flags/check the dive bomb sight box). That'll bring up a little green cross that will show where your bombs will hit if you pickled them now. The dive bomb sight is turned on all the time online in the TA only.

     Good luck.

       Drano

Thanks for that info!  I tested it offline and it worked great!  One thing that I'll have to remember is to use the heavier bombs because the hanger showed it was hit, but wasn't destroyed.

[pellik]

My favorite method for any dive bomber (though usually I use it with 38s and f4us) is to fly over my target, which is almost always a VH, with about 10k alt over the base. When you're approaching the target flip inverted and get the thing centered in front of you. Look straight up (down, you're inverted) and when it is in the center of your screen cut throttle and dive straight at it. With your target in your gunsite give your plane a good five seconds to be sure its heading straight down and release bombs. You can do this in anything with bombs and get hits directly on your target every time, no guess-work.

-pellik

[Drano]

Originally posted by sonar732
Thanks for that info!  I tested it offline and it worked great!  One thing that I'll have to remember is to use the heavier bombs because the hanger showed it was hit, but wasn't destroyed.

Yeah I always fly fully bombed up with 8x500 pounders. I have my salvo set to 2 or 1 (I have the commands mapped to buttons on my stick). I drop 5 of them on the VH and then one at a time as needed in the town.

Also I usually fly with 50% fuel which is more than enough for a basic attack run. 25% would be sufficient but once I've lost the eggs I still have 2100 rounds of ammo with which I can--uhh--"suppress" any NME that might be thinking of flying from that base. The extra fuel gives me time to loiter.

You'll find that once the eggs are gone and fuel is under a quarter tank the A-20 is a pretty fair turner too.

       Drano

[Drano]

Originally posted by pellik
My favorite method for any dive bomber (though usually I use it with 38s and f4us) is to fly over my target, which is almost always a VH, with about 10k alt over the base. When you're approaching the target flip inverted and get the thing centered in front of you. Look straight up (down, you're inverted) and when it is in the center of your screen cut throttle and dive straight at it. With your target in your gunsite give your plane a good five seconds to be sure its heading straight down and release bombs. You can do this in anything with bombs and get hits directly on your target every time, no guess-work.

-pellik

 

Problem with this is the A-20's tendency to rip its wings on the pullout from verticle. Its not all that durable in that regard. I use the verticle method in everything else that I fly tho. Prolly because I never bothered to take the time to find a method in those like I did with the A-20.

    Drano

[rod367th]

A20 sucks  can't even fight its way out of a paper bag. takes every bomb on board just to kill a m3. Don't fly it its a waste of metal/...............................

[NOJACK]

NOT  Works for me.  NOJACK

[MaddogJoe]

I do all my bombing in the A20. If you fly it like a slow P38 you'll do great. It can hit any targetfrom ack all the way up to hangs with GVs being a sweet target in the middle. The biggest trick in it is to slow as much as possible before the drop. This way your not going so fast after the drop that you rip the airilons off. If you do have to make a high speed pass, come in on as shallow an angle as you can, and drop later than you ussually do...under the nose like As you fly out the other side be very gentle on the stick and let it "boom" till the speed drops off before you start any turning.

As a fighter the A20 can surprize a lot of people. Its tuff and has a good set of guns in the nose. Use flaps, and it will out turn alot of planes  

[B17Skull12]

A20G and the Boston are the exact same plame maybe different engines.   If you want level bombing the Boston has a bombsite you can use, but it comes with 6 303 cals instead of 6 50 CALS.  I like the bostons better for some reason, but im weird.   I only use A20 for GV dive bombing attacks.