F-15 still Crippled with Lack of Chaff/Flares

[D-Scythe]

The 64/32 chaff/flare count in the F-15 is...too low, IMO. As far as I know, the F-15C carries its chaff/flare decoys in two 2 x 2 (total 4) formation of buckets, in front of both the main landing gear bays, for a total of 8. Lock On has certainly got the position modelled correctly. However, each bucket can be configured to carry only one type of decoy (i.e. you can't have chaff and flares loaded in the same bucket), and each can carry a max of 30 chaffs, 15 MJU-7 flares or 6 MJU-10 (larger) flares. The official word from a guy in the ANG in St. Louis:

 

Mark,

I got with our Weapons and Munitions guys and here is the answer. Both the A and C model have 8 stations to carry

Chaff and Flares. The model MJU-7 canister carries 15 flares X 8 stations = 120 flares only. The model MJU-10 canister carries 6 flares X 8 stations = 48 flares only. The chaff canisters carry 30 each X 8 stations = 240 chaff only. They load what the pilot requests for the mission.

 

CMSgt James A. Indelicato

 

From: http://forums.ubi.com/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=400102&f=38610606&m=429109174&r=502107284#502107284

 

He goes on to list a typical combat load for an F-15A/C:

 

A Combat load is normally 4 canisters of chaff = 30 each X 4 = 120 chaff and 4 canisters of the big flares 6 X 4 = 24 flares. So a combat load on an F-15A or C is 120 chaff and 24 flares.

 

However, remember that the pilot has a say in what is loaded. Personally, in Lock On, I feel that a loadout of 3 boxes of chaffs (90 in total), and 5 boxes of MJU-7 flares (75 in total), is a good balance between BVR and dogfight considerations, but eh, whatever floats your boat.

[GGTharos]

Already being looked into (I looked up the manufacturer info for the flares and handed it off to ED so that they can give us some more options) ... thanks for the additional info though.

[Pilotasso]

Dont forget also that in real life flares and chaff are also dispensed in voleys, and its depleated very quicly still. In games a single flare of chaff does the trick sometimes.

[D-Scythe]

Most fighters I've seen dispense chaffs and flares in pairs. Most transports dispense them in volleys, probably because they have so many more decoy 'buckets'.

 

Lock On seems to have got it right. Chaff and flare decoys seem to be released in the same fashion as the Combat Archer live-fire video that's been floating around the net.

[GGTharos]

It depends on what you put in the buckets - there are actually 50-flare cartridges for the F-15, but they're not commonly used.

 

Another thing to note is that the larger flares are typically dispensed singly, not two at a time, and that makes some sense.

 

Got that from the Eagle Rage video where an F-15 seems to dispense the 50-flare cartridge AND the cartridge manufacturer. All of this info has been provided to ED and it has been suggested that it might be nice to see the chaff/flare loadout amounts in the meinit at the very least. ;)

[D-Scythe]

I meant that I'm not sure in an F-15 that all flares can be dispensed at the same time. I mean, I've seen F-15s and Su-27s and other airshow aircraft dump all their flares in short succession, but not all simultaneously like a C-130 'angel' flare release.

 

It depends on what you put in the buckets - there are actually 50-flare cartridges for the F-15, but they're not commonly used.

 

It depends on the configuration of the ALE-45 (or is it -40? Different sources say different things), doesn't it? An F-15 can carry 120 flares if it wanted to.

[GGTharos]

Nope, the F-15 can do it - it's right in there in EAGLE RAGE. That's when using the 50 flare buckets I'd assume. As I said, I checked out the manufacturer's website, and they ARE available for the 15 - keep in mind that unlike the C-130 however, these are likely much much smaller flares, whereas the C-130 is likely releasing pretty large stuff, since its buckets can be bigger. Just speculation on my part atm though.

[Guest ThomasDWeiss]

I just posted some F-15 missions, and flares and chaff are simply not enough, also, wingman dispense them with abandon, so that if you have to jump cockpits, you find yourself in an Eagle with zero chaffs and flares.