Auto Mode (CCRP) Unguided

[testudine2002]

I'm a new player. I've been having fun dropping all kinds of ordinances on this one heavily armored tank I made. I've destroyed him with JDAMS, JSOWS, GBU's, CBU's, and even a bunch of MK82's.

 

My problem is that I can only get kills with the unguided MK82 bombs in CCIP and Manuel mode. I'm pretty sure I am doing everything correctly in Auto Mode, but it just won't hit. I've tried a lot of different ideas in Auto Mode like varying the ripple quantity, I tried from different altitudes between 8,000 and 15,000 feet, I designated my target 3 different ways (TOO, TPOD, and HUD), and I have no wind blowing at all.

 

So I have a few questions:

 

a) Is this normal? Dropping 8 MK82's all different ways and not being able to take out a single, isolated tank?

b) Am I just using the wrong tool for the job? This type of drop might be meant for large areas. Maybe trying to hit one little tank is not good for unguided Auto Mode?

c) Does learning and practicing dropping unguided bombs have any real, practical purpose in gameplay, or do people mostly use laser guided bombs on their missions. This isn't the 1940's after all.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Harker]

A) AUTO (CCRP) has a tendency to be a little off in the DCS Hornet right now. Try with the Mk-83, it might give a more accurate solution for that. Also, try dropping during a 30-45 degree dive (roll into the dive, don't push the stick forward for negative G's).

B) Which tank are you talking about? If it's something like the T-90, you shouldn't expect a Mk-82 to do much with anything other than a direct hit, in DCS. IRL, you could achieve a mission kill if you took out a track, for example, but the ground unit damage model is not that detailed in DCS (it'd be too computationally expensive). Ground units are mostly either active or destroyed. Furthermore, shrapnel and blast effects are very simply modeled.

So, AUTO can get you close enough for a mission kill IRL, but you need mostly direct hits on armor in DCS to get results.

C) Pilots certainly train with unguided bombs. It really depends on the target, the air defense threats in the area, the available ordnance etc.

[testudine2002]

I tried your suggestions. It is still very hard to get a direct hit in Auto Mode in the F18. I also thought that this mode was meant for level flight more than dive-bombing?

 

I still have almost a dozen ways to blow this T-90 up. I'm just a comletionist, and it bothers me that I can't get CCRP to work well.

[AvroLanc]

I tried your suggestions. It is still very hard to get a direct hit in Auto Mode in the F18. I also thought that this mode was meant for level flight more than dive-bombing?

 

I still have almost a dozen ways to blow this T-90 up. I'm just a comletionist, and it bothers me that I can't get CCRP to work well.

 

Use the TGP to find and designate small targets such as Tanks. Use AUTO mode it works fine. AUTO is very much for dive deliveries as well as level.

[Preendog]

Besides issues with targeting, I think it makes sense that AUTO would suck more than CCIP.

 

AUTO releases when the cue is reached, whether you are perfectly lined up or not. It's always going to be a little bit off. Even if the fall line is directly in the center of the cue, pixel perfect, there is still some small error. If you are level bombing, this small error will get compounded by the long bomb fall time.

 

Using CCIP, you see exactly where the bomb will go, and can confirm your aim is perfect, visually. If it's not perfect, you have plenty of time to correct until it's just right, and only release when you want to. You necessarily release in a dive, which is way more accurate, both because time of fall is less and because the bomb's trajectory is more vertical (at least 2-3x more accurate depending on your dive angle and speed).

 

With AUTO you sort of hope that you are lined up perfect when you hit the release point, and the computer happens to release at the right time. If anything is slightly off, there is no opportunity to fix it, the bomb goes anyway. You need <5m precision to reliably kill T-90 with MK-82 and that doesn't seem likely with even the tiniest error.

[AvroLanc]

Besides issues with targeting, I think it makes sense that AUTO would suck more than CCIP.

 

AUTO releases when the cue is reached, whether you are perfectly lined up or not. It's always going to be a little bit off. Even if the fall line is directly in the center of the cue, pixel perfect, there is still some small error. If you are level bombing, this small error will get compounded by the long bomb fall time.

 

Using CCIP, you see exactly where the bomb will go, and can confirm your aim is perfect, visually. If it's not perfect, you have plenty of time to correct until it's just right, and only release when you want to. You necessarily release in a dive, which is way more accurate, both because time of fall is less and because the bomb's trajectory is more vertical (at least 2-3x more accurate depending on your dive angle and speed).

 

With AUTO you sort of hope that you are lined up perfect when you hit the release point, and the computer happens to release at the right time. If anything is slightly off, there is no opportunity to fix it, the bomb goes anyway. You need <5m precision to reliably kill T-90 with MK-82 and that doesn't seem likely with even the tiniest error.

 

But CCIP requires you fly the bomb fall line accurately over the target and pickle at precisely the correct moment.....

 

Both methods require good flying and roll in technique. There's a reason why AUTO is used most often in RL.

[Preendog]

But CCIP requires you fly the bomb fall line accurately over the target and pickle at precisely the correct moment.....

 

Both methods require good flying and roll in technique. There's a reason why AUTO is used most often in RL.

 

Nah mans, you can hover the CCIP over the target all day and only release when you want. Only condition is that you have to be slightly positive G at release to not die.

 

But I don't doubt that CCRP is is better IRL, and CCIP is probably way overmodelled. DCS F-18 CCIP gives 9/10 direct hits on vehicles from 15000ft with a little practice, and that's just lol.