tanker orbits ------ wayyyyy too large

[SDsc0rch]

request to ED... would you please make the AI tankers turn faster?

 

maybe say.. 2G turns?

 

that should tighten it up just fine

 

the tankers' orbits currently range all over the place - they're not confined to a certain area (like they need to be)

 

 

i'm referring specifically to the KC-135 but ideally all of them - we need to keep these orbits from getting too big

 

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and while i'm on this subject, this could actually be applied to all aircraft orbiting - if you look at the AI CAP patterns, they also turn too gently

 

fighters should turn like this... at 300kts turn at 2G - 350kts / 3G - 400kts / 4G

 

that way you don't get these CAP orbits that cover an entire county

 

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if people balk at a tighter turning tanker, perhaps this enhanced performance could be made a selectable menu item...

 

high performance tankers - yes/no

 

that way ppl who have trouble staying on the boom in a 2G turn can de-select that option and keep their slow, lumbering tankers

 

this has been bugging me for a long time and i'm only just now taking the time to bring it up

 

 

 

thank you very much

[Sandman1330]

I’m curious what the real life SOP is?

 

A 2G level turn requires 60 degrees of bank. This seems rather extreme for a tanker, indeed I have to wonder if a KC135 could even maintain a 60 and 2 without bleeding speed and/or altitude?

 

Maybe a bit faster could be called for, especially if no one is plugged in, but a 2G turn is probably a bit excessive :smilewink:

[TonyG]

There’s an available NATO document online (quick google search) that covers this. 15° or 25° AOB.

 

RV Alpha - “The refuelling anchor pattern is a left-hand racetrack with legs separated by as little as 7 nm for smaller, slower tankers such as the KC-130 and as much as 20 nm for larger, faster tankers. The standard leg length for this pattern is 50 nm.”

 

I can’t picture a real life scenario where tankers are flying around at 2G all the time trying to deliver fuel......

[Eddie]

This would not be at all realistic.

 

As pointed out above, 15° or 25° AOB is the standard for tankers. 30°-60° AOB is the norm for tactical aircraft in non-combat phase of flight (ie CAP/Holding orbit).

 

If anything the AI in DCS needs to be adjusted to manoeuvre more conservatively, using lower roll/pitch rates etc.

[Kang]

As a matter of fact, tankers in DCS make much wider turns while actively refuelling (as in, somebody radioed them with intent to refuel), than when on their holding station. That makes them go way beyond their planned pattern; in case of racetrack you can see them turning almost 270° to catch back up to it. Could that be part of your issue?

[Eldur]

If only!

 

 

...the AI was able to fly a circle with steady AoB at all...