weaponry Qs continued.

[dooom]

Warning: Long post :music_whistling:

 

I am trying to become proficient in unguided/secondary weapons now... uisng the mission editor i have been practising in the Shooting Range mission. My starting points to understand the systems crosses the manual/encyclopedia and posts here in the forums.. still a few Qs though: Please bear with me.

 

 

Ferdf posted this explanation a while back:

 

30mm Cannon (2A42)

Thisis the cannon mounted on the Ka-50 and is loaded with 240 HE and 220 AP rounds for soft and armored targets respectively. It has low (250 rpm) and high (550 rpm) rates of fire and is typically good for a range from 800 m to 3000 m. Personally I consider this weapon to be second only to the Vikhr missiles for combat effectiveness and range. Use HE on trucks, infantry, AAA emplacements and AP on light and medium armor.

 

550L External Fuel Tank (Fuel Tank)

Not exactly a weapon but increases the fuel load by 1100L for each pair added (compare internal fuel is 1,870L at 100%).

 

Vikhr Anti-Tank Missile (ATGM)

The longest ranged and heaviest hitting weapon in the normal inventory the Vikhr is fired in singles or in pairs and is laser guided from the Ka-50 onto the target. Range is generally 800m to 7km depending on altitude and speed. The Vikhr has fusing for ground targets (contact), air-to-air (proximity, late), and air-to-air head on (proximity, early) engagements.

 

S-8 Rocket Launcher Pod (B8)

The S-8 is a 80mm general purpose rocket carried in the B-series rocket pods at 20 rockets in each pod. Use salvos of 25% (med) or 50% (high) against area soft targets such as trucks, light armor, infantry, and fixed AAA positions. The range is 800m to about 2500m, less than the cannon.

 

S-13 Rocket Launcher Pod (UB13)

The S-8 is a 130mm general purpose rocket carried in the B-series rocket pods at only 5 rockets in each pod. The range of these should be greater than the S-8 slightly. The blast is larger but you have one-fourth as many.

 

UPK-23 Gun Pod (UPK-23)

The UB-13 is a fixed cannon pod loaded with 23mm rounds (240 rounds each pod) which have a high rate of fire. Probably best for convoy busting light armored or soft targets, close range air-to-air engagements, and attacking infantry.

 

KMGU Dispensers (KMGU (X) )

The KMGU dispensers are loaded with submunitions of either anti-tank or GP/HE variety (96 I think) that gravity drop out over a couple seconds for a "carpet" effect bombing run. The dispensers themselves are containers and do not fall themselves but have doors that open on the bottom of the dispenser. Low rate of fire setting dispenses one at a time and med/high dispenses both 1.5 seconds after button press. The KMGU is very effective if you manage to hit the target but requires overflight of the target area. The automated WCS does not altitude restrict dispenser release.

 

Freefall Aerial Bomb 250lb / 500lb (FAB-250 / FAB-500)

The 250 and 500-pound bombs are unguided freefall HE munitions that require release parameter calculation or intuition on the part of the pilot. I believe the bombs will drop as singles in the low setting and in pairs for med/high. The automated WCS restricts weapon release beflow 200m radar altitude.

 

My Qs are these:

 

1. Reviewing the Encyclopedia and 8-18 though 8-20 of manual, it is unclear on the following:

 

a) S-8OFP2 / S-8KOM / S-8TsM / S-8OM what is the difference?

b) As per my other post, i now know the unguided ballistics dials are:

 

0 for S-8KOM

1 for S-8TsM with smoke

2 S-13 rockets

3 S-24 rockets no function

4 S-8M HE rockets

5 UPK-23 Gunpods.

6-10 no function

* Are all S-8 other than the TsM & HE default 0? Which S-8 is considered the HE?

**I do not see any dial to utilize with either the FAB series or KMGU? How do you calculate impact point for these?

*** What mode do you utilize to employ FAB or KMGU? AT or Gunsight?

 

Thanks!

:smilewink:

[Waldo_II]

S-8 OFP2: Don't know. They might be fragmentation rockets, effective against infantry and lightly armored vehicles.

 

S-8 KOM: HEAT explosive

S-8 TsM: Used for marking targets. These do not cause damage, they only release some (orange?) smoke. You would use these when you want to point out a target to another aircraft or vehicle.

S-8 OM: Illumination round. These burn for 30 seconds I believe. I have found them to be quite inneffective, as you have to angle your helicopter at like 45 degrees to get them high enough, and then the illuminated area will be too far away for you to work effectively quick enough.

 

As for the ballistics dials, I have never used these. I am curious if anyone does.

 

For FABs or the KMGU, I would just generate your own chart if you really want to use them. I doubt the real Russian air force actually uses FABs on their KA-50s. Helicopters aren't really bomber aircraft.

 

It doesn't matter what mode to use for FABs or the KMGU. It isn't like the Shkval is used in anyway. Some people use it just for looking at their target and using the airspeed/direction indicators. Having auto-turn-to-target would be useful too. Gunsight mode wouldn't help you at all unless you are diving at a perfect 90 degrees.

[Frederf]

Lol Ferdf, almost my name. Was my post.

 

The ballistics dials are used to adjust the SKhval sight for rocket and gunpod deployment. There's a ballistic performance assumption tied to each setting. The setting defaults to match your #1 pylon's weapons (outboard, left side I think. Either way its an outboard pylon). For 99% of missions you never have to worry about it.

 

There are two instances where you'd have to mess with it:

 

1. You change your loadout to a different ballistic performance item.

2. You have weapons on the inner and outer pylons that use different settings.

 

---

 

S-8OM – illumination rocket. Once fired, the rocket flies a ballistic trajectory. After 17 seconds, the nose section separates, a drag chute opens and the illumination flare begins to descend at a rate of 8.2 m/s. The flare burns for 35 seconds. The S-8O (OM) illumination rockets are designed to increase the effectiveness of aviation and other battlefield forces in nighttime conditions by providing artificial illumination of specific areas of the terrain.

 

S-8OFP2 – blast-fragmentation rocket. This model includes a warhead with increased fragmentation effects and a longer-burning rocket engine. The rocket is designed to be used against infantry and unarmored targets.

From the 1.01c patch release notes

 

I'm not sure what ballistic setting is the best match for S-8OFP2s. They have a bigger rocket motor but they might weigh more. I think the best way is to load some up and take them to the range and see which ballistic setting makes the Shkval aimpoint and the actual impact as close as possible.

Edited November 6, 2009 by Frederf

[Frederf]

According to the placard in Dragon's Sharkpit the ballistic switch is the following:

 

0 - S-8 KOM / OM

1 - S-8 TsM

2 - S-13

3 -

4 - S-8 OFP2

5 - UPK-23

6 -

7 - FAB 250

8 - FAB 500

9 - KGMU AO

10 - KGMU AT