B-52 Bombers as AI

[Mike Force Team]

When the B-52 as AI is available, will we have the option of selecting different Pratt and Whittney engines?  Will future versions of the B-52 allow us to select either 50 caliber machine guns or galling guns for the tail guns?

Edited April 7, 2022 by Mike Force Team

[Tank50us]

The remodel of the B-52 is going to be a post 9-11 variation of the B-52H. Additional variations would require additional models to make as the whole airframe was heavily upgraded over the years.

[FlankerKiller]

Can we make this a cold War B-52 pleas. We are starting to get some late cold War aircraft. I'm hoping there will be more. And having proper B-52s the ether escort of kill would be really nice. 

[mkellytx]

On 4/10/2022 at 5:09 PM, FlankerKiller said:

Can we make this a cold War B-52 pleas. We are starting to get some late cold War aircraft. I'm hoping there will be more. And having proper B-52s the ether escort of kill would be really nice. 

The H model was a late cold war bomber, add back the Vulcan in the tail and the model would work if you don't put a T-pod on it.  The H's though mostly sat alert.  A conventional BUFF would be a D or a G with J57's, water injection and ma deuces in the tail.

[Rick50]

On 4/6/2022 at 7:11 PM, Mike Force Team said:

Will future versions of the B-52 allow us to select either 50 caliber machine guns or galling guns for the tail guns?

 

 

Dunno. But the B-52 got rid of it's guns some time ago, be they 50's or 20's. 

I'd personally like to see an H, and a D version for the 1960's SAC and Vietnam era with the big "shark tail", because it just looks very different and more graceful!

[mkellytx]

21 hours ago, Rick50 said:

 

Dunno. But the B-52 got rid of it's guns some time ago, be they 50's or 20's. 

I'd personally like to see an H, and a D version for the 1960's SAC and Vietnam era with the big "shark tail", because it just looks very different and more graceful!

Guns went away in the early 90's, about the same time as the G models (50 cals).  The H's would be a bore for the 60's as all they did was sit alert.  The F's, D's and G's flew Arc Light and Linebacker I/II.

[Rick50]

Well, I'd like to see some D's not just for Vietnam scenarios, but also for fictional/speculative SAC intercept scenarios: go up in Mig-19's and '21's to intercept the "shark tail" all nice and shiny!!

But I dont' think that's in any plan right now. Maybe a great idea for an AI mod ?

[Mike Force Team]

I wanted the option to select the tail guns. We can place attacking jets in a world of hurt when they are attacking the b-52s.

[Tank50us]

1 hour ago, Mike Force Team said:

I wanted the option to select the tail guns. We can place attacking jets in a world of hurt when they are attacking the b-52s.

Most threats to a BUFF simply won't get that close. And if they do they're idiots.

[Mike Force Team]

When I read online information, I found at least two instances where B-52 tail gunners downed Mig-21 jets. This occurred during the Viet Nam war. 

MFT

[Rick50]

Sure, but Vietnam was a :LONG time ago.

Modern Fox2 can be launched from the edge of visible distance, FAR outside the range of any 20mm. Fox3 can tripple that and more.

Russians took tail guns  off he TU-22M3 I think. So really maybe the Tu-95 and IL-76 for a tailgun today...

 

Radar directed tailguns, would be much like the Navy 20mm Phalanx CIWS... and I bet all pilots have been told since the 1947 discovery of the TU-4 to avoid chasing bombers with tailguns. 

Even in the earlier Cold War, steps were taken  to avoid being shot by tail guns... the bomber intercept AAM's Falcon and Genie missiles both had a range of 6 miles (9.7 km), and had nuclear warheads to knock down multiple bombers in a single shot. At least that was the theory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIR-2_Genie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIM-26_Falcon

 

Canada had nuke Genies in service, then in storage in Canada, and then had them removed from CFB Comox in the late 1980's. Also Canada had nuke bombs for our CF-104 Starfighters deployed to Germany, for the nuke strike role on Czech airfields I believe. I don't think these nukes ever came to Canada's territory. At least one Broken Arrow happened over Canada,  an American bomber crashed, and required Canadian military ground teams to secure the nuke for removal. For a time we also had the ASROC nuclear tip torpedo system.  Today I don't believe Canada has any nuclear weapons  of any kind. Nor any nuclear propulsion  for our ships or subs. 

 

Edit:

I  looked up the basics for the  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_CIWS

Effective firing range    1,625 yd (1,486 m) (max. effective range)

Maximum firing range    6,000 yd (5,500 m)

now... that's  presumably  against a narrow missile inbound, so against a fighter we could maybe double that or better, so 3000meters or 4000m ?

Edited April 14, 2022 by Rick50

[Northstar98]

On 4/10/2022 at 11:09 PM, FlankerKiller said:

Can we make this a cold War B-52 pleas. We are starting to get some late cold War aircraft. I'm hoping there will be more. And having proper B-52s the ether escort of kill would be really nice. 

Unfortunately it looks like the B-52H being modelled looks to be a late 2000s aircraft at the very earliest (especially if Sniper can't be removed).

Personally, I wish we would keep the variants the same and have model replacements be a like-for-like replacement, instead of changing the variant. Of course, the best option would be to do variants.

One thing I'm worried about though, is that despite this being a more modern aircraft, I can't imagine ED giving them modern weapons like the JASSM and MALD.

[mkellytx]

22 hours ago, Tank50us said:

Most threats to a BUFF simply won't get that close. And if they do they're idiots.

Only idiots in DCS, IRL their missiles may not work if an EWO knows their stuff.