German Air Burst Bombs

[Gothkrieger]

In UP3.0 RC2 the German air burst bombs, how are they deployed? Been dropping them on parked airplanes with poor results so I am sure I am not doing something right.

[Jabo]

Check with Jedipedia, there's bound to be some info there about this subject. After all, there is about everything else...

[Gothkrieger]

Thanks Jabo

Humm, is there really a location in this site called that? Went looking for anything that I thought was similar in topic like IL2 help related but no luck.

By the way, there are actual websites online by that name, deals with Star Wars of course. I looked.

[Jediteo]

Goth, Jabo is referring me being Jedipedia (don't know where that comes from)

German cluster munitions (prefix AB-) are fairly useful against tanks, but more so against parked aircraft and vehicles. They are slightly difficult to use in Il2, with it being slightly difficult to calculate the impact point. With a unitary warhead, as we know, it is rather straight-forward. You release the bomb and it follows a projectile motion, which with a bit of practice can be applied with a fair degree of success. However, the problem with the cluster munitions is that they burst about a second after dropping from the rail (assuming no bomb delay set in the arming screen) and thereby produce a swarm of tiny bomblets that will shower the target. While this in theory sounds easy enough, in practice it proves slightly more challenging.

The most common approach seen in flying il2 when dropping bombs is a form of glide bombing, but with a relatively low dive-angle (about 20-30 degrees) and the low altitude of the approach. This is fine when dropping HE or general purpose bombs (it really isn't but this is where the 2-seconds fuse whining comes from, unless you are packing Mk82 snake-eyes or something), however cluster munitions need altitude and time to deploy properly.

The capsule (container) opens after about a second and distributes the bomblets, this requires at least 3-4 seconds of flight for the bomb to establish a decent deployment pattern. The longer the canister has been opened, the larger the pattern. Too short a flight and you get a very concentrated burst, too long a flight and all you get as a few 1kg bomblets spread over a large area, which will not yield very good results.

My suggestion is to dive in at about 700-1000 meters AGL (2500-3000ft) and dive in at about 60-70 degrees. Keep the target area in your gun-sight and when it passed below the reticule, drop the bomb (this will be at about 3-400 meters AGL). The bomb being its projectile motion and deploy its contents within a few seconds, thereby giving it ample time to get a decent area of effect. Practice against a variety of targets and after a while you should develop a feel for how the bomblets spread and at what altitude to drop the bombs for various types and layouts of targets.

A single AB250 or AB500 can be rather weak, so do not expect them to be nearly as effective as a modern (post 1960s) cluster bomb. They can be very good weapons with a bit of practice, however Il2 does not model smaller amounts of explosives very well. Most targets are better prosecuted with SC250 or 500 with HE unitary warheads.

They can be quite a bit of fun though, and with practice and experience can be effectively deployed against soft-skinned vehicles and parked aircraft with a high degree of success.

[Gothkrieger]

Thanks. I have copied and printed your instructions and now have to go practice. I was dropping it way too high for one thing. I think this bomb is not affected by the time delay for detonation but I will set it to zero anyways. I believe that should be OK in this case. If understand the idea of the bomblets traveling in a similar way toward earth as an actual bomb would. This is a kind of shotgun bombing; we are still aiming the trajectory that the bomblets will travel, though being lighter will probably travel less far and drop sooner. Do I understand that correct?

[Jediteo]

The vertical component of a projectile motion is more of less constant (9.8ms^2), but the horizontal velocity will decrease slightly when the canister opens. In other word, they will drop slightly shorter than you think.

The only way of getting it right is to practice, cluster munitions without CCIP sights are quite diffcult to use.

[Jabo]

See what I mean Goth?

Jabo

[Friar]

@ jabo

[Streak]

The jedipedia is an awesome power!

[Jabo]

Jedipedia WTF (oops) FTW!!

[DD_Fenrir]

It's his manner of imparting the information that so impresses; concise without sterility; elegant use of vocabulary without resorting to verbiosity; a touch of dry and slightly wry humour but subtly couched; and of course the tiniest hint of condescension which is nullified by the affable air of a professor addressing his favoured student.

He'll either become a professor of history or a Bond villain. I'm leaning towards the latter.

[BluBear]

...stroking his pussy?...

(i'll get m'coat)

[Gothkrieger]

I welcome the help, from professor or spy.

[Tribunus]

[i think this bomb is not affected by the time delay for detonation

In my experience with dropping German time delay bombs from Stukas, (using a high angle dive as Allah intended), the time delay that you set is very important to a successful attack.

The time delay you set becomes in effect a time fuse. If you have the time delay set for 2 seconds, the bomb will explode two seconds after it is release. If you release it high it will explode high and as Jedi described deposit sub-munitions over a very wide area. The opposite is true if you set the time delay for too long of a time. The bomb will explode too close to the ground and you will not get a good spread of the sub-munitions.

Now I will say that all of my experience with the delay action bombs was before they added the new 2 second arming time. So adjustments might have to be made.

So Jedi is correct when he says that “The only way of getting it right is to practice”

And for the record, I vote for vote for Bond villain.