How to use ground weapons?

[ThorBrasil]

8 minutes ago, The Gryphon said:

 

Hi @Wags and @ThorBrasil I think many of us in the community have missed  that the LOCK-ON botton must be used when doing manual bombing (!) 

From Eagle Dynamics MIG-29A Fulcrum Flight Manual :

Please see the red underlines below:

 

 

But if you scroll down a bit further, you'll see that it's possible to perform the attack without the pre-designate. And even then, it doesn't work.

 

Page 100 of the MiG-29A manual.

"Aiming in the "OPT" mode without pre-designate is performed if there is little time or altitude to attack the target.

To aim without pre-designate mark, after entering the dive and starting the laser rangefinder:

1. Determine corrections for wind speed and target movement

2. Move the aiming mark relative to the target by the amount of corrections

3. Press the gun or missile launch trigger at permitted firing ranges - the moving index in the effective firing zone and an audio signal is sent to the phones

4. After finishing shooting, withdraw the aircraft from the attack."

 

I asked Nineline to investigate whether it was my error or a possible problem.

 

5 minutes ago, ThorBrasil said:

I can't launch from CCIP, and the beep keeps coming. After the beep, the bombs fall in places outside the launch site. I also can't launch the fragmentation bombs. TOSS mode doesn't work either. If I'm doing the procedure wrong, please correct me! Could you investigate @NineLine? Thanks!

MiG-29A Fulcrum Bomb and Bomb Frag.miz 14.5 kB · 0 downloads

MiG-29A Fulcrum Bomb and Bomb Frag.trk 651.06 kB · 0 downloads

 

[Esac_mirmidon]

For me, bombs are falling short persistently. No matter the mode

[The Gryphon]

1 hour ago, ThorBrasil said:

 

But if you scroll down a bit further, you'll see that it's possible to perform the attack without the pre-designate. And even then, it doesn't work.

 

Page 100 of the MiG-29A manual.

"Aiming in the "OPT" mode without pre-designate is performed if there is little time or altitude to attack the target.

To aim without pre-designate mark, after entering the dive and starting the laser rangefinder:

1. Determine corrections for wind speed and target movement

2. Move the aiming mark relative to the target by the amount of corrections

3. Press the gun or missile launch trigger at permitted firing ranges - the moving index in the effective firing zone and an audio signal is sent to the phones

4. After finishing shooting, withdraw the aircraft from the attack."

 

I asked Nineline to investigate whether it was my error or a possible problem.

 

 

@ThorBrasil you are correct, I missed that part in the manual Im sorry.

I did som futher testing & I can not hit anything either in OPT mode . The bombs continue to fall short all the time no mather what I do. 

Edited Friday at 06:21 PM by The Gryphon

[ThorBrasil]

20 minutes ago, The Gryphon said:

@ThorBrasil you are correct, I missed that part in the manual Im sorry.

I did som futher testing & I can not hit anything either in OPT mode . The bombs continue to fall short all the time no mather what I do. 

No need to apologize, brother! We're here to help each other.

[Wags]

Only Pre-Designation mode. Not CCIP or CCIP Delayed modes.

[ThorBrasil]

1 hour ago, Wags said:

Only Pre-Designation mode. Not CCIP or CCIP Delayed modes.

I'm waiting for your video so I can learn how to properly use regular and cluster bombs. Thank you very much!

[The Gryphon]

3 hours ago, ThorBrasil said:

No need to apologize, brother! We're here to help each other.

Thanks buddy! Its quite a challenge to get my head around this Russian stuff, feels good to have such awesome community in DCS!

1 hour ago, Wags said:

Only Pre-Designation mode. Not CCIP or CCIP Delayed modes.

Thanks @Wags for the reply, really looking forward to your tutorial video! Keep up the great work

[The Gryphon]

@ThorBrasil

The newly released Grim Reapers tutorial is really good, you might want to have a look. There is no doubt bombing in the Fulcrum takes lots of skill, but atleast the framework and functionality is described very well below!

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by The Gryphon

[AeriaGloria]

On 9/19/2025 at 9:25 AM, ThorBrasil said:

 

But if you scroll down a bit further, you'll see that it's possible to perform the attack without the pre-designate. And even then, it doesn't work.

 

Page 100 of the MiG-29A manual.

"Aiming in the "OPT" mode without pre-designate is performed if there is little time or altitude to attack the target.

To aim without pre-designate mark, after entering the dive and starting the laser rangefinder:

1. Determine corrections for wind speed and target movement

2. Move the aiming mark relative to the target by the amount of corrections

3. Press the gun or missile launch trigger at permitted firing ranges - the moving index in the effective firing zone and an audio signal is sent to the phones

4. After finishing shooting, withdraw the aircraft from the attack."

 

I asked Nineline to investigate whether it was my error or a possible problem.

 

 

 

On 9/19/2025 at 9:34 AM, Esac_mirmidon said:

For me, bombs are falling short persistently. No matter the mode

 

On 9/19/2025 at 11:02 AM, The Gryphon said:

@ThorBrasil you are correct, I missed that part in the manual Im sorry.

I did som futher testing & I can not hit anything either in OPT mode . The bombs continue to fall short all the time no mather what I do. 

Pre designation doesn’t matter, all weapons can be employed without pre designation. 
 

All pre designation does is correct for wind and target movement. I have no idea why manual omits this and confuses everyone into thinking it’s something else 

I have only gotten bombs to drop accurately in CCIP, you have to look for when bomb fall line starts to rise above the 12 degree limit. 
 

I find CCRP so innacurate as to be worthless 

Edited 1 hour ago by AeriaGloria

[The Gryphon]

16 minutes ago, AeriaGloria said:

you have to look for when bomb fall line starts to rise above the 12 degree limit.

Thanks for the information & it seems to correspond with what Cap described in the video above.

I shall do some more testning. 

@AeriaGloria have you used the laser range finder as it should? Cap is talking a lot about the laser range finder in the video, I havent been able to test it out properly yet.

Edited 1 hour ago by The Gryphon
Spelling error

[AeriaGloria]

5 minutes ago, The Gryphon said:

Thanks for the information & it seems to correspond with what Cap described in the video above.

I shall do some more testning. 

@AeriaGloria have you used the laser range finder as it should? Cap is talking a lot about the laser range finder in the video, I havent been able to test it out properly yet.

Yeah, you get A at the right time. I also tested the radar altimeter ranging with laser off. 

[The Gryphon]

Just now, AeriaGloria said:

Yeah, you get A at the right time. I also tested the radar altimeter ranging with laser off. 

Ok cheers. I am wondering about CCRP. Because in the F16/18 it is used for level bombing. But I get the impression the community is using it in the MIG-29 for dive bombing, that can't be correct can it? Anyone knows if it should be used in dive or in level flight?

[AeriaGloria]

Just now, The Gryphon said:

Ok cheers. I am wondering about CCRP. Because in the F16/18 it is used for level bombing. But I get the impression the community is using it in the MIG-29 for dive bombing, that can't be correct can it? Anyone knows if it should be used in dive or in level flight?

It’s used for all air to ground as primary ranging. For CCRP, the WCS just remembers target position if under the nose. 
 

The only other way to range is inaccurate radar altimeter like Hind. And that doesn’t work well for strong dives. 
 

If your doing air to ground and the “A” denoting laser is on isn’t on, your doing something wrong or burned it out. 

[The Gryphon]

2 minutes ago, AeriaGloria said:

IFor CCRP, the WCS just remembers target position if under the nose.

Okey so if the WCS (Weapons Control System?) only remembers targets under the nose, doesen't it mean we should be flying level and let the target pass under the nose before release? Is that what the sovjet designers intended?

[AeriaGloria]

17 minutes ago, The Gryphon said:

Okey so if the WCS (Weapons Control System?) only remembers targets under the nose, doesen't it mean we should be flying level and let the target pass under the nose before release? Is that what the sovjet designers intended?

No, all I mean is that if target can be seen by the laser it’s being constantly ranged to make your pipper accurate. It always remembers a target that is the current focus, wether lazing or unable to laze 
 

In a CCRP, when the target goes under it it just remembers target position since it can’t laser it anymore, so it has to use its gyros. 
 

There is no one better way to do something, when properly modeled CCIP should pretty much as good as CCRP ( corrected for distance), and both better with pre designation. 
 

The process is simple 

Nose below 10 degrees, laser on ranging where my bombs will fall 

Lead is less then 12 degrees I can CCIP drop with one press 

Lead is more then 12 degrees I do CCRP, and when target goes under nose the position is remembered despite no lazing to accurately drop bomb at right time 

If I pre designate, just add “laser lazes spot and compares present pipper position to lazed pre designated spot to determine wind/movement correction” 

Other then the “laser is on for 30 sec and off for 32 sec” that is extent of laser interaction 

Edited 35 minutes ago by AeriaGloria

[The Gryphon]

13 minutes ago, AeriaGloria said:

No, all I mean is that if target can be seen by the laser it’s being constantly ranged to make your pipper accurate. It always remembers a target that is the current focus, wether lazing or unable to laze 
 

In a CCRP, when the target goes under it it just remembers target position since it can’t laser it anymore, so it has to use its gyros. 
 

There is no one better way to do something, when properly modeled CCIP should pretty much as good as CCRP ( corrected for distance), and both better with pre designation. 
 

The process is simple 

Nose below 10 degrees, laser on ranging where my bombs will fall 

Lead is less then 12 degrees I can CCIP drop with one press 

Lead is more then 12 degrees I do CCRP, and when target goes under nose the position is remembered despite no lazing to accurately drop bomb at right time 

If I pre designate, just add “laser lazes spot and compares present pipper position to lazed pre designated spot to determine wind/movement correction” 

 

Okey I kind of understand what you are saying ( but still a bit confused). Thanks for the effort though, really appreciate it. I will wait for Wags tutorial video and meanwhile consult the manual some more.