MK20 Pointers

[CBenson89]

Does anyone have any pointers on how to best use the rockeyes? I feel like I get very mixed results with them. Are they effective being dropped one at a time? Do I have to do anything to arm them to make them work. Thank you for your time!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited April 13, 2020 by CBenson89

[zaelu]

I have used them last night in a coop and I just set all up like usual dumb bombs. As a pilot I set the HUD to A/G then talked with Jester to select the 4 pilons they were on, select Mk20s, arm them nose/tail, riple quantity to all 4 and interval to 100m. They worked... it was a bit expensive for just two armored targets destroyed :) but... they worked. Normally first mode is CCIP like mode if you don't do something more fancy to make Jester set all up for a CCRP like bomb run.

[punk]

I have used them last night in a coop and I just set all up like usual dumb bombs. As a pilot I set the HUD to A/G then talked with Jester to select the 4 pilons they were on, select Mk20s, arm them nose/tail, riple quantity to all 4 and interval to 100m. They worked... it was a bit expensive for just two armored targets destroyed :) but... they worked. Normally first mode is CCIP like mode if you don't do something more fancy to make Jester set all up for a CCRP like bomb run.

Hmm,the manual says,"To arm the Rockeye correctly the mechanical fuse should be set to nose (N)." Wonder if it really matters then?

 

http://www.heatblur.se/F-14Manual/weapons.html#mk-20-rockeye

[Naquaii]

The N/T settings basically tell the aircraft to hold or open the N/T fuzing claws (holders?) on the rack so if nothings connected to the tail position N/T will be equal to selecting N. It's still good practice to not do so as to not get a bad habit for when it matters.

 

IIRC some bombs use one to arm the bomb and the other to select retarded or free-fall.

[draconus]

I just tell Jester to select them and then drop like dumb - still works so Jester must be setting it all correctly.

 

riple quantity to all 4 and interval to 100m

What good is setting interval when you drop all at once?

[Scrape]

The N/T settings basically tell the aircraft to hold or open the N/T fuzing claws (holders?) on the rack so if nothings connected to the tail position N/T will be equal to selecting N. It's still good practice to not do so as to not get a bad habit for when it matters.

 

IIRC some bombs use one to arm the bomb and the other to select retarded or free-fall.

 

The fuzing claws are arming solenoids. The arming solenoids retain or release arming loops with arming wires that are run through the loops. When the solenoids energize (selected by pilot) the loops are retained and when the bomb is pushed away the wire that runs through the corresponding loop is yanked. Those wires could be keeping a fuze on safe, or a ballute (parachute thing on high drag bombs) stowed. Bomb racks or adapters may have a single, dual or up to three solenoids per bomb station.

 

Nose option will arm the forward or first solenoid. N/T (Nose Tail) will arm all solenoids regardless of number. Tail selection will arm the last single or in the case of 3 last two solenoids.

 

Fin release for GBU series bombs is not attached to a solenoid and those fins always deploy no matter what. Bombs like the Snakeye or Mk-82HD have their retardation device attached to the tail solenoid. Selecting N or Nose in this case will drop the bomb without deploying the ballute or high drag fins. This gives the bomb a normal trajectory as a Mk-82, so the pilot has an option. As a result there is no tail fuze in HD weapons.

[Scrape]

Does anyone have any pointers on how to best use the rockeyes? I feel like I get very mixed results with them. Are they effective being dropped one at a time? Do I have to do anything to arm them to make them work. Thank you for your time!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You want to drop them from 5k - 10k ft. I'm not sure but I think that DCS opens the canister at around 1,500 feet. That number is the most common used real world Height of Burst (HOB) or Height of Function (HOF). This particular height is set only on the ground real world. If you drop a cluster bomb too low in DCS it may not open and be ineffective or the bomblet dispersal will be a small radius. This is appropriate to the real world result. Minimum altitude I'd drop a cluster bomb in DCS would be 3k ft. Anything less and you may not get the desired effect.

[Naquaii]

The fuzing claws are arming solenoids. The arming solenoids retain or release arming loops with arming wires that are run through the loops. When the solenoids energize (selected by pilot) the loops are retained and when the bomb is pushed away the wire that runs through the corresponding loop is yanked. Those wires could be keeping a fuze on safe, or a ballute (parachute thing on high drag bombs) stowed. Bomb racks or adapters may have a single, dual or up to three solenoids per bomb station.

 

Nose option will arm the forward or first solenoid. N/T (Nose Tail) will arm all solenoids regardless of number. Tail selection will arm the last single or in the case of 3 last two solenoids.

 

Fin release for GBU series bombs is not attached to a solenoid and those fins always deploy no matter what. Bombs like the Snakeye or Mk-82HD have their retardation device attached to the tail solenoid. Selecting N or Nose in this case will drop the bomb without deploying the ballute or high drag fins. This gives the bomb a normal trajectory as a Mk-82, so the pilot has an option. As a result there is no tail fuze in HD weapons.

 

Yeah, that's correct, thanks for the additional info.

 

As for the implementation of the MK-20 in the HB F-14 it doesn't currently matter if you set it to N or N/T as long as you set one of those two.

 

The mark of bomb and fuze we've chosen should have an optional arming wire going to the T position which when used enables the option mode on the fuze, changing the fuze timing. But as we've as of yet been unable to implement this in DCS it currently doesn't matter if you set N or N/T on the MK-20.

[CBenson89]

It’s great to have actual HB staff responding! You guys knocked it out of the park with the F-14, thank you so much!!!!!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Eagle7907]

When they were first introduced on the Hornet, Wags videos mention about carrying speed of around 500kts in the dive and dive angle of around 20-30 degrees is how to get consistent results. Going outside of those parameters seems to show inconsistencies.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Scrape]

Yeah, that's correct, thanks for the additional info.

 

As for the implementation of the MK-20 in the HB F-14 it doesn't currently matter if you set it to N or N/T as long as you set one of those two.

 

The mark of bomb and fuze we've chosen should have an optional arming wire going to the T position which when used enables the option mode on the fuze, changing the fuze timing. But as we've as of yet been unable to implement this in DCS it currently doesn't matter if you set N or N/T on the MK-20.

 

Copy that. Thanks for the follow-up!!

[zaelu]

What good is setting interval when you drop all at once?

 

I thought is to set the drop not to be all at once but in ripples.

[draconus]

I thought is to set the drop not to be all at once but in ripples.

It's ok, sorry, I misunderstood.