Flight orientation

[Philip Mongeon]

So i'm having an issue where i'm creating a small test mission.

8 groups of 4 B-17s headed over Dunkirk for a carpet bomb raid. 

So i setup my 8 "singles" in a big formation of 2 box groups where the leader of box 2 follows the tail of box 1.

even before i duplicate each single to its 4max planes per group, when i start the mission, they are always headed north west (about 340). Even with waypoints set, if i add planes to its group, the lead plane becomes the tail end. There is NOTHING i can do to change the initial orientation of the flight. I mean, i can add waypoints to this mission until i'm blue in the face, they always start pointing the wrong way.

I even tried having all units cross 2 waypoints before joining at waypoint 3 and 4 to begin the assembly of the big formation..they still start off pointing the wrong way.

 

Any thoughts ?

there's no heading dial like the ground units.

[Philip Mongeon]

This is what i mean. The waypoint was created BEFORE i added the other planes to the flight... now the Leader becomes the tail, regardless of my efforts to counter this.

[razo+r]

A waypoint will always place the Initial direction for a flight. If the formation doesn't follow, try to re-setup the formation.

Otherwise upload your mission or example here.

[Philip Mongeon]

i will post it shortly. what i have noticed using DCS moving map is that each flight will perform an unrealistic 180 degree turn and realign with the waypoint. when i say unrealistic, i mean, within 500ft.

i understand what you mean...IT SHOULD. but if it worked as intended, then why when i place a single plane, add its waypoints(which should now have redirected the flight in the proper direction), then i add 3 planes to it (by using the little arrows to add planes to the flight), all subsequently added planes are added IN FRONT of the lead plane instead of aft., EVEN with the formation option properly set. 

Example: single plane created, 3 waypoints in a straight line pointing south, formation option set to "bomber element height separation". then i add the 3 planes and boom! lead plane is now at the rear of that bomber element. This results in the entire bomber element having to do a 180 degree turn so the lead plane can be at the lead where its meant to be..

[Philip Mongeon]

here is a mission file where you can see the mentioned "circle around".

If it wasn't for this maneuver at the very start, most if not all bombers would make it to target.

To reduce the complexity, i remove one entire bomber group as well as all enemy flights 

7x4hex bombgroup.miz

[razo+r]

1 hour ago, Philip Mongeon said:

here is a mission file where you can see the mentioned "circle around".

If it wasn't for this maneuver at the very start, most if not all bombers would make it to target.

To reduce the complexity, i remove one entire bomber group as well as all enemy flights 

7x4hex bombgroup.miz 18.56 kB · 0 downloads

The groups of 4 planes do work fine that have a waypoint.

The others that do the 180 turn do it because you didn't give them a waypoint, and by default every aircraft is set up with a heading of 360. What you need to do to fix that is simply give them a waypoint into the direction of the first group. The advanced waypoint actions you gave them is not enough. It has to be a normal waypoint to give them the proper heading.

So do not confuse the advanced waypoint actions for a waypoint with a waypoint itself. Those are two different things.

Edited September 15, 2024 by razo+r

[Philip Mongeon]

I have tried starting every group of 4 with 3 waypoints "en route" then have them all merge onto the big formation way point of the lead groups. the result was the same, but i will try again in case i messed something up the first time, which is more than likely

 

i'll attach a new mission file sometime after the kids head to bed tonight

 

side note... has ED made any progress on getting the flak cannons to actually be useful ? even with a KDO, i just have a bunch of flak cannons point up at the sky and say "Ohh look an airplane!" then go back to sleep LOL

[Philip Mongeon]

look at these beautiful bombers all headed in the same direction!!!!

Thank you very much good sir! :)))))

[Philip Mongeon]

can i ask you to check something ? 

The mission file i attached here.

if you select a ground unit (F7) and back off until you see the whole area about to get carpet bombed.... Does DCS crash shortly after the bombs start dropping ?

7x4hex bombgroup.miz

[razo+r]

On 9/16/2024 at 2:33 AM, Philip Mongeon said:

can i ask you to check something ? 

The mission file i attached here.

if you select a ground unit (F7) and back off until you see the whole area about to get carpet bombed.... Does DCS crash shortly after the bombs start dropping ?

7x4hex bombgroup.miz 32.49 kB · 1 download

It doesn't crash for me but it turns into a slideshow...

72 B-17s dropping bombs is a bit much if you care about balanced performance in any way...

[Philip Mongeon]

Yeah, what i found though is that its not the amount of planes. Where it bogs down performance is the rendering of the numerous ground fires subsequent to the bomb blast.

I ran a test and had the same flight drop bombs in the middle of nowhere and performance only dipped slightly.