Setting Up Bombing Runs

Just got into DCS about 4 months ago. Love it. Started messing with the mission editor and I'm extremely frustrated. I've been creating scenarios with one or two units just to experiment and see what everything does.

My most recent frustration is the behavior of the AI bombing. First, I can't seem to get the aircraft to make a straight run over a target. I get a lot of circling and going around. For example, I set up a bombing run by 2 B-1s on an airfield. To keep it simple, it is a straight run from the spawn 500kts, 30,000ft. I set the bombing trigger on the way point about 10 miles prior, with the triangle on the target, set to drop all bombs, 1 pass.

What I get is B-1's breaking right prior to the bomb drop zone, circling, making a pass 90 degrees out from my desired path and then it drops one or two bombs and circles for another pass. This is the case no matter what kind of aircraft I use, B1, B52, f14. All loaded out with mk82 only.

I'll save my struggles of getting attack helicopters to behave properly for later.

Back the IP up, a LOT.

30+ NM or more for their run on to the target.

Back the IP up, a LOT.

 

30+ NM or more for their run on to the target.

Nice, that helps with the flight path but I still have the problem of only one bomb being released instead of the whole payload. Any thoughts?

Nice, that helps with the flight path but I still have the problem of only one bomb being released instead of the whole payload. Any thoughts?

There are drop downs under the “Bombing” action where you can tell the aircraft what quantity of stores to drop and in how many passes, so set it to ALL and ONE and it should unload a full stick.

I’ve made BUFFs unload all 32 Mk-82s in one pass and if you get the pattern length just right ( it’s in meters in the ME) you can devastate an entire ramp in one pass!

I also advise you to use the "direction from" option. This will allow you to accurately set at which angle you want the AI to drop their bombs

The other thing you can do is place a waypoint AFTER the point where you placed the “Bomb Action” triangle in line with the desired attack axis and the AI should drop along the line from the IP to the Target and then extend out to the next waypoint.

There are drop downs under the “Bombing” action where you can tell the aircraft what quantity of stores to drop and in how many passes, so set it to ALL and ONE and it should unload a full stick.

 

I’ve made BUFFs unload all 32 Mk-82s in one pass and if you get the pattern length just right ( it’s in meters in the ME) you can devastate an entire ramp in one pass!

I moved the IP and got a bomb run as planned during tests so that is squared away. It seems however that my instructions for quantity or the mission editor itself may be broken. If you look at the screen shot in my OP, you can see I have it set to drop ALL in 1 pass. It never works, even with different AC types. What am I missing?

Try “Carpet Bomb” as the action

Try “Carpet Bomb” as the action

Didn't work for me. I'm not one to file bug reports as the problem usually lies between my chair and the keyboard.But something is definitely broken in my mission editor as the bombers that I've tested, B1, B52 and f-14, refuse to follow quantity of bomb and number of pass orders. Seems to be stuck on one or two bombs from the lead aircraft and continuous passes until Winchester or bingo.

Hmmm...

Yeah, that’s odd.

There are drop downs under the “Bombing” action where you can tell the aircraft what quantity of stores to drop and in how many passes, so set it to ALL and ONE and it should unload a full stick.

 

I’ve made BUFFs unload all 32 Mk-82s in one pass and if you get the pattern length just right ( it’s in meters in the ME) you can devastate an entire ramp in one pass!

+1 to this advice...

also just for fun (and entirely unrealistic I'm sure) try a B1 with a mixed load of say 20 CBU-97 and 10 CBU-87. It's a sight to behold!

TBone,

Try the attached mission. Just play it out of the M.E. and see if it works. If not, try a DCS repair if you dare.

B-1_Bomb_Run_PG.miz

Something strange is going on with AI bombing actions :huh: :(

I've been putting a lot of work into this mission, but all of a sudden, the enemy aircraft I'd set to ground attack are not doing anything anymore. Everything used to work fine. I didn't even touch them (was working on some other things) and now, the enemy aircraft are ignoring their bombing action and are RTB straight away :(

Could someone please have a look at my mission please?

I placed 2 groups of MiG-21's set to "attack map object":

Group "1st attack MiG" is triggered to activate after 300 seconds

Group "2nd attack MiG" is triggered to activate after 800 seconds

As said, they used to work just fine, but now they go RTB as soon as they activate :huh:

Just when I thought everything was working good, something frustrating like this happens. I even already had the mission uploaded to the user file section (still being processed by ED luckily)

Operation Helping Hand v0.9.miz

Something strange is going on with AI bombing actions :huh: :(

 

I've been putting a lot of work into this mission, but all of a sudden, the enemy aircraft I'd set to ground attack are not doing anything anymore. Everything used to work fine. I didn't even touch them (was working on some other things) and now, the enemy aircraft are ignoring their bombing action and are RTB straight away :(

 

Could someone please have a look at my mission please?

 

I placed 2 groups of MiG-21's set to "attack map object":

Group "1st attack MiG" is triggered to activate after 300 seconds

Group "2nd attack MiG" is triggered to activate after 800 seconds

 

As said, they used to work just fine, but now they go RTB as soon as they activate :huh:

 

 

Just when I thought everything was working good, something frustrating like this happens. I even already had the mission uploaded to the user file section (still being processed by ED luckily)

Move the two groups of MiG-21 spawn points back 25-30 NM from the target. Add a WP1 in front of that point and add your bombing trigger action to that WP and remove them from WP0. Add a WP2 about 10-15 NM after your TGT area and maybe a WP3 & WP4 to get them to clear the area.

Move the two groups of MiG-21 spawn points back 25-30 NM from the target. Add a WP1 in front of that point and add your bombing trigger action to that WP and remove them from WP0. Add a WP2 about 10-15 NM after your TGT area and maybe a WP3 & WP4 to get them to clear the area.

Thanks Backy, I'll give that a go :thumbup:

Pretty strange though.. I mean it worked properly before and all of a sudden it went broken (without me touching any of it)

Something strange is going on with AI bombing actions :huh: :(

 

I've been putting a lot of work into this mission, but all of a sudden, the enemy aircraft I'd set to ground attack are not doing anything anymore. Everything used to work fine. I didn't even touch them (was working on some other things) and now, the enemy aircraft are ignoring their bombing action and are RTB straight away :(

 

Could someone please have a look at my mission please?

 

I placed 2 groups of MiG-21's set to "attack map object":

Group "1st attack MiG" is triggered to activate after 300 seconds

Group "2nd attack MiG" is triggered to activate after 800 seconds

 

As said, they used to work just fine, but now they go RTB as soon as they activate :huh:

 

 

Just when I thought everything was working good, something frustrating like this happens. I even already had the mission uploaded to the user file section (still being processed by ED luckily)

And you’re sure they’re not Bingo fuel?

We had that happen to someone a couple years ago. Couldn’t get an F-117 to complete a bombing run. Turned out the mission was actually a hair too long for the jet to fly.

Move the two groups of MiG-21 spawn points back 25-30 NM from the target. Add a WP1 in front of that point and add your bombing trigger action to that WP and remove them from WP0. Add a WP2 about 10-15 NM after your TGT area and maybe a WP3 & WP4 to get them to clear the area.

I did exactly what you suggested (oh and they have plenty of fuel for their short flight), but now they won't spawn at all :doh:

I've set the "MiG 1st attack" group to spawn after 10 seconds (for testing purposes). But even when I untag late activation they won't spawn :huh:

Sorry.. I don't want to derail this thread, but maybe these issues are caused by the "ground attack" task?

Could someone please have a look and tell me what I'm doing wrong? (I've put too much time in this mission, to just let it go to waste :()

EDIT:

Nevermind. Solved it myself, by deleting and replacing both AI MiG flights and assigned them with a "bombing" action instead of "attack map object".

Operation Helping Hand v1.1 - no briefing pics.miz

I did exactly what you suggested (oh and they have plenty of fuel for their short flight), but now they won't spawn at all :doh:

 

I've set the "MiG 1st attack" group to spawn after 10 seconds (for testing purposes). But even when I untag late activation they won't spawn :huh:

 

Sorry.. I don't want to derail this thread, but maybe these issues are caused by the "ground attack" task?

 

Could someone please have a look and tell me what I'm doing wrong? (I've put too much time in this mission, to just let it go to waste :()

 

 

 

 

EDIT:

Nevermind. Solved it myself, by deleting and replacing both AI MiG flights and assigned them with a "bombing" action instead of "attack map object".

Interesting. Should still work with either bombing action.

Interesting. Should still work with either bombing action.

Yeah, I think something else must have been wrong, because they also didn't activate (spawn)

TBone,

 

Try the attached mission. Just play it out of the M.E. and see if it works. If not, try a DCS repair if you dare.

That worked and I think I have it all ironed out on my end as well. Think I had conflicting waypoint instructions. Super appreciate the help!