Durandal setting

[draconus]

Can you guys share your settings for Durandals?

I mean they do drop and hit but way short of the calculated point (I use Auto/Ripple/N/T) - they leave the station, put out parachute instantly and basically land over the place I pressed the button at, not at the calculated point.

What am I missing?

[JuiceIsLoose]

How are you trying to release them? You are using them in Auto? 
Normally the best way to use them is to use them in CDIP and change the BOT (BOMB ON TARGET) on the PACS program to 1 (it defaults to center). When BOT is 1 this means that the pipper (when using CDIP) will cause the bombs to release in a string such that the 1st bomb will hit the pipper. Thus you should fly to have the pipper be at the front of the runway and pickle (hold pickle) until all bombs come off the jet. The same could be done in AUTO with having a designation at the front of the runway.

If you have a designation at the front of the runway and don't change your BOT in your pacs and it is left to the default CENTER then half of your bombs will go short of that designation point and the other half of your bombs will go long of it.

Also another tip is to "cut" the runway at an angle and to not go directly straight down the runway. The bombs have shoot that dispenses as you mention and the wind can affect the trajectory due to the wind causing them to blow off to side and miss. So cutting the runway at an angle will help to ensure bombs will hit the runway regardless of the direction of the wind.

Edit: Durandals are dumb bombs with a chute and a rocket, and because you release them so low and want to release them right at the runway typically doing this 200-300ft AGL and in CDIP is the best way I have found to get good hits. You can also leave the PACS in auto and transition to CDIP by taking control of the HUD and then pressing Auto Acq Aft, this will toggle you into CDIP mode from Auto. Pressing Auto Acq Aft again (with the HUD in command) will then bring you back to AUTO mode.

Edited September 30, 2024 by JuiceIsLoose

[draconus]

I tried different alts and I never changed BOT but thanks for the tip. It's so bad that the designation is on the runway center and all 12 bombs can land before the runway if I fly high enough.

It looks like calculation is all wrong. Please test. I'll provide track and my test mission. No wind here.

The PG single mission has active AAA so you don't want to be low. F-16s only deal with the SAM threat.

[JuiceIsLoose]

I have done Durandal drops many many times. You have to drop them low, like 200ft AGL and be level and non maneuvering as you release. If you drop them any higher they won't hit because of the chute and wind drifting them off course, then once that rocket fires it will exaggerate any drift (either from wind or from how you approached the runway). The chute makes them retarded, so you want to drop them low, just like you would any other retarded dumb bomb. I would try dropping them at 200-300ft AGL and report back. If you are trying to drop them from anywhere other than low level, then I would say that is not how the ordinance is intended to be used and would not expect them to function as intended.

In your different drops what altitudes were you releasing at? Have you tried any at 200ft AGL and level flight?

Durandals were designed to be dropped very low level. And the AAA you are discussing is a prime reason they are not used anymore, because in order to use them you must get VERY close to the ground (and AAA) and you basically fly along the runway heading +/- 10 degrees, so you are a big open target. The runway of an airbase is not even the best target for realism. Ideally you would take out hangers, housing, fuel stores, ammo stores. Runways can be repaired relatively easily, even with the concept for the durandal. But if there is nothing to fuel the planes, load on the planes, or even fly the planes, an operating runway is all but useless. Look into the RAF Tornados shot down in the Gulf War, this is a prime example of why trying to go low level over an actively defended airfield isn't the best.

I often thought of using Durandals for runway destruction to shut out an airfield. But after discussions with others I have found there are much better tactics. Such as destroying the surronding infrastructure, which can be done with a Low Altitude Pop to Dive Toss delivery with slick MK-82/84s. Or if you really want to destroy the runway, come in with a 4 ship dropping LGB and lase precise intersections of runways/taxi ways.

[WizzRD]

3 hours ago, draconus said:

What am I missing?

Nothing.

They worked early on, but broke in one of the last patches.

 

Vid from the old days ...

 

[draconus]

27 minutes ago, WizzRD said:

They worked early on, but broke in one of the last patches.

Thx, just wanted to confirm.

[draconus]

I targeted the center, set BOT 1 and with 200ft drops it works almost fine. @JuiceIsLoose when you're this low you just didn't notice the bug

Duradals.trk F-15E - PG - Durandal vs runway training.miz

Edited September 30, 2024 by draconus

[draconus]

21 hours ago, draconus said:

The PG single mission has active AAA so you don't want to be low.

About that runway attack mission it should keep the AAA down when you keep your low alt flight in check. I didn't so it was active but choosing the curved attack profile I managed to both hit it and survive