Something cool, Coincidence, or Bug?

[Rusty_M]

Last night I was playing a mission in the Georgian Oil War campaign (that was well above my ability level), and fired a Vikhr at a tank in a column. What I hadn't realised until after I fired, was that I'd already destroyed it and it hadn't exploded until after I launched the second Vikhr. With this second missile due to be wasted, I managed to re-adjust the Shkval and target another tank, which was destroyed by the in-flight missile. Was this just pure blind luck, or is this expected behaviour? I just thought it was pretty cool. Kinda like Vikhr LOAL, although I don't suppose this feature would have too many practical applications.

[galagamo]

No coincidence, the shkval is pointing a beam, the vikher is a beam rider, it will adjust in flight to where ever the shkval is looking, and at the same time pointing a beam.

We used to be able to take out columns with the Vikher in the SU-25T in FC1. By flying slowly towards them, and launching up to four Vikhers with a 2/3sec pause in between launches, then adjusting the Shkval.

Pointing the laser at each of the targets one by one while the missiles where still in flight the timing had to be perfect. No longer possible in FC2 though, but more realistic I suppose/assume

[Rusty_M]

Cool! So adjusting the shkval adjusts where the beam that the Vikhr rides is pointing. I don't think i'll try using it as a normal technique, but it made good use of a missile that would otherwise have been wasted :)

[EtherealN]

Yes, it's "real" behaviour. The thing is that you have to be very careful when doing it, since slewing too fast will move the laser cone faster than the missile can adjust it's flight path and cause the missile to end up outside of the cone - leading to a missile gone "ballistic". In FC1 with the 25T the cone was not modeled properly, making it "too easy". (I think the FC1 "beam" basically designated a spot instead of a laser cone, making it impossible for the missile to end up outside the non-existant cone. This was re-modeled for DCS:BS and the Skhval/Vikhr behaviour was inherited into FC2.)

[Rusty_M]

Thanks again. That explains a lot. The second target was very close to the first, so there wasn't a huge change of position.

 

Every time I play this sim, something makes me grin!

[galagamo]

I think the FC1 "beam" basically designated a spot instead of a laser cone, making it impossible for the missile to end up outside the non-existant cone.

Well, that explains those trick shots:) Even though it's unrealistic, it's still fun to see how many you can deliver in a single pass, it's almost like a "game":music_whistling:

Edited March 15, 2011 by galagamo

[EtherealN]

The second target was very close to the first, so there wasn't a huge change of position.

 

Something you can try btw, for fun: lock up a target, and then fly sideways really fast. You'll find that you are unable (or close to) get the missile to track, since the sideways motion of the launch platform will cause the missiles to never find the cone. :)

 

While a sort of worthless exercise on it's own, it might help indicate the limits you have on post-launch meneuvering.

 

Another thing that I just remember that makes it harder to engage multiple targets simultaneously with the "proper" cone modeling in DCS:BS compared to FC1 though: the cone will continually reshape itself as the missile travels - wide cone at launch to enable the missile to "catch" the laser signal, and then during missile flight the cone will narrow down in order to ensure continued precise guidance of the weapon. This means that if you launch one weapon, and then a second weapon four seconds later, the laser cone will be set to the proportions of the first weapon and thus make it extremely difficult for a second weapon to gain guidance. Bit hard to describe it in words, but drawing it on paper makes it easier to grasp.

[Rusty_M]

I get what you mean there. I read about that feature in another thread somewhere. Something to do with the grid being the same size relative to the missile throughout the course of it's flight n'est pas?

[EtherealN]

I get what you mean there. I read about that feature in another thread somewhere. Something to do with the grid being the same size relative to the missile throughout the course of it's flight n'est pas?

 

Exactly so. :)

[Bodo]

When I found this out I'm fairly sure I tried firing and then spinning the heli in the direction of my wingman....don't think I succeeded in blowing his ass up, though! :)