Dive bombing best practices

[Leviathan667]

Hi,

 

I'd like us to share our tips and clues on how to perform acurate dive bombing runs with the SB/71.

 

1. I'll typically get to 30° off the target heading at 15 km at mach 0.85-0.95
2. At about 7 km from the target, I pull up about 4G,  set AB to zone 3, and start looking to the side to visually acquire the target
3. When the target comes within sight or the general area where it is (if it is too small  to be spotted early on), I start to roll until the target passes behind the upper mirror
4. Then I make an opposite roll to align the plane on the axis to the target, and have the target at the centre of the HUD
5. I quickly put the dot over the target or slightly before the target and press the weapons unsafe button  (the diving angle slowly increases as the computed impact point  for the bombs is a few degrees below the plane's flight path)
6. When the wings appear on the HUD, I pickle
7. If I want the bombs to hit targets over an extended area (e.g. when the  target is a convoy of vehicles following each other), I pull the stick while releasing them. Otherwise I keep the dot on the target
8. After the bombs  are released, I start to disengage, usually low and toward a preplanned escape route

 

I do not know how to precisely calculate what constitues a successful run. The bombs almost always fall where I intend them to or very close. But the amount of damage caused to the target can vary significantly. Bridges and buildings are easy targets and are always destroyed. The damage caused to vehicle columns can vary significantly as the bombs can fall between vehicles or as they fall a few meters to the right or to the left.

 

There's always room for improvement. So I'd like to hear how you do  it.

 

 

 

[TOViper]

Wasn't it in the past that we had to pull up with 4g's while the bombs are released?

Anyway, during the last months I had same results with DYK when performing the steps you described above.

 

[Machalot]

What altitudes do you start at, pull up to, and expect to drop by? 

 

What are your initial and final dive angles?

 

Do you maintain Mach 0.8-0.9 during the dive?  I figured since it is dive bombing, the speed doesn't have as much of an effect on the projected distance.  and you need to pull up at the end, a little slower would be better.

 

I find the steering cue appears, moves, and disappears to quickly for me to respond to it.  Do you have better results?

[Leviathan667]

On 1/26/2021 at 5:14 PM, TOViper said:

Wasn't it in the past that we had to pull up with 4g's while the bombs are released?

Anyway, during the last months I had same results with DYK when performing the steps you described above.

 

 

Yes, I remember this part. Even in mode plan with LD bombs. But somehow it turned out not to be accurate?

 

On 1/26/2021 at 8:37 PM, Machalot said:

What altitudes do you start at, pull up to, and expect to drop by? 

 

What are your initial and final dive angles?

 

Do you maintain Mach 0.8-0.9 during the dive?  I figured since it is dive bombing, the speed doesn't have as much of an effect on the projected distance.  and you need to pull up at the end, a little slower would be better.

 

I find the steering cue appears, moves, and disappears to quickly for me to respond to it.  Do you have better results?

 

I start v. low: 50m AGL

pulling up to 600  / 1200 m approx. It's mostly a matter of distance × time it takes you to visually acquire the target (the target point on the HUD may help here when your plane did not suffer too much INS drift)

Dropping by: I don't  pay attention to this. I follow the HUD symbology. The targeting computer calculates the appropriate time to pickle given your pitch, angle, speed and distance to target. So all of these may vary.

Yes, I maintain mach 0.85 - 0.95. I try to get as close to being transsonic without crossing that line (you don't want your aircraft to become unstable at this moment). The faster, the least vulnerable and the farthest you can drop your bombs.

 

 

Regarding the steering cues: it's all about your plane's speed and how fast you align your plane with the target. You have to be quick. You only have a few seconds to find a firing solution. And you want  to minimize the time you spend being vulnerable (the pop up part is the one you want  to minimize).

 

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by Leviathan667

[Machalot]

2 hours ago, Leviathan667 said:

Dropping by: I don't  pay attention to this. I follow the HUD symbology. The targeting computer calculates the appropriate time to pickle given your pitch, angle, speed and distance to target. So all of these may vary.

 

I know, follow the queues.  I was asking just for comparison purposes.  I often see the collision warning bars (vertical bars on either side of center that indicate dangerously low altitude) show up right on the HUD at about the same time as the weapon release queue (wings).  I figured I must be doing something wrong.

[Leviathan667]

There's a book called System 37 that has a chapter on Viggen tactics  (see p. 92 for dive bombing).  If anything, the swedes made shallow dives (-7 ° pitch approx.).

 

Check here for an english translation:

 

 

According to M. Hilmerby, an ex Swedish air force Viggen pilot, the tactics used IRL do not work the same way in DCS:

 

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Leviathan667