bombsite display

[dkff49]

I don't know how manytimes I have dropped the wrong bombs on a target when using a bomber with multiple sized bombs. How about dispaying the bombs that are selected while in the bombsite. maybe they could just add another line under the salvo and delay.

[Denholm]

I wouldn't mind it being added. Seems to me some people are just lazy.

[dkff49]

I wouldn't mind it being added. Seems to me some people are just lazy.

not lazy i just forget to look until after dropping bombs.

I would call it lapse of thought.

but we can't all be perfect though

[WWhiskey]

i would like this as well!! i have notice before that if you go too guns for a moment then go back to cockpit then bombsight without looking, the bomb selection will change back to the default bombs!

[Yossarian]

i would like this as well!! i have notice before that if you go too guns for a moment then go back to cockpit then bombsight without looking, the bomb selection will change back to the default bombs!

I haven't noticed it, but this would be a nice feature to have.

For anyone who disagrees on the grounds of realism:
We already have the 'laser-guided' bombs, so we might as well have this.

[mensa180]

By that same logic, "We already have auto take off, we should have auto landing", or "We already have the 262 why not the P-80?".

[dkff49]

i would like this as well!! i have notice before that if you go too guns for a moment then go back to cockpit then bombsight without looking, the bomb selection will change back to the default bombs!

Switching between guns and bombsite is the reason that I think this is a good idea.

As far as realism. The bombardier had a control board or box that woul dhave shown him what bombs were selected anyway. All he would have had to do is look up from bombsite for a second and know which bomb positions in bomb bay translated to what size bombs. Now I know complete realism is not going to be met in game. But I would actually be happy even if we could look up from bombsite using the numberpad 8 button and see the bombs selected. At least then it would be only while holding the button down instead of having to switch positions. I use the numberpad buttons often in bombsite anyway.

The only reason I mention putting it in text under the other information in the bombsite was it would be easier for HT to add it here than anywhere else.

included below is a picture showing the bombardier controls from a B25 taken through the nose during WWII weekend in Reading, PA this past weekend. It shows the indicator lights showing the bombs selected and I also looked at some bombardier controls from B17's online and they would have also been able to tell at glance what bombs were selected. Without having to get in pilots position or asking pilot to look.



I have a question though. There was no one close at the time i took this picture to ask. If you look slosely at the above pic, you will see a row of lights on each side above lettering that says left wing and right wing. This bombardier control again is from B25 (not sure which model). Were some of the b25's capable of carrying wing mounted ords or were the controls just made to have mutliple uses and could have been used in different applications?

 

[Yossarian]

By that same logic, "We already have auto take off, we should have auto landing", or "We already have the 262 why not the P-80?".

Seeeeeeeeeee???   Someone agrees with me!!!


But seriously, why not have this feature?  If you oppose it on the grounds of realism, I'd say it's perfectly possible just to pretend it's not there, and go back to your cockpit anyway.

[MachNix]

The bomb control panel will only show that a bomb station is load but does not tell you the size of the bomb.  That information would be written on a card or placard somewhere.  Knowing the size was not a problem if all the bombs where the same.  This does become a problem when using a mix of bombs.  An example would be the Lanc with its mix of 6 x 2000lb and 3 x 500lb bombs.  If I remember correctly, at one time you could drop 3 2000 pounders, but then had to drop a couple of 500 pounders before you could get the rest of the 2000 pounders to drop.  It could have been a bug but I figured it was just the order the bombs where placed on the racks – the lowest bomb on the rack has to go first.

Since the bombardier is doing the dropping, bomb selection information should be available at the bombardier station.

[dkff49]

I see what you are saying about the lights showing what stations are used, but the bombardier would be able to look at the switches used to select the station to drop to see which ones are selected.

I know you said you agree that this information should be available to the bombardier position, I just wanted to let you know that I do see what you are saying and that all I was trying to say that it would have been known to the bombardier what is selected.

Just out of curiosity though how often would the bombers make multiple drops in a sortie anyway, where they would have had multiple sized bombs?

and

Has anyone come up with an answer to the question I asked in the post with the pic about the wing mounted ords on B25?

 

[Yossarian]

I found a website from a link on this forum recently which had pictures of 5" rockets on B-25 wing points   

I'll try and find it again.

[Noir]

The bomb control panel will only show that a bomb station is load but does not tell you the size of the bomb.  That information would be written on a card or placard somewhere.  Knowing the size was not a problem if all the bombs where the same.  This does become a problem when using a mix of bombs.  An example would be the Lanc with its mix of 6 x 2000lb and 3 x 500lb bombs.  If I remember correctly, at one time you could drop 3 2000 pounders, but then had to drop a couple of 500 pounders before you could get the rest of the 2000 pounders to drop.  It could have been a bug but I figured it was just the order the bombs where placed on the racks – the lowest bomb on the rack has to go first.

Since the bombardier is doing the dropping, bomb selection information should be available at the bombardier station.

I thought the lancaster had no racks. Makes sense when you see the length of the bomb bay.

[Yossarian]

Found it!!

http://www.tarrif.net/wwii/guides/a2g_rockets_2.htm

Scroll down to the bit about the US 5" rockets, and look at the picture...

[MachNix]

The bombardier did not have the ability to select an individual station using the panel shown.  He would open doors, set Arm/Safe switch to Arm, and switch the Bomb Bay switch to On.  Then with each bomb release pulse, the bomb from the lowest numbered station that was loaded would drop.  The sequence was left to right and then up the rack.  For example, if 1000 pounders where loaded on stations 1 and 2, and 500 pounders where loaded on stations 3 and 4, there was no way of dropping the 500 pounders before dropping the 2 1000 pounders and clearing the lower stations.  Even if station 1 had a 1000 pounder and station 2 had a 500 pounder, you could not bypass station 1 and drop the 500 pounder at station 2 first.  You could not change the order once the bombs where loaded and there where physical constraints on which size bomb could fit at each station.  Aces High has done away with all that for the sake of playability.  By selecting the size bomb you want to drop in flight, you are essentially changing the order the bombs where loaded on the racks before you took off.   How often a bomber took a mix of bombs in real life, I don’t know.  But they would have to know what size bomb was required for each target and the order the targets would be attacked to know how to load the bomb bay – munitions match mission requirements.

As far as the Lancaster, with their long bomb bays, they may have had more flexibility in selecting which bomb to drop.

Good find on the 5” rockets on the B-25.  Probably worth another “wish.”

But just to stay on topic, they should display the bomb size selected (with the number remaining) at the bombardier’s postion.