Bombsite

[mookdog]

 How do I practice Manual Bombsite Calibration?

[Ghosth]

The level bombing method explained (by Kweassa)
Before we start, please do FORGET, all the glory moments you had before 1.10 where you would happily pick out every single fighter hangar and merrily knock them out at dweebish altitudes of 35k.
Level bombing is destruction by sheer brute force. Mighty multi-engine buffs do not pick out a single dot on the surface and pin it down. They select the whole area and smash it to smithereens.
I see people complaining that the new bombing model is not "accurate", "buffs are useless" and on and on………
Nothing is strange about these complaints. How can one expect it to be useful and accurate when you don't know how to do it?
Three buff boxes are accurate enough as to pick out a small 3 square mile area and pulverize whatever it is standing on it. If you are expecting to pick out a 30 square feet area, you're in the wrong plane. Try a Dauntless or D3A1 Val.
Here is the plane of choice for my demonstration on level-bombing: The Ju-88A
lets start the lessons.
1. Salvo and Delay
With the dot commands ".salvo" and ".delay", you can determine the amount of bombs dropped at a single pass, and the delay between bomb drops. This is the first thing you must do before going into a bomb run.
Now, as I told you, if you want effective brute force, forget all those "drop three here, drop three there" you were used to. Unless you've got way too much time in your hands and have nothing else to do, a level bombing run is one-pass event. Set salvo to maximum number of bombs you have.
The delay determines how much the bombs are spread out. A delay of about 0.75 covers a length of 3~4 mile long line which the bombs will be scattered about. Usually, the strat targets in AH requires a delay of no more than 0.75 since they aren't very large. Set delay between about 0.60 ~ 0.70.
2. Starting the Bomb Run
As I said earlier on, forget all the bombings you used to do. Level bombing does not pass over a target at 300mph, drop 3 bombs, turn on a dime, drop 3 more. Bomb runs are required.
A bomb run begins at about 6~8 miles prior to target. The desired altitude is between 10k~18k, any lower than that you are cannon fodder, any higher and don't expect any sort of 'good accuracy'. When a bomb run starts, you will approach at the target in a straight line at a stable speed. Accelerations or decelerations will kill off whatever calibration you've attempted - and this is the reason why a bomb run requires at least 6~8 miles. Starting a bomb run closer than that will not give you enough time to calibrate the sights.



(If your airspeed is too high, you will inevitably throttle down to buy enough time to calibrate. The buff will be slowing down as you calibrate, and thus, the speed when you drop the bombs will not be the same as the speed you calibrated the sights).
Set up a straight flight path, and set to about 75~80% maximum throttle.

3. Jump to the sight
After your buff formation reaches a steady speed and flight path, jump to the bomb sight by pressing (default) F6. You will see the familiar bomb sight, but there will also be a red checklist displayed - required for correct calibration process.

4. Beginning Calibration
Press the "U" key to begin calibration process. You'll notice the red check list has changed colors to yellow. In this checklist, the keys you have set for "Calibration mode ON/OFF" and "Mark target" are displayed.

5. Searching for the Target
Once the calibration mode starts, you can move the joystick around without moving the aircraft. With the joystick, you are able to move the bomb sight around.

Push up on the joy stick and try to look at the terrain before you. Spot out your target and set your cross hairs on it.

6. Marking the target
In the "marking" process, you are actually measuring the relative speed between the target and your plane. That's why you should never ever think of messing with the flight path or air speed once the bomb run starts.

When you have found your target, and have placed the cross hairs on it, zoom in with the "Z" key and control the zoom level(preferably maximum zoom) with "[" and "]" keys.

Once it is maximum zoomed in, press the (default) "Y" key for more than 2 seconds. Make sure the cross hairs don't move while you are doing this.




7. Setting Drop Altitude
Once you have successfully 'marked' the target, press the "ESC" key to bring up the clipboard. You don't necessarily have to go out of the bomber position to do this. Bring up the clipboard and control zoom on the map by using "Insert" and "Delete" function keys.

Then, click at the target on the map to set the drop altitude. The cross hairs may have moved out of the target, but once the marking process was finished, this doesn't matter.

8. "Bomb Bay Doors Open!"
Once you have both 'marked the target and set drop altitude, press the "O" key to open bomb bay doors. This is the last process you must go through in the calibration mode (in real life, the bomb bay doors will be opened up before calibration starts. you can choose to open the bomb bay doors first, too. The difference in accuracy isn't affected by much). Once the doors are open, you will notice all the red checklists have now turned yellow - meaning you have finished everything that is to be done at the calibration mode.

9. "Ready To Drop!"
Press the (default) "U" key once again to turn off the calibration mode and return to your normal bomb sight mode. You will see all the check list has turned green, meaning you are ready to start bombing.

You will also notice that the cross hairs have reverted to their original position. But this, is now your bomb sight which has been calibrated according to your flight data. You will drop bombs according to this bomb sight.
10. "Ready..."
Now you wait until the calibrated bomb sight moves close to the target.
11. "Aim...."
As the sight nears the target, use the "Z" "[" and "]" keys to control the zoom level.
12. "Fire....!"
Now is the time to drop! Remember, this is level bombing, nor a pin-point bombing. This sort of bombing covers an "area" not a "point". Therefore, you should start bombing when the cross hair reaches about the point circled out in the picture.

13. Viewing the Drop
Once you've pushed the drop button, the bombs will fall in an orderly fashion. After you hear bombs dropping out of the door, you may push the (default) "U" key to go to calibration mode again and see the bombs dropping in a very immersive/realistic manner. (Since the "drop bombs" button is pushed already, going into calibration will not effect the bombing results. The only thing which will effect the results are change in the bombers speed, flight path or altitude).

14. The Results
In the calibration mode, you will be able to observe the extent of damage done to the target. (In the picture, the impact starts right in the middle of the target. This is because when I was making this demonstration I dropped the bombs a little late - when the calibrated sight was right in the middle of the target.. I should have began dropping the bombs when it was at the position circled out earlier on)

Observe the results. Now, based on the picture, imagine what it would be like if there were just two more pilots, each in a 3-plane bomber box, to my left and right.
It would have smothered the whole area with bomb craters.

The new bombing model is not "inaccurate". The only way it would be inaccurate is if the people using it does not know how to do it correctly, that's all there is to it.

I reckon try practicing a bit before commenting about it.... and once more, FORGET what you were used to. This is something new. Adapt to it.

Sorry no pics

[mookdog]

 Ghost,I think I understand the method.I just don't know how or where to go to practice.The TA and Offline
are both set to Auto Calibration.Being able to run through the process a few times will help set in my mind.

[Ghosth]

Choose a terrain (can be the TA terrain, or whatever) then go offline.

esc, options, arena setup, enviorment, arena settings.
Scroll down to flightmodeflags, click change.

Uncheck the autocalibrate bombsight

Your good to go

[forHIM]

I thought the AVA was manual calibration.  You may want to try there.

[mookdog]

 Am writing this before trying the advice.Ghosth,flightmodeflags...was my second guess,maybe third. Will try both.Thank You both.In every day,in every way,i'm getting better and better.So
theysay.

[Flushed]

I am always wide and to the right when level bombing. With all bombers in every arena and offline except the TA. I do all the steps Ghost mentions but my eggs always fall far to the right of my intended target.

I also posted this in the help and training BBS in AH2 before reading this. Maybe there is a step I'm missing. I've been practicing this offline trying to hit a CV but got frustrated and decided to move to land targets but most times I miss the whole base to the right.

[Ghosth]

Flushed someone else just posted that they have the exact same problem. Always wide to the right.

He too said it didn't happen in the TA. I think I'm going to contact him, see if we can get the 3 of us together in Midwar some night so we can figure out whats going on.

Flushed do you have rudder pedals?

Any chance your putting pressure on one (or have a minor spike in one) after calibration?

[Flushed]

wgmount is me. I have figured out what i was doing wrong in calibration. I was not hitting the u key a second time after holding down the y key. i can hit the base now just not much else. i dropped 20 bombs on a vbase offline and only hit the radar. I would be happy to join you to help me with this. now my trouble is getting lined up to smash good stuff but i'll keep practicing offline. just let me know when you want to do it. I am available every day and night this week.

I posted that then came in here and saw mookdogs question about calibration and printed and read your post then went through the steps again.

[Ghosth]

LOL I figured it out after reading your reply on the AH bbs.

DUH moment.

Yeah lets get you and you together with me.

[mookdog]

 Ghosth,I followed your instructions,and it worked(as I thought it would).Thanks for the help.

[Flushed]

It worked for me to as long as I did all the steps. I still don't understand what is meant by marking the target on the map though. I was able to de-ack most of a medium field with a delay of 1.00 still can't get any ords onto a CV though so still need practice with that. At least I can hit the ground now

[mookdog]

 forHIM,you are correct also.AvA has Manual Calibration,limited bomber set though.Thanks.

[forHIM]

Mark the target elevation by bringing up the clipboard, zoom in to the base/strat you are attacking/bombing and click where you will be dropping your ord.  This will set the elevation of your point of impact you are calibrating for.  So if the town is 300 feet higher than the base and you click on the base, your bombs will be short on town assuming proper calibration.

[JDog]

Question,   How do I line up on a target?  On the base is easy, but how do I make those final small adjustment to get on the target?   

Is it that when I'm in calibration and I put the crosshair on my target and hit Y, my plane is in auto pilot to that point?  That seems to be my issue with high bombing, getting on the actual target  ie hanger.

[Flushed]

When i found out you could turn the site up to see your target and zoom in it was easier to line up. you can do this at the edge of the radar ring and move just the site to your target. I finally smashed all hangars today on the big pad of a medium airbase in one pass from 12k alt.

[Ghosth]

Jdog, once your calibrated, and back in the bombsight any rudder action will slowly turn the plane.
Thus allowing you to correct your line to pick up a target.

However, it is entirely possible that it might slow the plane a mile or 2 per.
Now that won't be enough to throw you off a lot.
Probably not even 1/4 of the width of a hanger.
 
So just make sure crosshairs are centered on target when you drop.
Chances are you'll be close enough.

Calibrated speed will be faster than actual, so bombs will fall slightly short. (I think)
Partly depends on how high your bombing from and how small and tough your target is.

The other thing I do is to go to external view when the target first comes into sight.
Line up my plane with the target. This ensures that I will at least overfly the center of my target.
Making any corrections needed small.

Then jump in, calibrate, balance speed, and drop.